L'Albatros

Le Poète est semblable au prince des nuées
Qui hante la tempête et se rit de l'archer;
Exilé sur le sol au milieu des huées,
Ses ailes de géant l'empêchent de marcher.

L'Albatros - Ch. Baudelaire

I voted for Vlad...... Vlad Tepes

Literally!! I should have taken a photo of the vote bulletin to show you.


In the photo : Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler (1431 - 1476)- from http://www.fundatiasnagov.ro


"Cum nu vii tu Tepes doamne, ca punand mâna pe ei,
Sã-i imparti în doua cete: în smintiti si în misei,
Si în doua temniti large cu de-a sila sã-i aduni,
Sã dai foc la puscarie si la casa de nebuni!"

Mihai Eminescu - Scrisoarea III

You can find a translation of this poem here

All is old and all is new

A friend sent me a link to a very interesting article: The 10 Most Puzzling Ancient Artifacts .

This made me think of the poem "Glossa" by M. Eminescu:

"All is old and all is new,

Time goes by, time comes along."

You can read the rest of the poem here.

Translation by A. G. Sahlean & al.

In the photo: the poet Mihai Eminescu (1850 -1889) from AgendaClujeana.

Listen to a beautiful song for Eminescu by Doina si Ion Aldea Teodorovici.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.



As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.



If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.



Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.



Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.



Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.



With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

- Max Ehrmann, 1927 -

Cuvinte

Iata o poezie pe care am scris-o cu multi ani in urma:

Cuvinte
stravezii si tulburi
Ca niste globuri
de cristal
misterioase
farame de neant
si diafane straluciri
- caderi.

Acum nu mai cred in cuvinte.. cred in Cuvant.

Cuvantul care zideste.

(photo from the www)

Pomegranate tree

"It was the nightingale, and not the lark,
That pier'd the fearful hollow of thine ear;
Nightly she sings on yond pomegranate tree.
Believe me, love, it was the nightingale."

William Shakespeare

(Photo taken from the wwww)

Now

You don’t need to leave your room.
Remain sitting at your table and listen.
Don’t even listen, simply wait.
Don’t even wait.
Be still and quiet.
And the world will freely offer itself to you.
To be unmasked, it has no choice.
It will roll in ecstasy at your feet.

Franz Kafka