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Black swans

Posted by Smokey Stover on November 04, 2004

In Reply to: Careless and confused posted by Smokey Stover on November 04, 2004

: : : : : :
: : : : : : The Silver Swan who, living, had no note,
: : : : : : When death approached, unlocked her silent throat.
: : : : : : Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,
: : : : : : Thus sung her first and last,
: : : : : : And sung no more:

: : : : : : "Farewell all joys, O death come close mine eyes.
: : : : : : More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise."

: : : : : :
: : : : : : Need I say more? SS

: : : : : You might say it is an Orlando Gibbons composition.

: : : : I might say that, but it might imply that Gibbons was the author of the poem. He set it to music as a madrigal, published in 1601, but no one seems to know who wrote the words. And it is the words that express the sentiments, among others, that I feel today (November 3). SS

: : : Did you know we have black swans down here. Completely irrelevant, but I thought I'd mention it. And they're stunning too.

: : I think 1612 is more accurate for the publication date. There's a great recording by the Hilliard Ensemble that I have on this computer, so I think I'll listen to it.
: : Ah.

: Bob, you are so right about the date of publication. It was indeed 1612. SS

Goddess, as a resident of New Jersey (laugh if you will) I know about black swans. There's a small lake, part of a local park, near Cape May, which is visited by numerous birds, like the loon that I saw there, and numerous humans, some of whom get great enjoyment from bringing cracked corn to feed the ducks. The black swans are a permanent ornament, imported from Australia (where else?). A few years ago a couple of boys killed one of the swans, and there was a local uproar. The boys' parents had to pay the cost of importing another swan, and presumably the boys learned their lesson. But truthfully I don't know what lesson they may have learned. Crime and punishment are what they like to call a "vexed problem." One thing for sure, the human users of the lake were vexed as hell. SS

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