Eric S notapenguin's blog: "From others' poetry and plays"

Translation based on those of Nicolai Medtner and Harold Drinker's but incorporating more than a few decisions of my own (to the point where I'll probably change it in future since I'm wondering about some of those decisions and how well I understood the poem at that time ... reassuring no? :) ) but as it is -- _____________ Where is our rose, my friend? The rose, the child of dawn, has faded away and gone. O do not say: "Thus youth is passing," O do not say: "No joy is lasting." Say then to the flower: Pardon, for you will suffice me- And let's turn there, for blooming are the lilies. __________________ (The poem as translated and set to music by Medtner is still what's worth seeking - there's a recording or two out there. I have one with the composer accompanying Elizabeth Schwarzkopf in that particular brief selection, in a varied program - I think I've mentioned that 1993-released recording before; it was a wonderful gift.

Two poems that inspired the composer Sorabji (who named two of his works "Djami" after the 15th-century poet, a piano work and later on one of his full-orchestra, solo and chorus symphonies) are translated on this webpage- http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~bahai/diglib/books/A-E/B/browne/year/year06.htm in about the same translation the composer used (in one case to head the score of the piano piece- "Be thou the thrall of love..." - but not spoken - in another, the symphony, the poem "In solitude, where Being signless dwelt" is sung. The 1928 piano piece has been recorded, was just listening to it yesterday. Also finally got started on LilyPond-converting the opening of the passacaglia (fourth of seven movements) of the 1964-9? fourth toccata by the same composer yesterday- let's see if I can do the whole movement... :) ) Just online for a couple of minutes, heading back to listening to a reconstructed masque and having breakfast... back on later though!

Set by Carl Nielsen in 1891 (opus 4 no. 4 - 'Irmelin Rose'; I have a few recordings of this all on the set "The Historic Carl Nielsen Collection, volume 6 - Songs, Choral Works" released by Danacord Records some years back, an unneeded copy of which was sent me by a friend.) The first stanza in Danish: Se, der var engang en konge, mangen skat han kaldte sin Navnet på den allerbedste vidste hver Irmelin, Irmelin Rose, Irmelin Sol, Irmelin alt hvad der er dejligt. (from http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=8841) In English: Once upon a time there was a king many treasures, did he possess. The name of the very best as everyone knew, was Irmelin, Irmelin Rose, Irmelin Sun Irmelin, All that was Lovely. (from the notes to the recording.) (The song itself, all four brief stanzas from very early in the life of a remarkable modern Danish turn-of-the-20th composer, is great. I'm not endorsing what the author's attitude is or seems to be; the refrain especially has stayed much too much in my head and so I post this.)

The Rose (Die Rose) (Pushkin) (Translation into English based on that by Harold Drinker) Where is our rose, my friend? The rose, the child of dawn, has faded away and gone. O do not say: "Thus youth is passing," O do not say! "No joy is lasting." Say then to the flower: Pardon, for you will suffice me- And then let's turn there, where the lilies bloom. (Set to music by Nicolai Medtner (1880-1951) (And if anyone speaks Russian and has the original of the poem and it makes more sense or at least is less cynical in the original's ending than the sad opening and the wonderful and hopeful middle... I'd appreciate knowing. This is an attempt at a fairly direct translation from Medtner's German, in places.- E)

"We have heard the chimes at midnight, Master Shallow." (When a very good friend of ten years... not much, as these matters go, and not as long... enough for me- died in June of 2004, when I received the news early the next month- this line, I seem to recall, did come to mind. I think I did see the play later that year- I already knew the line but I may only have associated the two afterwards. That matters less to me, for I can't unlink at all them now. Less personally, less involved with my own life, there is a piece of music There is a willow grows aslant a brook. I have heard it once; the composer's name is Frank Bridge (1879–1941). I did not read the notes on the LP so carefully; so I did not see what I later learned. Reading Hamlet a few years later, I ran into the line. There is a reason why Bridge chose it- if you do not know what is announced in that paragraph, find it and you will see...)