More Robert Burns

Here's the entire poem

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 

And never brought to mind? 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 

And auld lang syne! 

For auld lang syne, my dear, 

For auld lang syne. 

We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, 

For auld lang syne. 

And surely ye'll be your pint stowp! 

And surely I'll be mine! 

And we'll tak a cup o'kindness yet, 

For auld lang syne. 

We twa hae run about the braes, 

And pou'd the gowans fine; 

But we've wander'd mony a weary fit, 

Sin' auld lang syne. 

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn, 

Frae morning sun till dine; 

But seas between us braid hae roar'd 

Sin' auld lang syne. 

And there's a hand, my trusty fere! 

And gie's a hand o' thine! 

And we'll tak a right gude-willie waught, 

For auld lang syne. 

This moment, once a year, is the only time I don't feel alone; because I know that, as they listen and sing this song, everybody else is feeling that same melancholy nostalgia which I feel all the time. Either Tolkien or Lewis, I don't remember which, called it "the inconsolable longing", but they both talked about it and it pervaded their writings. Maybe it's just unresolved emotion from early childhood loss, or maybe it really is, as they said, the sense that we are but wayfaring strangers here and pining for our true home.

John Donne

The Undertaking

I have done one braver thing

Than all the Worthies did; 

And yet a braver thence doth spring, 

Which is, to keep that hid.

It were but madness now to impart 

The skill of specular stone, 

When he, which can have learn'd the art 

To cut it, can find none.

So, if I now should utter this, 

Others (because no more 

Such stuff to work upon, there is,)

Would love but as before.

But he who loveliness within 

Hath found, all outward loathes, 

For he who color loves, and skin, 

Loves but their oldest clothes.

If, as I have, you also do 

Virtue in woman see,

And dare love that, and say so too, 

And forget the He and She;

And if this love, though placèd so, 

From profane men you hide, 

Which will no faith on this bestow, 

Or, if they do, deride;

Then you have done a braver thing 

Than all the Worthies did; 

And a braver thence will spring, 

Which is, to keep that hid.

Robert Burns

Handsome Nell

Once I lov'd a bonnie lass, 

An' aye I love her still, 

An' whilst that virtue warms my breast, 

I'll love my handsome Nell. 

As bonnie lasses I hae seen, 

And mony full as braw; 

But for a modest gracefu' mein, 

The like I never saw. 

A bonny lass I will confess, 

Is pleasant to the e'e, 

But without some better qualities

She's no a lass for me. 

But Nelly's looks are blythe and sweet, 

And what is best of a', 

Her reputation is compleat, 

And fair without a flaw; 

She dresses ay sae clean and neat, 

Both decent and genteel; 

And then there's something in her gait 

Gars ony dress look weel. 

A gaudy dress and gentle air

May slightly touch the heart, 

But it's innocence and modesty 

That polishes the dart.

'Tis this in Nelly pleases me, 

'Tis this enchants my soul; 

For absolutely in my breast 

She reigns without controul.

Adeste Fideles--Me Hearties!

Apparently, Tom Bombadil was present at the birth of Jesus.

Joy to the world! Ring-a-dong-dillo!

Liebesträume

Dreams of Love by Franz Liszt

"Need-love cries to God from our poverty; Gift-love longs to serve, or even to suffer for, God; Appreciative love says: 'We give thanks to thee for thy great glory.' Need-love says of a woman 'I cannot live without her'; Gift-love longs to give her happiness, comfort, protection--if possible, wealth; Appreciative love gazes and holds its breath and is silent, rejoices that such a wonder should exist even if not for him, will not be wholly dejected by losing her, would rather have it so than never to have seen her at all." -- C.S. Lewis

* * * * *

Liebestraum nr. 1: Hohe Liebe (Love Dream no. 1: Exalted Love)

"And I, who was drawing near to the end of all desires, raised to its utmost, even as I ought, the ardor of my longing. Bernard was signing to me with a smile to look upward, but I was already of myself such as he wished; for my sight, becoming pure, was entering more and more through the beam of the lofty Light which in Itself is true." -- Dante

* * * * *

Liebestraum nr. 2: Seliger Tod (Love Dream no. 2: Blessed Death)

"I was dead, and right content. I lay in my coffin, with my hands folded in peace. The knight, and the lady I loved, wept over me. Her tears fell on my face." -- George MacDonald

* * * * *

Liebestraum nr. 3: O Lieb, So Lang du Lieben Kannst (Love Dream no. 3: O Love, So Long as Love You Can)

"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater." -- J.R.R. Tolkien

Merry Christmas!

Something Good

There's just something about this movie. Perhaps it's the sweet, touching love story, or perhaps it's just Maria...it's genuinely amazing the effect that a woman can have who is truly a woman.

In real life, Captain von Trapp was 25 years older than Maria, and she married him more for love of the children than for him. But "by and by," she said later, "I learned to love him more than I have ever loved before or after."

MacDonald, Massanet, and Mutter

"As in all sweetest music, a tinge of sadness was in every note. Nor do we know how much of the pleasures even of life we owe to the intermingled sorrows. Joy cannot unfold the deepest truths, although deepest truth must be deepest joy. Cometh white-robed Sorrow, stooping and wan, and flingeth wide the doors she may not enter. Almost we linger with Sorrow for very love." -- George MacDonald, Phantastes, a Faerie Romance for Men and Women

Phantastes

Every time I read this, I find deeper and more profound meaning in it. Probably because I'm growing into it, like a child growing out of his childish tastes and into the appreciation of more complex flavours. It's all about giving up selfish desires and losing one's self to find one's self.

"I attempted to run away, but they all rushed upon me, and, laying hold of every part that afforded a grasp, held me tight. Crowding about me like bees, they shouted an insect-swarm of exasperating speeches up into my face, among which the most frequently recurring were--'you shan't have her; you shan't have her; he! he! he! She's for a better man; she's for a better man; how he'll kiss her! how he'll kiss her!'

The galvanic torrent of this battery of malevolence stung to life within me a spark of nobleness, and I said aloud, 'Well, if he is a better man, let him have her.'

They instantly let go their hold of me, and fell back a step or two, with a whole broadside of grunts and humphs, as of unexpected and disappointed approbation."

"Do not vex thy violet

Perfume to afford:

Else no odour thou wilt get

From its little hoard

In thy lady's gracious eyes

Look not thou too long;

Else from them the glory flies,

And thou doest her wrong.

Come not thou too near the maid,

Clasp her not too wild;

Else the splendour is allayed,

And thy heart beguiled." 

-- George MacDonald, Phantastes

Christmas, After All

Well, I had planned to just give Christmas a miss this year, for various reasons--but it looks as if God had other plans. And now that I've decided at the last minute to do it, and have skipped the month-long frenzy of vapid consumerism which has replaced Advent in society at large, I find myself rather enjoying it, and feeling quite sorry to miss the lovely Christmas Eve service at my church, which I can't attend. We have the most extraordinary music program, and Christmas especially is always beautiful. Anyway, here's one of my favorites for the last day of Advent, played by my second-favorite violinist in the entire world.

It Just Won't Quit

When You're Smilin'...

Such a little thing...

History Outside my Door

I went out the other day before it turned warm to test the new cold weather clothing I bought for my trip, and came across this about 50 yards or so from my house. The ancient split-rail fence that ends at my driveway leads directly into it. It looks like it was some kind of fighting position: the stone berm gives excellent cover and concealment, and the position overlooks the entrance to the road up here from the highway. I can't say for sure that's why it was built: could be some kind of dike for rainwater runoff, or even part of a livestock pen. But I'm guessing somebody was watching movement along the trail that eventually became Hwy 33.

More Gems from Richard Llewellyn

"There is a lot of nonsense talked about love, and most of all by the people who have never known it, who have no spirit within them to inspire it in others. Talk of love in such mouths is a grossness, indeed."

"There is a look in the eyes of a man in love that will have you in fits unless you are in love yourself. If you are, you will feel something move inside you to be of help to him, to try and have him happy even if there is no chance for you.

[...] You will see a part of it in the eyes of sheep fastened to the board and waiting for the knife. The other part you will see only in the eyes of a good man who has put his heart into the hands of a girl. It is a light that is rarely of the earth, a radiance that is holy, a warming, happy agony that do shine from inside and turn what it touches to something of Paradise." 

 

The World's Best Reading

I've been collecting these since I first came across a few volumes of Dickens in a thrift store many, many years ago--for around $1 apiece. They're really lovely books: 1/4 leather bound with a nice variety of colors and patterns, decorative endpapers, nice illustrations (at least up until 1999), and, as you can see from the titles in the photo, they really do represent some of the world's best reading (they start with "Little Women" in the photo, the others before it are from different collections). They're published by Reader's Digest (no, they're not condensed: they are complete and unabridged), and are sold new as a subscription service; one title per month for $30 or $40 I think. But I've obtained all mine for $10 or under from thrift shops, used bookshops, Amazon, and ebay. Booksellers don't know what to do with them because they don't have a upc code, never having been intended for retail. I'll let pass the obvious comments that brings to mind on the state of our society.

Anyway, I am most pleased with my latest acquisition, which is one of a handful released only in the UK or other parts of the former British Empire.

What a lovely book! (so far) The Welsh have an ancient reputation for an innate mastery of words and language, and Llewellyn's writing bears it out. (ok, I admit being a little predisposed to believe it, being Welsh on my mother's side). A few examples:

"But in those days money was easily earned and plenty of it. And not in pieces of paper either. Solid gold sovereigns like my grandfather wore on his watch-chain. Little round pieces, yellow as summer daffodils, and wrinkled round the edges like shillings, with a head cut off in front, and a dragon and a man with a pole on the back. And they rang when he hit them on something solid. It must be a fine feeling to put your hand in your pocket and shake together ten or fifteen of them, not that it will ever happen to anybody again, in my time, anyway. But I wonder did the last man, the very last man who had a pocketful of them, stop to think that he was the last man to be able to jingle sovereigns.

"When we sat down, with me in Mama's lap, my father would ladle out of the cauldron thin leek soup with a big lump of ham in it, that showed its rind as it turned over through the steam when the ladle came out brimming over. There was a smell with that soup. It is in my nostrils now. There was everything in it that was good, and because of that, the smell alone was enough to make you feel so warm and comfortable it was pleasure to be sitting there, for you knew of the pleasure to come.

It comes to me now, round and gracious and vital with herbs fresh from the untroubled ground, a peaceful smell of home and happy people. Indeed, if happiness has a smell, I know it well, for our kitchen has always had it faintly, but in those days it was all over the house."  

"She had on a straw bonnet with flowers down by her cheeks, and broad green ribbons tied under her chin and blowing about her face. A big dark green cloak was curling all round her as she walked, opening to show her dress and white apron that reached below the ankles of her button boots. Even though the Hill was steep and the basket big and heavy she made no nonsense of it. Up she came, looking at the houses on our side, till she saw me peering at her from our doorway, and she smiled.

Indeed her eyes did go so bright as raindrops on the sill when the sun comes out and her little nose did wrinkle up with her, and her mouth was red round her long white teeth, and everything was held tight by the green whipping ribbons."

 "'Bad thoughts and greediness, Huw,' my father said. 'Want all, take all, and give nothing. The world was made on a different notion. You will have everything from the ground if you will ask the right way. But you will have nothing if not. Those poor men down there are all after something they will never get. They will never get it because their way of asking is wrong. All things come from God, my son. All things are given by God, and to God you must look for what you will have. God gave us time to get His work done, and patience to support us while it is being done. There is your rod and staff. No matter what others may say to you, my son, look to God in your troubles.'"

I love when I find that a book is as beautiful inside as out. Or a woman, come to that.

The Gods Hate Me, Part II

My sleep apnea machine finally arrived--and it doesn't work right. Now I've got to send it back and wait for them to fix or replace it. Reservations cancelled, tickets refunded (hopefully). No chance of getting out before Christmas now, and probably not before the New Year. Bah.

Oh, well.  The key to a good plan is flexibility.

And, of Course: I'm Sick

If I were a pagan, I would swear that the gods hate me. But unless it turns out to be full-blown influenza or I become bedridden with a fever or can't go more than 10 steps from a bathroom, it's not delaying me. F.I.D.O.

Reservations Made, Tickets Purchased

I'll be leaving Charlottesville on Amtrak this Friday afternoon; arriving in Fort Myers Saturday evening, catching the ferry the next morning, and should be in Key West around noon. I like the symbolism: December 21st is the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, so I'll be beginning my journey on the first day of the astronomical new year.

Tuesday's Gone

"But now I discovered the wonderful power of wine..."

"I understood why men become drunkards. For the way it worked on me was--not at all that it blotted out these sorrows--but that it made them seem glorious and noble, like sad music, and I somehow great and reverend for feeling them." -- C.S. Lewis

Planned Itinerary--Key West to Big Cypress

The first part should be relatively easy--absolutely flat ground, low to medium daily mileage, paved trails and roads. The only real drawback is the absence of places to just camp: I'll have to use commercial campgrounds, state parks, and a couple of motels. But of course, it won't really be all that easy, as I'll just be beginning to undergo the adjustment process--hardening of feet and shoulders, general fitness, and the psychological change from relatively sedentary indoor living to an active outdoor life. So, in some ways, this will probably be the most difficult period of all. My mother thinks I'm going to be blown off the Overseas Highway into the sea, but with almost 300 pounds of me plus 50 or so of rucksack, I kind of doubt it. :) The biggest challenge here will, I'm sure, be the discomforts that accompany my various injuries and disabilities on top of the normal aches and pains of getting in shape. I've packed every pain medication I've been prescribed over the past two or three years (most of which were still sitting in my cabinet, as I rarely take them).

I'm hoping to see an American Crocodile during this portion: as I understand it, they're mostly in the coastal marshes.

Good News, Bad News

The Good News: the main piece of gear that has been holding me up (a portable, solar-charged CPAP machine for sleep apnea) is finally on its way, and should be here early next week. So assuming the few other little things that are still en route arrive by mid-week, I should be able to get going as planned.

The Bad News: I got a ticket today for an expired inspection sticker, so I've got to run around getting the inspection, taking it to the courthouse, and probably buying new tires and maybe brakes, as I seriously doubt the current ones will pass. Yeah, I know, safety and all that. But I was kinda hoping to put it off until I got back. Anyway, a bit of a hassle and probably several hundred dollars that I didn't want to spend right now, after all I've invested in equipment and supplies. Oh, well, that's what savings accounts are for.

Taking a Walk to Clear My Head

"I said not long before that work and weakness were comforters. But sweat is the kindest creature of the three--far better than philosophy, as a cure for ill thoughts." -- C.S. Lewis

I am within a couple of weeks (hopefully) of departing for the first half of my Eastern Continental Trail walk. The ECT is basically an extension of the Appalachian Trail in both directions, to the ends of the continent. I'll be starting in Key West and, for phase I, ending at my house in the mountains of central Virginia which is, conveniently, 4 miles from the AT and just about halfway through the continent. In phase II, I'll go from my house to the Cliffs of Forillon at Cape Gaspé, Quebec.

I'm fervently hoping to be gone before Christmas, but am tied up with gear woes at the moment and feeling rather restless and frustrated. Preparing for this trip has been much more complicated and expensive than I had anticipated. If I can't get off within the next week or so, I'll have to wait until after the New Year, as train tickets are expensive and hard to come by from about Dec. 20 until Jan 2.

I'll be taking Amtrak from Charlottesville to Ft. Myers, FL, then a ferry across to Key West. I like trains. And boats. And I detest flying, since it became an exercise in dystopian control. Then, the winter months will be spent hiking through Florida. with a special goal of getting through the Everglades before the weather turns hot and the rains start: if you walk through in the winter dry season, you're only wading through knee or thigh-deep water rather than waist or chest-deep. Then a much anticipated break while I visit my dear friend Jessica in Orlando, and on through northern Florida. Another short break at my uncle's hotel in Panama City, then a roadwalk through southern Alabama before picking up a series of shorter backcountry trails which will link to the AT in Georgia.

By the way, if any of my local Virginia friends would like to volunteer to drive me to the train station... :)

This is my Quest

This has been my code since I first heard Jim Nabors sing it on TV when I was a small boy.

"It is the mission of each true knight...his duty...nay, his privilege:

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love, pure and chaste, from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a Heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star"