A to Z 2026 W: “What Think You I Take My Pen in Hand?” by Walt Whitman (1860)

 A to Z 2026 W: “What Think You I Take My Pen in Hand?” by Walt Whitman (1860)

Bonus: https://www.facebook.com/100064035043542/videos/celebrity-jeopardy-calista-flockhart-nicolas-cage-sean-connery-snl/338122197445248/

WHY IS THIS NOT ON YOUTUBE 

Summary: It's short, I'm just gonna paste the whole thing here:

What think you I take my pen in hand to record?

The battle-ship, perfect-model'd, majestic, that I saw pass the

offing to-day under full sail?

The splendors of the past day? or the splendor of the night that

envelops me?

Or the vaunted glory and growth of the great city spread around me? --no;

But merely of two simple men I saw to-day on the pier in the midst

of the crowd, parting the parting of dear friends,

The one to remain hung on the other's neck and passionately kiss'd him,

While the one to depart tightly prest the one to remain in his arms.

 Commentary:  

This seemed appropriate for this blog. 

"They were friends."

 

I got to see Mozart's Requirm live this weekend.

 The song that uses "Dies Irae."

It was cool, but I still like the Verdi better. 

A to Z 2026 Poetry V: “Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night” by Walt Whitman (1865)

V: “Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night” by Walt Whitman (1865) 

Bonus: 

Get 'em, Casey

Summary: Keeping vigil over your dead son.

Commentary: 

"One look I but gave which your dear eyes return’d with a look I shall never forget," is a great line.

  

A to Z 2026 Poetry U: “Up the airy mountain…” from “The Fairies” by William Allingham (1850)

 “Up the airy mountain…” from “The Fairies” by William Allingham (1850)

 
 Bonus: 

I really thought he just said "FAIRIES" not "FAIRYGODPARENTS"

Summary: There are fairies in the countryside.

Commentary:  

A long one tonight. ABCBDEFE scheme (mostly), no set feet.

Fairies are a good poem theme. They lend themselves to poetic whimsy. 

A to Z 2026 T: “Tell me, Muse…” Various translation of the opening of the Odyssey

T: “Tell me, Muse…” Various translation of the opening of the Odyssey

Bonus: 

Shaft!

Summary: I'm talkin' 'bout a wanderin' man.

Commentary: 

Something a little different today. "Tell me, Muse" is under the index for T, but I thought it'd be fun to look at some other translations.

The Butcher/Lang translation is the one in T5FSOB, and and has largely been superseded.

Fitzgerald and Fagles are broadly respected as readable, but accurate, Lattimore as the most faithful, and Wilson as the hip new choice.

 I did all of Fitzgerald translation two summers ago on the blog, and I enjoyed it. Looking at them side-by-side, there is a unique (which always makes me think mistranslated) element in "Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story" bold not appearing in other translations. I can see how it works in the singer/storyteller sense.

Lattimore feels a little stilted to me. I believe he's mimicking the Greek here, but it's not clicking for me. I might get into it if I read another 20 pages.

Fagles is rocking some fun repetition/alliteration: 

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
 driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
 the hallowed heights of Troy. 

Wilson is sticking out to me with calling Troy a "town." I like the break after the first line: Tell me about a complicated man.

It's a nice direct intro. 

A to Z 2026 S: "Symmetrical and square in shape…” Buddhist Writings (Translated by Henry Clarke Warren, 1896)

"Symmetrical and square in shape…” Buddhist Writings (Translated by Henry Clarke Warren, 1896)

Bonus: 

 

Hell is a square-ring.      

Summary: Hell is a scary square.

Commentary: 

Another short one, so here's a full drop:

  Symmetrical, and square in shape,
Four-gated, into parts laid off.
Of iron is its bounding wall,
An iron roof doth close it in;
And of its glowing iron floor
The light with dazzling brilliancy
Spreads for a hundred leagues around,
And ever and for ay abides.

This is, "the chiefest of the hells"

Four appears a number of time in Buddhism (the four noble truths, the four sublime attitudes...). In many east Asian cultures, four is associated with death, due it being a near homophone of "death" (si and sei). It would make sense to make hell square in this context. 

A to Z 2026 Poetry R: “Ranged thus for battle on the sacred plain” The Bhagavad Gits (Translated by Sir Arnold Edwin, 1885)

“Ranged thus for battle on the sacred plain” The Bhagavad Gits (Translated by Sir Arnold Edwin, 1885) 

Bonus: 

 

Ranged thus for battle on the sacred plain... 

Summary: On a plain that is sacred, they're ranged for battle.

Commentary:

Full text:

DHRITIRASHTRA: RANGED thus for battle on the sacred plain—
On Kurukshetra—say, Sanjaya! say
What wrought my people, and the Pandavas?

As a lit critic, I have concerns about four proper nouns in the first four  lines.

On the other hand, I'm a big fan of the epic poetry tradition of opening with an active call for the story/dialogue. I like knowing where the story is coming from (I'll watch any trash if you change it to found footage). It makes it feel more believable, and helps you to understand the world. More on this tomorrow, actually.