Saturday, August 8, 2009

Think I'll go out to Alberta

At the end of the rainbow is a glimmering girl

W.B. Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and Nobel Laureate for literature in 1923. This poem, "The Song of Wandering Aengus," was written by him. It reflects my mood. Aengus is a figure from Irish mythology, who is said to have been a god of love and youth and poetic inspiration. He had four birds symbolizing kisses hovering around him and, according to legend, those of you who put "xxxx" at the close of your letters to represent kisses are emulating those birds. When he found his true love, they flew off together as a pair of swans, singing songs that put all who listened to sleep for three days and nights. See, you learned something today.

Went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;

And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.


The Song of the Wandering Aengus
By W.B. Yeats


Weather's good there in the fall

This song, "Four Strong Winds," is considered sort of an anthem by many Canadians. The melody is absolutely beautiful, and the words are as true as any ever written. It reflects my mood. It is sung here by the man who wrote it, Canadian Ian Tyson, along with his wife, Sylvia. During the concluding few seconds of the piece, they are joined on stage by Murray McLauchlin, Judy Collins, Gordon Lightfoot and Emmylou Harris. The recording is from a 1986 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television production.

13 comments:

TheChicGeek said...

Hi Fram :)
I've been trying to get the glitter off, but you know how it is for us girls at the end of the rainbow...it's so colorful here and the gold dust just gets stuck in our hair...
Ahhhh, the toils of a glimmering girl....

Pretty poem and song...I enjoyed them.
Have a Happy Day...I must run now...a swan is calling my name :)
xxxx

Fram Actual said...

If you had not put in an appearance, I would feel totally abandoned, Kelly. Thank you, very much.

I never have been a fan of Yeats and, in fact, during my "student days" thought him boring to read. However, the more a person learns about life, the more he learns to appreciate talent.

The song is a real classic and a real beauty and an expression of real life. It is impossible to beat that combination.

TheChicGeek said...

It's neat how things we once read change and become clear to us with life experience. I was reading Robert Louis Stevenson last night after your comment to me...never really read him before but was loving him last night. So thank you for your lessons, oh, Wise One...LOL

Have a fun day today :)

PS: It's summer...nobody posts as much...everyone is out having fun...at least I wish so.

Kisses from a girl that glimmers under the rainbow :) (I like that expression)
xx

TheChicGeek said...

PS: I tried to send you a pot of gold for good luck but I don't know how to get this box to accept a picture.

Have a Happy Day!

Fram Actual said...

Thank you, Kelly. Stevenson was, at minimum, I think, a writer of the second order and a traveler of the first order. He covered more territory than most of us ever will, and did it during an era when it was difficult and dangerous, unlike today.

Someday, I might follow his last trail.

TheChicGeek said...

I just looked up his walking trail...140 miles through France! Now that would be a trip. They sell a walking guide of his trail on Amazon...France has now adopted it as a historical trail and there are many sights to see, places to stay along the way. I am ordering the book...another to add to my TBR pile...but this one, I think I will move higher up the stack :)
How long do you think it takes to do 140 miles?????....quite a while walking...LOL
Oh, well, one can dream...that sounds like a vacation of a lifetime. :D
xx

TheChicGeek said...

Here's the link for the guide :)

http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Louis-Stevenson-Trail-Cevennes/dp/1852845112

Do it, Fram :D Looks like something you would really enjoy...

Baisers*
Baci*
Kisses*
:D

Fram Actual said...

One of Stevenson's early trips was the trek around France, which directly led to his later trans-continental journey across America.

His last venture, which is the one I was referring to, was a cruise in the Pacific aboard a chartered yacht that lasted nearly three years. This, some how, appeals to me more than walking.

I have no clue how long it would take to walk 140 miles, but it probably would take me twice as long as the average person.

I could tell you how long it would take me to canoe that distance on a lake, by myself, at either a leisurely or a fast pace, or with another person who could match my pace. Or, I know how to measure the speed of a current in a river, and figure that into the equation. And, wind speed and direction could be figured as well. But, walking, who knows?

Thanks, again, Kelly.

TheChicGeek said...

I had read that his love moved to the states to divorce him. Is that why he went to America, to try to find her later? Just curious.

Actually you can take a car or horse for part of the trek in France. The landscape looks beautiful on the French trek, although I'm sure the American trek is equally as beautiful. And of course traveling by yacht for 3 years, well, you would be hard-pressed to beat that.

One thing for sure, he was a great traveler.

A Cuban In London said...

Well, mate, I tried to leave a comment in your latest post but I couldn't. I loved that Yeats, someone I need to re-discover after having studied him in uni many years ago. Have a safe and adventurous wherever the wind on your tail takes you.

Greetings from London.

Fram Actual said...

Thank you, CiL.

For a time, I will be content to be a subject of the ethereal realm, with an occasional dive into cold, blue, deep water.

Piper .. said...

For some reason I cant see the comment tab on the posts above. Or may be you didnt want them ruined by external interference..
But I just had to comment. Absolute beginners is one of the best lyrics I`ve read in a very long time. The perfect song for my restless soul.Thank you for sharing it.
How have you been Fram? Long time..

A Cuban In London said...

Since I cannot comment on your latest and (last?) post I will have to leave my feedback here. Whilst in northern Spain, I noticed that one of the symbols of the region where I was, Cantanbria, was the wolf. Take care of yourself, mate and good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Greetings from London.

Something special ....