Poetry Blog No 183 Norfolk Island Pines at Dusk

 

NORFOLK ISLAND PINES AT DUSK

In a civilisation dominated by the prosaic, by data and purely intellectual models of the real, there is a threat of creative stagnation and loss of human meaning. I believe that poetry is an art that can, perhaps more than most, give back something of the mystery and immediacy of actual experience.

The Norfolk Island Pines mentioned in this piece are endemic to Norfolk Island.

Araucaria heterophylla (synonym A. excelsa) is a vascular plant in the ancient and now disjointly distributed conifer family Araucariaceae. As its vernacular name Norfolk Island pine implies, the tree is endemic to Norfolk Island, a small island in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, about 1440 km east of Sydney, Australia. The genus Araucaria occurs across the South Pacific, especially concentrated in New Caledonia (about 700 km due north of Norfolk Island) where 13 closely related and similar-appearing species are found. It is sometimes called a star pine, triangle tree or living Christmas tree, due to its symmetrical shape as a sapling, although it is not a true pine. From Wikipedia

NORFOLK ISLAND PINES AT DUSK

Wide autumn waves lap last gold light

that fades from west line’s burning sight.

Four Norfolk pines, dusk-dark,

upon a seaside hill

stand tall.

Sky sentinels, they raise

their needled branches high

towards violet sky vastness,

ethereal and far.

And in light-melting western haze,

behind pines’ silhouetted sharpness,

now Venus is

first-blazing star. 

 

Poetrry Blog No 182 Narrow Roads to Inner Lands Scene 10

NARROW ROADS TO INNER LANDS SCENE 10 

 

Bashō and Sora arrive at Matsushima which is a collection of islands in a bay regarded as one of the great scenic views in Japan, Despite its beauty Bashō experiences somer unexpected feelings while seeing his desired “moonrise over islands”.

Matsushima is a group of islands in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. There are some 260 tiny islands (shima) covered in pines (matsu) – hence the name – and is ranked as one of the Three Views of Japan. From WIKIPEDIA

In 20011 the islands lessened the damage onshore from the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. 

 

...the area was protected by the islands and suffered relatively little damage.The initial tsunami was 3.2 meters (10.5 feet) with the second 3.8 meters (12.5 feet). Electricity was restored by March 18, water fully restored by April 16th and the Senseki Train Line between Takagimachi Station and Sendai by May 28. Nevertheless, 3 people were confirmed killed in Matsushima (including by aftershocks) with 18 killed while out of town. from Wikipedia

SCENE TEN

Island of Ojima. Sandy beach. The sound of waves. Lights- late afternoon to dusk. Enter Bashō and Sora.

SORA

At last our wanderings have lead us here-

To these wide sands spread by this wild, blue bay,

This sight so praised for most abundant beauty,

With its far scattering of windy islands.

BASHŌ

Yes, Ojima's long island where we are

And all of Matsushima's bay are famed

For wonder views right-thought equal those

Of great and wide-spread lakes in Chinese lands.

SORA

And it didn’t take so many walking days

To reach here from the monument of Taga.

BASHŌ

Yet many-seen were scenes upon the way.

Remember, Sora, how we came upon

Dark pine woods near the temple Masshōzan.

And there we saw a multitude of tombstones,

The graves of many people past, all scattered

Amongst the ever-needled trees, reminding

How all that we perceive must pass- the waves

Must break at last, white-foaming on the shore,

For young and old, and loved and loving, all

Must lay the body down at their life's ending.

Then entering the town of Shirogama,

We heard the sounding of the curfew bell.

The May-rain sky was darkening but clearing.

Faint, early moonlight shining showed the shape

Of close Magaki island, near to shore.

Faint voices of far fishermen dividing

The catch of day called up strange loneliness

And brought an instant grasp of ancient verses

Which pity their precarious existence

Upon the changes of the restless sea.

(Bashō and Sora walk on.)

SORA

But dawn dissolved our sombre mood when we

Arose to view the beauty of these parts.

BASHŌ

I paid my homage at a hallowed spot

The famous shrine of Shiogama where

The morning sunlight lit vermillion fencing

As I approached - so brightly, almost dazzling.

I was most deeply moved to note how far

Divine, bright power can penetrate: such warming,

Such shining rays reach even this far north.

SORA

Yes, certainly this scene is blessed by beauty.

I am reminded of the Chinese poets.

Just as the river Sekkō there is filled

At each swell by the ceaseless tide, so here

The bay brims with waters of the ocean.

BASHŌ

And countless islands scatter on that sea:

Tall islands point their peaks up toward the sky

And level ones bow down before long billows

In seeming servitude to ceaseless change:

The battering of waves and wind. Yet all

Are like a steadfast soul that holds its own

Against the forms of ever-changing life,

Not swept away by each impression's power,

But able thus to stand in inmost strength,

Within the sea of endless changing form,

Firm-anchored in the ever-lasting law.

SORA

Indeed. Here islands almost pile on islands-

Some join to other islands so they seem

Like rocky parents patting smaller offspring

Or strolling with them, arm in arm. The pines,

Of freshest green, have branches curved and bent

By constant blowing of sea breezes, yet

Their boughs do not seem all distorted, but

Formed in the finest, most exquisite lines.

       

BASHŌ (thoughtfully)

Yes. Beauty as is found here only finds

Comparison with finest female features.

For who could form such balanced beauty but

The great god of all nature? I fear my pen

Would strive in vain to equal this wild grace.

Yet Sora, I believe you wrote a verse,

A poem on this place some while ago?

SORA (extracting it from his pack)

Yes, master Bashō, this is the very verse.

Clear-voiced cuckoo, you

Need the wide crane's silver wings

To span these islands.

(Bashō rises)

BASHŌ

Yes, Sora, that is fine. But for myself

I cannot find a single line to speak.

(The light reddens and darkens. The sound of the sea

grows, mixed with the sound of wind.)

SORA

The light's already failing in the west

And strong sea wind is driving darkening clouds

In ragged streaks across the glooming sky.

I saw some houses back behind the shore,

With pale, blue threads of rising smoke, amid

The scattered forest of the pines. I'll see

If I can find a place for us to sleep.

BASHŌ

Yes, I shall join you in a little while.

(Sora exits.) (The scene grows darker.)

BASHŌ

I feel a strange and restless yearning here.

Yet if, as though to interrupt such musing,

I look out to the far-spread eastern skyline,

Full moon is rising, mirroring its shine,

Upon the wide waves of the darkened waters.

(There is a gradually growing moonlight.)

Its whiteness wakes an almost eerie feeling.

As if I were within another world,

Quite different from my familiar realm.

And though I long have longed to view this beauty,

To see the silent moon rise over islands,

I feel a little flooded by its fineness,

And search for lost serenity. I shall

Not linger long here in this passing splendour

But join the ruling of the road quite soon,

For I've not found the secret of my searching,

Here - in the islands of fair Matsushima,

Beneath the rising beauty of the moon.

(Bashō exits) 

 

Poetry Blog no 181 On Saint Anthony's Sermon to the Fishes

   

ON SAINT ANTHONY’S SERMON TO THE FISHES

This is based on a German poem- Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt. It comes from a collection of German folk poems and songs that was edited by Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano, It was also set to music by Gustav Mahler. The poem itself references the legend of St Anthony of Padua preaching to the fishes.

Saint Anthony of Padua, born Fernando Martins de Bulhões (1195 – 13 June 1231), also known as Anthony of Lisbon, was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He was born and raised by a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, and died in Padua, Italy. Noted by his contemporaries for his powerful preaching, expert knowledge of scripture, and undying love and devotion to the poor and the sick, he was one of the most quickly canonized saints in church history. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 16 January 1946. He is also the patron saint of lost things. From Wikipedia

On the legemd-

Once Anthony had travelled to the city of Rimini because it was a hotbed of heresy. The city leaders had ordered everyone to ignore him, so no one turned up for his homilies. Wherever Anthony went, he was greeted by silence.

Anthony walked along praying and reflecting upon what had happened. As he walked outside of the town, he came to the mouth of the Marecchia River where it flows into the Adriatic. There he began to address the crowds, not of people but of fish.
He called out, “You, fish of the river and sea, listen to the Word of God because the heretics do not wish to hear it.” Suddenly there were thousands of fish neatly arranged in rows, all pushing their heads through the surface of the water as if they were straining to listen to every one of Anthony’s words.
The people of Rimini, seeing this miracle, gathered to listen to Anthony. What began with simple interest in an extraordinary event turned into a passionate conviction that Anthony was speaking to their very hearts. They were so moved by Anthony’s words, by his call to conversion, that they abandoned their hardened positions and returned to the Church. As we stated above, we are not sure that this story is historic, but it certainly does represent a version of what often happened when Anthony preached: that many hardened sinners were converted through the unselfish love of Anthony. From http://www.santantonio.org

Whilst this legend is probably a reflection of the great power of his preaching the poem takes a rather humorous, even ironic, view. It could be seen as a comment on expecting nature to behave according to human ideals or as a wry look at the intractability of humans – the various fish representing various types of people.

In form each line could be thought of as four feet of the amphibrach meter – that is unstressed syllable, stressed syllable, unstressed syllable u / u (they swish with ). They swish with | their tails so, | in sunshine | their scales glow. Furthermore each line is “broken” in two by a rhyme or half-rhyme. Sometimes each line is printed as two separate lines :

The saint goes to preach so,

finds no one in church though etc.

ON SAINT ANTHONY’S SERMON TO THE FISHES

The saint goes to preach so, finds no-one’s in church though!

He goes to the rivers and preaches to fishes.

They swish with their tails so, in sunshine their scales glow!

The carp with their spawn near, all come, all are drawn here;

With mouths fully gaping, they listen, heed taking;

No sermon has ever touched carp with more pleasure!

And pikes with sharp biting who love to be fighting,

Swim up in a hurry to hear all that’s holy.

No sermon has ever touched pikes with more pleasure!

As well those dream-casters, who always are fasters,

The codfish I mean now, arrive on the scene now.

No sermon has ever touched cod with more pleasure!

Good sturgeon and eels fine, that make nobles’ meals fine,

In comfort lie stretching to take in the teaching.

No sermon has ever touched eels with more pleasure!

And crabs, stiff-backed creatures, at most times slow-coaches,

Hurry up from the ground to hear well his sound.

No sermon has ever touched crabs with more pleasure!

Fish great and fish tiny, both noble and lowly,

Are lifting their features like clear reasoning creatures.

As God’s wish they’re keeping, they hear all the speaking!

The sermon now ended, away each has wended.

The pikes still stay muggers, the eels still stay huggers.

The preaching was splendid, but their ways have not mended!

The crabs still go backward, the cod’s still a fathead,

The carp’s still a glutton, the preaching’s forgotten.

The preaching was splendid, but their ways have not mended!

Though the preaching was splendid, was splendid!