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axi
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Athens Greece
Sep 1999
time: 07:25
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I dedicate this poem to G.W. Bush and his golden wings... 
I will try to translate. It was written by one of the greatest Greek poets of the 20th century, who died in 1928
quote:
Κωνσταντίνος Γ. Καρυωτάκης
ΣΤΟ ΑΓΑΛΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑΣ ΠΟΥ ΦΩΤΙΖΕΙ ΤΟΝ ΚΟΣΜΟ
Λευτεριά, Λευτεριά σχίζει, δαγκάνει
τους ουρανούς το στέμμα σου. Το φως σου,
χωρίς να καίει, τυφλώνει το λαό σου.
Πεταλούδες χρυσές οι Αμερικάνοι,
λογαριάζουν, πόσα δολάρια κάνει
σήμερα το υπερούσιο μέταλλό σου.
Λευτεριά, Λευτεριά, θα σ' αγοράσουν
έμποροι και κονσόρτια κι εβραίοι.
Είναι πολλά του αιώνος μας τα χρέη,
πολλές οι αμαρτίες, που θα διαβάσουν
οι γενεές, όταν σε παρομοιάσουν
με το προτραίτο του Dorian Gray.
Λευτεριά, Λευτεριά, σε νοσταλγούνε,
μακρινά δάση, ρημαγμένοι κήποι,
όσοι άνθρωποι προσδέχονται τη λύπη
σαν έπαθλο του αγώνος, και μοχθούνε,
και τη ζωή τους εξακολουθούνε,
νεκροί που η καθιέρωσις του λείπει. |
Konstantinos G. Karyotakis
To the Statue of Liberty that illuminates the world
Freedom, Freedom you crown
it tears, it bites the skies. Your light
without scorching, it blinds your people.
The Americans, golden butterflies,
are calculating how many dollars
costs today your supersubstantial metal.
Freedom, freedom, you will be bought
by merchants and consortia and jews.
Many are the debts of our century
many the sins that the generations
will read when they will compare you
to the portrait of Dorian Gray.
Freedom, Freedom, you're being missed,
by remote forests, by destitute gardens,
by all the people that accept sorrow,
as the prize of the fight, and toil,
and go on with their life,
dead, lacking consecration.
-------------------------------------
Let's get yours!
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MosesPresley
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THE ALIENS
Charles Bukowski
from The Last Night Of The Earth Poems
you may not believe it
but there are people
who go through life with
very little
friction of distress.
they dress well, sleep well.
they are contented with
their family
life.
they are undisturbed
and often feel
very good.
and when they die
it is an easy death, usually in their
sleep.
you may not believe
it
but such people do
exist.
but i am not one of
them.
oh no, I am not one of them,
I am not even near
to being
one of
them.
but they
are there
and I am
here.
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MosesPresley
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One more:
The Genius of the Crowd
Charles Bukowski
there is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day
and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace
those who preach god, need god
those who preach peace do not have peace
those who preach love do not have love
beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who are always reading books
beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
beware the average man the average woman
beware their love, their love is average
seeks average
but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
to kill anybody
not wanting solitude
not understanding solitude
they will attempt to destroy anything
that differs from their own
not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect
like a shining diamond
like a knife
like a mountain
like a tiger
like hemlock
their finest art
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Bereta_Eder
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Forgot to say that nomatter how great a poet Karyotakis may have been and nomatter that the poem was written before 1928,
this
quote:
Originally posted by axi
Freedom, freedom, you will be bought
by merchants and consortia and jews.
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is slander.
Last edited by Bereta_Eder on 08-02-2003 at 10:11
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Guynemer
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Bush haiku
Born on third base, and
You think you hit a triple.
Not too bright, are ya?
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Bereta_Eder
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Axi,
Don't know just is.
True it was not a big deal back then and is not a big deal now either unfortunately. Still there's something about generalizing over a whole group of people based only in which god they believe to (or not) that is rather discomforting.
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Bereta_Eder
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It is great and so true... even more so considering it was written in the beggining of the last century. It is almost... prophetic..!
I just happen to disagree with the all encompassing last word.
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Bereta_Eder
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Well, d'uh!
That's what I am saying too: that the word "jews" in that verse is unacceptable.
I was surprised to see you disagree. Your last post's irony was absolut and it worked!
Now in the question about is it possible to differantiate between a slander against a group of people and the overal value of the rest of the poem, I'd say a cautious yes, provided the slander is pointed out. And that it actually serves the opposite of what the writer wants. (i.e. see it for what it is: a slander, instead of the "truth" (in the poet's mind)
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Lawrence of Arabia
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of the Gulag Archipelago
Apr 2001
time: 06:25
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'If you're happy and you know it, bomb Iraq' (sung to the tune of if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands')[with texas accent]
If we cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq
If the markets hurt yo mam, bomb Iraq
If the terrorists are Saudi
And the bank takes back your Audi
And the TV shows are bawdy
Bomb Iraq
If the corporate scandals growin', bomb Iraq
And you ties to the are showin', bomb Iraq
If the smoking gun ain't smokin'
We don't care, and we're not jokin'
That Saddam will sson be croakin'
Bomb Iraq
Even if we have no allies, bomb Iraq
From the sand dunes to the valleys, bomb Iraq
So the hell with the inspections;
Let's look tough for the elections
Close your mind and take directions
Bomb Iraq
While the globe is slowly warming, bomb Iraq
Yay! The clouds of war are storming, bomb Iraq
If t he ozone hole is growing,
Some things we prefer not knowing
(Though our ignorance is showing)
Bomb Iraq
So! Here's one for dear old daddy, bomb Iraq
From his favorite little laddie, bomb Iraq
Saying no wouild look like treason
It's the Hussein hunting season
Even if we have no reason,
Bomb Iraq
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Az
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MACEDONIA - It's the name of the sovereign country to the north of Greece
Apr 2000
time: 07:25
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It's great that you are opposed to this generalization,but...
Pointed out by whom? If we analyse the poem, in regards to the feelings the poet wanted to pass to the readers, we'll see in the first paragraph ( I forgot the correct english word for this ):
quote:
Freedom, Freedom you crown
it tears, it bites the skies. Your light
without scorching, it blinds your people.
The Americans, golden butterflies,
are calculating how many dollars
costs today your supersubstantial metal.
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without getting into the literary analysis, of metaphores and artistic means we can see that the poet is criticizing the Statue of Liberty which symbolyzes the US, for placing greed as a part of it's culture. He clearly places himself on the side of the "common people", sides with the working class. He's clearly a socialist, and that, of course, is cool with me.
next:
quote:
Freedom, freedom, you will be bought
by merchants and consortia and jews.
Many are the debts of our century
many the sins that the generations
will read when they will compare you
to the portrait of Dorian Gray.
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Here, he continues talking to Lady Liberty, the US, and says that It's controlled by what for him as a protector of the working class are "the enemy", merchants, consortia ( corporations). All those that have to be destroyed by a revolutionary effort ( "the fight", paragraph #3, and him being a extreme-left winger). And guess who's also to be destroyed? The Jews.
I think that the case is closed.
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Bereta_Eder
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That's one interpratation of course. And the beauty of art is the different meanings each gains according to his own experiances/realities/ways of thinking.
While one cannot say that one interpratation is "wrong" (the main beauty of it is what feelings it can evoke to each individual) I have a different interpratation about the 3rd paragraph.
I interpret the last paragraph where it points out that freedom is "missed" and that people that "fought" for freedom but got only in return turmoil and suffering as the various peoples that indeed fought for freedom but were unable to gain it.
About the merchants corporations that buy and sell freedom I agree completely and believe it is inginious and almost prophetic writing especially for the early 20th century.
About the "jews" being included in there too I think this is racist, a slander and completely unacceptable and indeed shows the writers feelings about people of jewish religion.
Also a couple of other points:
_his saying that corporations and merchants buy and sell freedom does not necessairily make him extreme left wing IMO. Just a thinking man.
_he does not speak of anything having to do with the destruction of those two or the "jews".
Still that this is a racist, slander in there?
No question about it and no excuse about it either IMO. And the only thing it accomplishes is lowering the esteem of that poet to my eyes at least.
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Bereta_Eder
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quote:
Tombs
What peace reigns here!
As though the tombs also smile,
while the dead speak quietly
in capitals, deep in the dark.
From there they want to rise with
simple words into our peaceful hearts.
But their complaint, or what it is they say,
- they've gone so far away - is useless.
It's all there is, there, two crossed bars
of wood, Martzokis. There Vasiliadis2,
just a big stone book.
And a plaque half-hidden in the grass
- thus now it's symbolised by Hades -
there's Lamaris, a forgotten poet. |
and other joyful poems are to be found here
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~shil0124/poems/nepenthe.htm 
A propos I tried to melodize a poem by Karyotakis a long time ago. Forgot the title of it now. The friends' feat in the countryside table. Punk rock song Karyotakis  Well, it sounded good. To me and 2 others at least
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08-02-2003 07:55
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