Monday, June 24, 2013

Verdaguer And Other Catalonians


How do poets from catalonia inspire such grandiose and bold themes? Even if we are quite sure of the motivations of spaniards from history , their actions seeming prosaic and underachieving; still there is a sense of ultimate grandeur and moral purpose, of world and universal conquest , perhaps rightness. The hidden side of arrogance , perhaps? I don't know yet.

   I'm so enraptured by the beauty of Verdaguer's verse in translation, I'd like to read the entirety of La Atlantida .I'm fairly sure he inspired Dali: The Dream Of Christopher Columbus Discovering The New World , for example though I don't know either of those men's minds ; though maybe I do , I am not bogged down in the routines of everyday life or the suppositions people make in their language. Maybe I understand a something of what they meant , outside of words.

  Both men made  public art , received commissions from public figures and organizations. I'm sure both were influenced or informed by sentimental roman catholic paintings of the mid to late nineteenth century. Being obvious and surpassing sentimentality is admirable and necessary; the established figures are rightly commended for bestowing praise upon these people.


  What's a sea eagle , and what do they believe?




POEMS


Atlantis
song seventh

      DELOS

eptú boot
one of three beautiful corners of Sicily,
      vegí'm as new star, I took
rumbosa a ship sailing
      that aflaires full of rich,
      them joguinosos air
of Epidauros in Dòrida pushed;
and music, rumors and canticela
Tritons and followed them Oceánida
it silver thread of my slippery trail.

If you were in my sweet reception
      Latona, persecuted
      by Juno sovereign
      engelosida of Young;
quena them up fleeing countries rivers steps
denied tries jungle steep slopes,
      ses and make lion caves;
resting in the shade of palms month
çparí and birthplace of Phoebus and Diana
I swayed gently bite between arms.

Then, out of the Pactolus shores
Voltaren me singing seven times
Meon of them swans, and fugitive
      danced around me
Hours of heaven, pour ses skirts
myrtle
vast sea launched in the blue.

      Gulls at me
flakes of foam crowned
Believe me their candid couple;
      Sea eagles
believe