Poem for Sunday

Ode iii.30
By Horace
Translated by David Ferry

Today I have finished a work outlasting bronze
And the pyramids of ancient royal kings.
The North Wind raging cannot scatter it
Nor can the rain obliterate this work,
Nor can the years, nor can the ages passing.
Some part of me will live and not be given
Over into the hands of the death goddess.
I will go on and on, kept ever young
By the praise in times to come for what I have done.
So long as the Pontiff in solemn procession climbs
The Capitol steps, beside him the reverent Vestal,
So long will it be that men will say that I,
Born in a land where Aufidus' torrent roared,
Once ruled by Danaus, king of a peasant people,
Was the first to bring Aeolian measures to Latin.
Melpomene, look kindly on the honor
The muse has won for me, and graciously
Place on my head the garland of Delphic laurel.

--------

From today's Poet's Choice by Edward Hirsch in The Washington Post: "Poiesis means "making" and, as the ancient Greeks recognized, the poet is first and foremost a maker."

Took the kids to see Elf yesterday afternoon, after my sister's crowd left (it was relatively peaceful because, although everyone was at our tiny house, everyone was not here at the same time; first my parents arrived with the two older girls, then my sister arrived with the baby and took the two younger girls home with her after brunch, and her husband never put in an appearance). Elf was hilarious -- at least, it was to my husband and myself, who grew up watching all those Rankin Bass Christmas specials (yes, Jewish kids do too, as I try explaining to my in-laws who didn't understand why I would say that Jewish kids felt absolutely hammered over the head by Christmas when I was growing up). There was a snowman guy modeled on the one in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and various animals, elves, etc. from Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, and lots of toy product placement that made me smile in spite of itself because, you know, Mr. Potato Head built by elves. The story is essentially Rudolph only with a person instead of a reindeer, and there's plenty of toilet and food humor which made my kids howl and (I must admit) us too.

Today my in-laws are coming and I have to write the site columns and review round-up first. Am hoping calls to tear me away from this. *hint, hint* Though I am still way behind on correspondence, etc. and probably will be for as long as Jack Aubrey insists on living in my head and dictating things to me, thus interfering even with my ability to read books about him which might make some sense of what he's saying...

Another one gacked from !


You are Spearmint.
You are quick-witted and sharp. You pay close
attention to details and you can tell what your
friends are feeling. You are always the first
to understand a joke and you are valued for
your insight and advice. However, you
sometimes isolate yourself from other people,
afraid to share your own feelings.
Most Compatible With: Cinnamon
Which Tic-Tac Flavor Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla