Eoin Butler: writer, journalist and Mayoman of the Year

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Now in Vienna there are ten pretty women…

vwaltz2
…Which, you’d have to say, is a poor showing for a city of that size. But I jest. Tomorrow is the birthday of the great Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. I used to read Lorca all the time when I was a teenager. He remains, alongside Rimbaud, one of the few non-English language poets whose work has really meant a lot to me. After the jump, something you may or may not know that he wrote, brilliantly translated into English by a man who may or may not have been a bit of a dick at 29.

“And I’ll dance with you in Vienna,
I’ll be wearing a river’s disguise.
The hyacinth wild on my shoulder
my mouth on the dew of your thighs.
And I’ll bury my soul in a scrapbook,
with the photographs there and the moss.
And I’ll yield to the flood of your beauty,
my cheap violin and my cross.
And you’ll carry me down on your dancing
to the pools that you lift on your wrist —
O my love, O my love
Take this waltz, take this waltz,
it’s yours now. It’s all that there is…”

June 4th, 2010.

8 Responses to “Now in Vienna there are ten pretty women…”

  1. Deirdre Says:
    June 5th, 2010 at 5:12 pm

    Are we a bit of a diamond in the rough?. One wonders.

  2. Eoin Says:
    June 5th, 2010 at 5:35 pm

    ?

  3. Deirdre Says:
    June 5th, 2010 at 10:58 pm

    Just wondering.

  4. Deirdre Says:
    June 6th, 2010 at 9:29 pm

    To Eoin,

    I have just been informed of an alternative meaning to the expression “a diamond in the rough”. I sincerely apologise if I have caused offence.

    Just to clarify. I intended for the expression to be used in its original context i.e to convey a compliment.

    Once again, apologies offered.

  5. Conal Says:
    June 7th, 2010 at 6:52 am

    Now I’m more confused…

  6. Eoin Says:
    June 7th, 2010 at 12:56 pm

    @ Conal – ditto

  7. Deirdre Says:
    June 8th, 2010 at 9:26 am

    Once again, Mr Eoin Butler!.

    Allow me to clear up any confusion that you may be feeling. My apology was offered up as I was concerned that an expression I had used in an earlier entry had the potential to be misinterpreted with an altogether completely different meaning. With me so far?. Good.

    Loathe as I am now to admit, I will admit however that I have found your writings, with your own individual take on things to be not only interesting and very entertaining but also touchinly reflective at times . And that was the point I was trying to make.

  8. Eoin Says:
    June 8th, 2010 at 11:04 pm

    Thanks Deirdre, sorry I wasn’t sure what you meant at first, but much appreciated!

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