Favorite Poems

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Grumpy Old Wizard
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Favorite Poems

Unread postby Grumpy Old Wizard » 20 Apr 2007, 12:14

Here is one of the poems that has had particular meaning in my life. IF, by Rudyard Kipling.

Anyone else want so share a favorite poem?
IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
GOW
Frodo: "I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened."
Gandalf: "So do all who live to see such times but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

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Veldrynus
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Unread postby Veldrynus » 20 Apr 2007, 12:17

Well, if there is an art form I dislike, it is poetry.
Veldryn 15:15 And Vel found a dirty old jawbone of a walrus and put forth his hand, and took it, and in his unholy rage, he slew thirty four thousand men and children therewith.

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Unread postby Corribus » 20 Apr 2007, 13:58

Me up at does
e. e. cummings

Me up at does
out of the floor
quietly Stare
a poisoned mouse

still who alive
is asking What
have i done that
You wouldn't have


Actually, I was also always fond of Ulysses by Tennyson.
"What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?" - Richard P. Feynman

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Unread postby Metathron » 20 Apr 2007, 14:35

I love Emily Dickinson's poetry. There's beauty and hope in it, but also subtle humour.
If I shouldn't be alive

If I shouldn't be alive
When the Robins come,
Give the one in Red Cravat,
A Memorial crumb.

If I couldn't thank you,
Being fast asleep,
You will know I'm trying
Why my Granite lip!
Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Jesus saves, Allah forgives, Cthulhu thinks you'd make a nice sandwich.

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Unread postby EDN » 20 Apr 2007, 15:20

So simple... and yet so good :-D
The Drop
Is there
Not

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Unread postby Omega_Destroyer » 20 Apr 2007, 16:28

"Dreams" by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is like a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
And the chickens. Those damn chickens.

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Unread postby Oakwarrior » 20 Apr 2007, 16:31

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
In Soviet Russia,
Poem reads YOU!

Not such a big fan of poetry, to be honest, but it's pretty interesting :)
ImageImage

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theLuckyDragon
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Unread postby theLuckyDragon » 20 Apr 2007, 16:54

I don't think anyone could translate Nichita Stănescu and do justice to his work, but here's what I've managed for my favourite poem written by him. The trickiest part is the title, which I'll try to explain afterwards.

Cireşar

Nobody believes us if we say we kissed
a bird in its flight, the grass growing green.
We are all like witnesses
of a rusting adolescence.

Nobody tells us: drink, hungry one!
Nobody calls us: thirsty one!
Springtime flows with the butterflies,
sleepily the floor flows beneath the bed!

Grace my sleep, oh beautiful dream,
Fall into my dry mouth, oh you
red cherry of a cypress tree,
imaginary fairy!



Now for the title. Cireşarii (plural) are a group of teenagers from a series of 5 novels written by Constantin Chiriţă. Basically what they do is have adventures discovering caves, castles, plots and ruins. Yes, I know it sounds like Scooby Doo, but what the Great Dane toon doesn't have the author's analysis of how the teenagers slowly grow into adults (or, at least, young adults), how their friendship gets them out of dangerous situations and, of course (because CC was also a writer of detective novels), how logic and reasoning can get you out of certain situations while a little improvisation can get you out of others. The series is probably my favourite of all Romanian books I've ever read.

In case Romanians are curious, here's the original:

Nimeni nu ne crede dacă sărutăm
pasărea în zbor, iarba înverzind.
Noi suntem un fel de martori
ai adolescenţei ruginind.

Nimeni nu ne spune: bea, flămândule!
Nimeni nu ne spune: însetatule!
Curge primăvara pe sub fluturi,
visător podeaua curge pe sub tine, patule!

Lasă-te în somnul meu, tu vis frumos,
Cade-mi tu în gura mea uscată,
roşie cireaşă dintr-un chiparos,
zână inventată!
"Not all those who wander are lost." -- JRRT

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Unread postby Gaidal Cain » 20 Apr 2007, 17:42

Most of my favorite poems are in Swedish, and I don't think my translation would do any of them justice. I do like one poem by Goethe, and I also love the way Babelfish translates it:

Ein Gleiches
Über allen Gipfeln
Ist Ruh,
In allen Wipfeln
Spürest du
Kaum einen Hauch;
Die Vögelein schweigen im Walde.
Warte nur, balde
Ruhest du auch.


Over all summits
is rest,
in all treetops
hardly feel you a breath;
The small birds are silent in the forest.
Control room only, balde
you rest also.

:D
Last edited by Gaidal Cain on 20 Apr 2007, 17:42, edited 1 time in total.
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Unread postby Metathron » 20 Apr 2007, 17:42

Oakwarrior wrote:Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
In Soviet Russia,
Poem reads YOU!

Not such a big fan of poetry, to be honest, but it's pretty interesting :)
How about:
Violets are blue,
roses are red...
We're coming aboard.
Prepare to eat lead.
Courtesy of Monkey Island. Yarr... :-D
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Unread postby Kalah » 20 Apr 2007, 21:01

My definite fave is by one of the greatest Norwegian poets, Arnulf Øverland; it's called "Du må ikke sove", meaning "You must not sleep". It was published in 1937 and is in no uncertain terms a direct attack on Hitler's nazism and his oppressive regime. It basically tells the world to wake up and resist him.

I tried translated it a few years back but it sucked. I'll give you the Norwegian version here.

------------------------------------------------

Jeg våknet en natt av en underlig drøm,
det var som en stemme talte til meg,
fjern som en underjordisk strøm –
og jeg reiste meg op: Hva er det du vil meg?

- Du må ikke sove! Du må ikke sove!
Du må ikke tro, at du bare har drømt!
I går ble jeg dømt.
I natt har de reist skafottet i gården.
De henter meg klokken fem i morgen!

Hele kjelleren her er full,
og alle kaserner har kjeller ved kjeller.
Vi ligger og venter i stenkolde celler,
vi ligger og råtner i mørke hull!

Vi vet ikke selv, hva vi ligger og venter,
og hvem der kan bli den neste, de henter.
Vi stønner, vi skriker – men kan dere høre?
Kan dere absolutt ingenting gjøre?

Ingen får se oss.
Ingen får vite, hva der skal skje oss.
Ennu mer:
Ingen kan tro, hva her daglig skjer!

Du mener, det kan ikke være sant,
så onde kan ikke mennesker være.
Der fins da vel skikkelig folk iblant?
Bror, du har ennu meget å lære!

Man sa: Du skal gi ditt liv, om det kreves.
Og nu har vi gitt det – forgjeves, forgjeves!
Verden har glemt oss! Vi er bedratt!
Du må ikke sove mer i natt!

Du må ikke gå til ditt kjøpmannskap
og tenke på hva der gir vinning og tap!
Du må ikke skylde på aker og fe
og at du har mer enn nok med det!

Du må ikke sitte trygt i ditt hjem
og si: Det er sørgelig, stakkars dem!
Du må ikke tåle så inderlig vel
den urett som ikke rammer deg selv!
Jeg roper med siste pust av min stemme:
Du har ikke lov til å gå der og glemme!

Tilgi dem ikke; de vet hva de gjør!
De puster på hatets og ondskapens glør!
De liker å drepe, de frydes ved jammer,
de ønsker å se vår verden i flammer!
De ønsker å drukne oss alle i blod!
Tror du det ikke? Du vet det jo!

Du vet jo, at skolebarn er soldater,
som stimer med sang over torg og gater,
og oppglødd av mødrenes fromme svig,
vil verge sitt land og vil gå i krig!

Du kjenner det nedrige folkebedrag
med heltemot og med tro og ære –
du vet, at en helt, det vil barnet være,
du vet, han vil vifte med sabel og flag!

Og så skal han ut i en skur av stål
og henge igjen i en piggtrådvase
og råtne for Hitlers ariske rase!
Du vet, det er menneskets mening og mål!

Jeg skjønte det ikke. Nu er det for sent.
Min dom er rettferdig. Min straff er fortjent.
Jeg trodde på fremgang, jeg trodde på fred.
på arbeid, på samhold, på kjærlighet!
Men den som ikke vil dø i en flokk,
får prøve alene, på bøddelens blokk!

Jeg roper i mørket – å kunne du høre!
Der er en eneste ting å gjøre:
Verg deg, mens du har frie hender!
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Unread postby gravyluvr » 20 Apr 2007, 21:06

Poem for the day of mourning...

Hokie, Hokie, Hokie, Hi!
Tech, Tech, VPI
Sol-a-rex, Sol-a-rah
Poly Tech Vir-gin-ia
Ray rah VPI
Team! Team! Team!

Go Hokies!
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If I were a flower, I'd be a really big flame-throwing flower with five heads.

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Unread postby okrane » 20 Apr 2007, 22:58

it beats the love thread I'll say :p

I have a favorite poem, but frankly it's too long to translate or to post....
For those who know it, it's Scrisoarea I

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Unread postby ThunderTitan » 20 Apr 2007, 23:30

Oh yeah, that one was good. But i'm sure you can find it translated somewhere on the web... google is your friend.
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Unread postby winterfate » 20 Apr 2007, 23:54

okrane wrote:it beats the love thread I'll say
I heard that!
That is blasphemy. The Love Thread is the thread to beat all threads...:tongue:

Besides, there are plenty of love poems too...:devil:

It's just that most of the ones I've heard are in Spanish...:)
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Unread postby theLuckyDragon » 21 Apr 2007, 05:30

Yeah, Eminescu is nice. Here are some translations by A.G. Sahlean & al. There's the Evening Star, Stars in the Sky, Unto the Star and the Glossa. Pretty good renderings, if you ask me.

EDIT: Google is your friend. This site has lots of translations, and here is Satire I, the one okrane mentioned.

EDIT2: This one's my favourite by Eminescu:
Midst the dense old forest stout
All the merry birds fly out,
Quit the hazel thicket there
Out into the sunny air,
Round the pool grown high with sedge
Fly about the water's edge
Where, by little waves deflected,
On its shining face reflected,
Image of the moon is lying,
And of birds of passage flying,
And of stars and heavens blue,
And of swallows not a few,
And my darling's image too.
"Not all those who wander are lost." -- JRRT

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okrane
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Unread postby okrane » 21 Apr 2007, 10:52

cool...

still... reading that translation I must wonder... can poetry really be translated? I mean... the translation is good, and it makes a beatiful interpretation, but by translating a poem we do just that, interpret it in some way, because there is no way to keep the full original meaning and power of a poem.

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Unread postby Mytical » 21 Apr 2007, 11:20

(possible misspelling, not posting these as they are way way too long) Illiyad and Oddysey. Both by Homer. Both are Epic. Also like Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening as well as many others.
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Unread postby ThunderTitan » 21 Apr 2007, 12:06

If i could i would just learn every language in the universe, coz translation always loses part of the meaning, or at least the beauty of the original.
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Unread postby Mytical » 23 Apr 2007, 10:10

Is it too crass to mention your own poems here? *grins*. I have some I could post, but would be just shameless self promotion.
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