In navolging van vandeesmaand se Blogtema fokus ek graag jou aandag op ‘n versameling liefdesverse wat pas verskyn het. Dit is die pragpublikasie The World’s Favourite Love Poems wat deur Suheil Bushrui saamgestel en deur Oneworld Publications uitgegee is.
‘n Stelling wat op die flapeks gemaak word en waarmee ek volledig kan saamstem, is die volgende: “The World’s Favourite Love Poems is the first compilation with a truly international coverage. This inimitable volume contains nearly two hundred works from some of the foremost writers in history, including Goethe, Shakespeare, Ibn Arabi, and Rumi, as well as poetry from the indigenous peoples of Africa, Australia, and the Americas. From Russia to Egypt, India to Germany, this delightful collection of English and translated verse is perfect for any lover of poetry, and will prove a unique gift for someone special.”
Die versameling is tematies ingedeel in agt afdelings, te wete: “On love itself“, “Love’s desires and longing“, “Love’s adoration and devotion“, “Love’s delirium“, “The joys and pleasures of love“, “The sorrows and pain of love“, “Sensual love” en “Spiritual love“. Teen ‘n aanbevole verkoopsprys van R160 is hierdie bloemlesing van 178 bladsye inderdaad ‘n winskoop.
Vir jou leesplesier plaas ek vanoggend Kathleen Raine se gedig “Amo Ergo Sum” onder aan die Nuuswekker. Dit is ook die openingsvers in dié besonderse publikasie.
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Gister is Die skyn van tuiskoms, ‘n keur uit die gedigte van Lina Spies wat deur Johann de Lange saamgestel is, by die boekwinkels afgelewer en soos gebruiklik plaas ons ‘n onderhoud wat met haar gevoer is. En dan het Andries Bezuidenhout ‘n lekkerlees-verslag geplaas oor Johannes van Jerusalem en Johannes Prins se voorlesing in Melville vroeër vandeesweek. Ten slotte vestig ek graag jou aandag op die artikel wat Zandra Bezuidenhout oor die Vlaamse digter Christine D’haen geskryf het en wat op LitNet verskyn het.
Nou ja, toe. Inderdaad was dit ‘n bedrywige week vir die digkuns … So, lekker lees aan alles en geniet jou naweek.
Mooi bly.
LE
Amo Ergo Sum
Because I love
The sun pours out its rays of living gold
Pours out its gold and silver on the sea.
Because I love
The earth upon her astral spindle winds
Her ecstasy-producing dance.
Because I love
Clouds travel on the winds through wide skies,
Skies wide and beautiful, blue and deep.
Because I love
Wind blows white sails,
The wind blows over flowers, the sweet wind blows.
Because I love
The ferns grow green, and green the grass, and green
The transparent sunlit trees.
Because I love
Larks rise up from the grass
And all the leaves are full of singing birds.
Because I love
The summer air quivers with a thousand wings,
Myriads of jewelled eyes burn in the light.
Because I love
The iridescnt shells upon the sand
Takes forms as fine and intricate as thought.
Because I love
There is an invisible way across the sky,
Birds travel by that way, the sun and moon
And all the stars travel that path by night.
Because I love
There is a river flowing all night long.
Because I love
All night the river flows into my sleep,
Ten thousand living things are sleeping in my arms,
And sleeping wake, and flowing are at rest.
© Kathleen Raine (Uit: The year One, 1952)