“He seems to me equal to gods that man
whoever he is who opposite you
sits and listens close
to your sweet speaking
and lovely laughting–oh it
puts the heart in my chest on wings
for when I look at you, even a moment, no speaking
is left in me
no: tongue breaks and thin
fire is racing under skin
and in eyes no sight and drumming
fills ears
and cold sweat holds me and shaking
grips me all, greener than grass
I am and dead—or almost
I seem to me.
SECOND TRANSLATION
To me he seems equal to gods,
the man who sits facing you
and hears you near as you speak and laugh
in a sweet echo that jolts
the heart in my ribs. Now
when I look at you a moment
my voice is empty
and can say nothing as my tongue
cracks and slender fire races
under my skin. My eyes are dead
to light, my ears
pound, and sweat pours over me.
I convulse, greener than grass
and feel my mind slip as I go
close to death.
This poem seems to me so lovely and, from my perspective, so relevant to George that I had to post it. I hope you enjoyed it. I prefer the Carson translation myself.
I have embroidered this post with a slide show of a few, a very few, of what I find to be particularly handsome photos of George at different ages. There are many more equally handsome ones that I had to leave out…
Oct 07, 2011 @ 20:48:01
WE know George was breath takingly handsome …. but did HE?
please show your other photos?
Oct 20, 2011 @ 00:25:09
Sorry to be so long getting back to you but I have been on a holiday with no computer access. Which photos did you mean?
Oct 20, 2011 @ 00:39:31
Oops! Just read the post again and I see what you are referring to. It would be difficult to add all the other most handsome photos of George, actually, I find all photos of him unbelievably handsome. I am gradually adding them to my various posts. I recently bought two wonderful ones of him and hope to buy another on Friday, When I do I will scan them, add them to my hard drive and put them in a slideshow on my posts.