From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V10 #54 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Friday, March 27 2009 Volume 10 : Number 054 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V10 #53 ["E. Wolke" ] [RS] Vanessa's translation [Em ] [RS] Clara, etc [John McDonnell ] Re: [RS] Clara, etc [Amy Cocuzza ] [RS] Que hago ahora [Georgette deFriesse ] Re: [RS] Que hago ahora [Vanessa Wills ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:57:28 -0400 From: "E. Wolke" Subject: [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V10 #53 I don't know, but "Get Up Clara" kind of tickled me in an odd, silly way -- like trying to start my old Dasher Diesel on a cold day in Syracuse -- her name was Sal, of Erie Canal fame. And thank you for that lovely translation, Vanessa. High school Spanish is closer to 40 years ago than I care to admit, but I am amazed that I got the gist of it after going to my Cassell's a couple of times for words I'd forgotten. I like your poetry. Now all we have to do is lobby for him to record with Olabelle. If you saw that set, you'll know why. He had more fun than humans ought to have, and had a staid, stuffy Barns of Wolftrap crowd on its feet more than once. Now MY treat for the day is a Garnet Rogers concert tonight a Jammin Java. If any of you live near the DC area, come to the concert, get down, and if you don't know him, I envy you your discovery of an incredible talent from North of 40. Cheers, Evelyn Wolke ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:58:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Em Subject: [RS] Vanessa's translation Thank you so much for this! Gives us a way to (begin to) penetrate this song. Em Tampa >*Qui Hago Ahora? (What Do I Do Now?) >* > Lyrics by Silvio Rodriguez, English Translation by Vanessa Wills >Where do I put what is found >In the streets, in the books >In the night, in the faces... >snip..... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:46:32 -0400 From: John McDonnell Subject: [RS] Clara, etc Hi All, Laurence wrote: >>>However... with Clara.... can we just cut the guy some slack? Can't this one tune just be a catchy song with no real story behind it? Can't the lyrics just sound good with the music? Can't I just think "Roam" and "Rome" is a cool play on words? Can't having monsters in a song about a mule just be wicked weird?<<< Absolutely we can. It wasnt a criticism of RS so much as an expression of frustration with a song in a body of work which usually lends itself to interpretations and revelation of layers of meaning and expression. Rome/Roam, and the phrase "all roads lead to Rome" is a cute pun--almost as cute as Clara, and the melody just doesnt appeal to me, though the guitar work, as usual, is stellar. I love the translation of "Qui Hago Ahora?"--I was really transfixed by this melody--I cant say why exactly, but it made me not just wish I knew, but want to learn Spanish. I would be very interested to hear how the songs relates to Hegel's reading Aristotle's "De Anima." My Aristotle is rusty and my Hegel almost non-existent (apart from a passing notion of the dialectic--my university focused more on Aristotle as read by Aquinas), but with the translation I am looking forward to repeated listenings. Does the struggle between Clara and her owner epitomize the eternal dichotomy of body and soul? John McD. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:16:59 -0400 From: Amy Cocuzza Subject: Re: [RS] Clara, etc On Mar 26, 2009, at 8:46 AM, John McDonnell wrote: > I would be very interested to hear how the songs > relates to Hegel's reading Aristotle's "De Anima." Haha, I just assumed that this had less to do with any literal correlation and more to do with a procrastinating grad student's desire to avoid facing her substantive work by focusing on something consuming and pleasurable but entirely non-essential . . . projecting much, Ame? Either way, I also loved the translation, Vanessa. Thanks much! Good luck with your talk. And thanks for your 3/17 anecdote, Theresa. Man, I should have gone to that show after all. Cheers, ~A. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:22:47 -0400 From: Georgette deFriesse Subject: [RS] Que hago ahora Thank you for taking the time to translate this, Vanessa. I'm not a Spanish speaker (it's been over three decades since my last Spanish class, so if I get this wrong, forgive me!) but I am pretty certain that the lines about death translate as, roughly, "What do I say to Death, called to my side so many times, it finally has become my sister." Beautiful (if I'm correct)! Georgette From: Vanessa Wills wrote: > Enjoy! If any of you Spanish-speakers out there have suggestions, I'm happy > to hear them! > > *Qui Hago Ahora? (What Do I Do Now?) > * > > Lyrics by Silvio Rodriguez, English Translation by Vanessa Wills > > > Where do I put what is found > > In the streets, in the books > > In the night, in the faces > > In which I've searched for you? > > Where do I put what is found > > In the land, in your name, > > In the Bible, on the day > > That I finally met you? > > > What do I say to Death, so many times called to my side? > > That after all, my sister's returned? > > > What do I say to the empty glory of being alone, > > Making me the sad one, making me the wolf? > > > What do I say to the dogs that used to go with me > > On lost, friendless nights? > > > What do I say to the moon that I believed a companion > > Of nights and nights without being sincere? > > > What do I do now with you? > > The pigeons that go to sleep in the parks > > Don't speak to me now > > > What do I do now with you > > Now that you are the moon, the dogs, > > The nights, all of my friends? > > - --end-- > > > Cheers, > > Vanessa > > > - -- > "True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see > that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring." > - --Martin Luther King > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:09:24 PDT > From: > Subject: Re: [RS] Gethsemani Goodbye > > I quite unexpectedly ran into Richard at The Ark on St. Patrick's Day > (Crooked Still was playing). I didn't want to interrupt him from seeing > a show, but during intermission I briefly spoke to him about the new > album. Gethsemani Goodbye has been in my head since I got the album, so > I only asked about that song. He was quite open about the meaning. I'm > paraphrasing, but he said it's a relationship song. The road trip (in > and of itself) and the destination (the whole Merton subplot) was to aid > the story. The real meaning had to do with the damage done to the > relationship due to "having gone too far." Upon my 20th listening or so, > I had started to "look" deeper into the song and had gotten almost there, > so it was nice to be able to ask about the meaning directly. > > > > Theresa > > On Tue Mar 24 10:03 , Janet Cinelli sent: > > I too like this song and to me it sounds like a straight-up apology > to the person who wanted to go on this trip. Because of the > narrator's impatience, anger, stubborness,(couldn't he just ask for > directions??) they don't get to go. I think I wrote about this song > in an earlier post. I like the play on words about having gone too > far. > I'd like to comment on Richard covering Dave Carter's song, The > Mountain. At first, I was so-so about it but now I love it. I > especially like the piano bits that come in from time to time. It > reminds me of Dave. > Janet > > --- On Tue, 3/24/09, Lisanne wrote: > > > I also have spent some time trying to figure out what > > he's saying. Mostly, > > > to me, it seems to be more about his own regret. But, > > of course, there are > > > usually layers of meaning in RS' music. > > ------------------------------ > > End of shindell-list-digest V10 #53 > *********************************** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:12:59 -0400 From: Vanessa Wills Subject: Re: [RS] Que hago ahora I'm glad so many have enjoyed the translation! Georgette, I think you're absolutely right about the right translation of volverse. I had actually considered that translation last night and rejected it, *totally* forgetting that while "volver" usually means "to return," the most natural translation of the reflexive verb "volverse" is "to become." D'oh! And yes, it's true: the only relation I've actually found between "Qui Hago Ahora?" and Aristotle's *De Anima* is that the former is something I can think about while procrastinating with respect to the latter. :) Cheers, V - -- "True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring." - --Martin Luther King ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V10 #54 ***********************************