Brahms' Lullaby - Wiegenlied

I thought a melody by Brahms would be a better choice,

but instead of listening to his Wiegenlied, a lovely lullaby

 

I managed to find his Ein Deutsches Requiem - Ihr Habt

Nun Traurigkeit - & sadly I listened - then looked at the

 

*Translation finding that the music contains a promise for

the listeners to be comforted as if by their mother - and

 

That is exactly what is described in Brahms Lullaby, so

going to his Wiegenlied, I found the comfort I sought…

 ................................................................................................................

https://youtu.be/_N8L0-f7E0M “Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit” (Ein Deutsches Requiem) 

Brahms [Barbara Bonney]

*Translation: Now now you have sorrow, but I will see you again,

and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man shall take from

you, I will comfort you like one who is comforted by his mother.

 ....................................................................................................................

https://youtu.be/Q2zAXfhcnTA  Wiegenlied: Guten Abend, gute Nacht -

Brahms  [Esther Valentin] 

Guten Abend, gute Nacht, mit Rosen bedacht,

mit Näglein besteckt, schlüpf unter die Deck!

Morgen früh, wenn Gott will, wirst du wieder geweckt.

 

Guten Abend, gute Nacht, von Englein bewacht,

die zeigen im Traum dir Christkindleins Baum.

Schlaf nun selig und süß, schau im Traum 's Paradies.

......................................................................................

= Wiegeliedjie (Slaap, my kindjie,  slaap sag)  

 [Woorde: JAN F.E. CELLIERS Musiek: JOHANNES BRAHMS; Op. 49 nr. 4]

Slaap, my kindjie, slaap sag, onder rose vannag

Eers die armpies om my nek en dan warmpies toegedek

môre vroeg, as God wil, word my kindjie gewek (2X).

 

Slaap, my kindjie, slaap sag, onder eng'le se wag;

hulle toon jou in 'n droom kindjie Jesus se boom

Slaap nou soet, hulle wys jou 'n droomparadys (2X).

Continue To Exist

When Solveig’s Song is replaced by the sad melody

of Casta Diva playing on repeat in my brain, the world

remains a cold, empty place where Druidic goddesses

fall in love with Roman proconsuls, then quietly decide

 

To commit infanticide when they discover he had left her

for another priestess, only the pleas of his new mistress

prevents Norma, the anguished priestess who broke her

chaste vows and contemplated murder in the process -

 

From killing her children; how uplifting is this, never look

to opera for inspiration to cheer up your flagging spirits

when you feel depressed, it will make you wish to take

your own life in the face of the ill-advised shenanigans

 

Of the main characters - like the dancing Salome who

demanded the head of a foe on a platter when a lustful

King offered her a chance to obtain half of his Kingdom,

though it’s probably not as bad as Hannibal Lecter

 

Eating his victims in his frenzy of hatred for stupid people

wasting his time as psychologist with their silly problems,

better look to the original story of “The Little Mermaid” by

Hans Christian Anderson for comfort: after refusing to kill

 

The prince who scorned her to marry another - she was

given a soul and thus could continue to exist into infinity,

this is ever so much better than the sad stories above…

https://youtu.be/EJ2L_B7VOWs

Casta Diva English Translation:   Pure Goddess who covers these ancient 

sacred plants with your silver light, we turn to your lovely face - uncovered 

and without veil - please appease the ardent spirits and calm their bold zeal, 

please bring down the peace with which you shine in the sky, to the earth…

Sad, Lonely Melody

Living life with the sad, lonely melody of Solveig’s song

playing in my head is not much fun, apparently Solveig

loved Peer Gynt, a coward without a moral compass, &

though it is rather difficult to imagine her loving such an

 

Immoral person, since loving someone without integrity

is guaranteed to break your heart - but if such was her

fancy, she was free to choose her own destiny and she

lived a very sad life according to Grieg, the composer

 

Of her sad signature melody, which should not be

allowed to accompany me wherever I go; - I accept 

Ibsen's premise that such an unrequited love existed  

for the sake of redeeming Peer Gynt's life...    

https://youtu.be/l1nXoZQh71k

Jeffrey’s Bay, Saturday 11 March 2023

The feeling of slicing through the waves,

might resemble the sensation enjoyed by

dolphins when diving into the sea - and I

think that when mermaids go  swimming,

they must feel like I do at the beach

 

The moment I declared the wind sand-blasting

us would be an enjoyable sensation, the terrible

aggressive sandblasting-wind caused so much

pain we both cried out in shock & now I’m not

so sure how other life-forms experience -

 

- Various things - but I still love swimming in the

sea, regardless of how other creatures register

this experience - it is the best sensation in the

world & a holiday at the seaside adds spice to

life - without it life would be so boring -

 

Totally bereft of any real charm…