Wednesday 17 June 2009

In the Blue Immensity


A Pale Hung-Over Moon
Napping in the blue sweep of the morning sky,
after a long arduous night
of wooing stars.

Welcome!
Early Sunday morning greeted by
parapet figures on the roof
of the Upper Belvedere Palace.

Is this a little angel,
lifting up the pennant
to welcome a new day?

"Beau ciel, vrai ciel, regarde-moi qui change!
Après tant d'orgueil, après tant d'étrange
Oisiveté, mais pleine de pouvoir,
Je m'abandonne à ce brillant espace
"

Quoted from
"Le cimetière marin"
by Paul Valéry

There was no blue sea
reflecting the brilliance of the sky, still,
under these early morning skies,
of "mille et mille idoles du soleil",
so close to midsummer,
a feeling of new beginnings overcame me,
in the spirit of Valéry's concluding stanza:

"Le vent se lève! . . . il faut tenter de vivre!
L'air immense ouvre et referme mon livre,
La vague en poudre ose jaillir des rocs!
Envolez-vous, pages tout éblouies!
Rompez, vagues! Rompez d'eaux rejouies
Ce toit tranquille où picoraient des focs
!"

Photographed by Merisi
early Sunday morning,
June 14, 2009,
at the
South façade of the
Upper Belvedere Palace
,
while the Sphinx
kept to her inscrutable smile.

16 comments:

  1. Good morning!

    I have chosen the original French of Valéry's poem because none of the many translations "speak" to me as the original does. Here can you find the poem as translated by C. Day Lewis, but there are many English versions out out there.

    A wonderful day with blue skies to all of you!

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  2. I always thought there is a special light in Belvedere! So white, so bright, so particular! Glad to see that you captured it too!

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  3. looking forward for the sunset photos! and yes, tomorrow round 6 pm I am in Vienna - yupeeeeeeeeee! heading home, in Burgenland, and then for the NovaRock festival :D!

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  4. This is how I picture heaven. Thank you for this heavenly post!

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  5. That next to last photo only lacks a sleeping nymph to look like a Maxfield Parrish painting!

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  6. First class photos, Merisi (as always); they, and your pithy lines or quotes, are why we come back, day after day, encore une fois.

    Tschuess,
    Chris

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  7. These are exquisite .. so blue and those statues so white against the sky!

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  8. Anonymous17 June, 2009

    Beautifully combined pictorial !

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  9. Anonymous17 June, 2009

    Beautiful, just beautiful. I see your photographs in a large book on my coffee table, just for me to dip into when I need a burst of beauty.

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  10. Stone eyes
    watch me
    Morning in Vienna.

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  11. the iron gate with the pale moon speaks to me! You are a woman of many talents, Merisi:) (photography, poetry, languages, what else?)

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  12. Lara,
    I agree, the light at the Upper Belvedere is special indeed!
    Happy days in Burgenland and Vienna! :-)

    I_am_Tulsa,
    you are welcome! :-)

    Vicki Lane,
    oh yes, Maxfield Parrish -
    with a pink-hued cloud sailing by? ;-)

    Sepiru Chris,
    thank you,
    I truly appreciate your coming back again and again!

    Daryl,
    the white marble reflected the light so strongly, I almost couldn't see without sunglasses.

    oiasantorini,
    I imagine Greece in colours like these! :-)

    Moannie,
    oh, that would be my dream too,
    thank you! :-)

    Juju,
    I was quite surprised when I discovered the moon in that blue blue morning sky!

    Charles Gramlich,
    so says the Third Man? ;-)

    jeannette stgermain,
    oh, thank you, Jeannette,
    you are very generous! :-)

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  13. What a lovely composition!

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  14. Blue skies and marble statues...what could be more beautiful!

    Dearest Merisi,
    I thank you for sharing your story with me. I've been so touched and moved by my blogging friends. I send you much love and many wishes for a happy summer.
    Love to you -
    Catherine xxoo

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  15. oh, I love that pale little moon!

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