Francesco (Clemente)

Francesco (Clemente)

Schizoid Personality Blog

creative blog of a schizoid personality

Music, movies, books, love, inspirations, designs and more

Friday, August 20, 2010

Arabian Drums of a **** Hymn

     (Bob Dylan?...)

Back to Dylan who wrote unspeakable poetry. Just like with surrealism paintings, it takes more than one approach to the song (and facts around it) to call it poetry that means a lot. Figuratively speaking, it takes attempting at getting inside Bob Dylan's head. Some moments are quite self-explanatory, others' meaning is Rorschach inkblot test.

SAd Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (1966) was inspired by SAra Dylan whose name was Lownds when he met her. First factual similiarity which makes perfect sense on the knowledgeably surreal level of one's vision. BD once called the song 'the best song I ever wrote'. An 11-minute love hymn that doesn't  even mention my sweet sweet just-a-four-letter-word. Dylan wrote it in Chelsea Hotel, NY and never played in concert.

(from some magazine): "Eleven minutes-plus of serpentine psychodrama. Like jazz and Byron, it goes on and on and on".

I'd say who else is as good at making surreal sex with words as BD?


With your mercury mouth* in the missionary times
And your eyes like smoke and your prayers like rhymes
And your silver cross, and your voice like chimes
Oh, who do they think could bury you?
With your streetcar visions which you place on the grass
And your flesh like silk, and your face like glass
Who among them do they think could carry you?
Sad-eyed lady of the Lowlands
Where the sad-eyed prophet** says that no man comes
My warehouse eyes***, my Arabian drums
Should I leave them by your gate
Or, sad-eyed lady, should I wait?


*       mercury mouth - slipping away at contact 
**     sad-eyed prophet - possibly Dylan himself 
***   warehouse eyes -   possibly how he manages to store the image of ALL of her in his eyes, which others are unable to do, possibly refers to a slight emptiness inside. 
**** Warehouse eyes + Arabian drums = possibly restlessness or logic he believes she can free him from.

With your sheets like metal and your belt like lace*
And your deck of cards missing the jack and the ace
And your basement clothes and your hollow face
Who among them can think he could outguess you?
With your silhouette when the sunlight dims
Into your eyes where the moonlight swims
And your matchbox songs and your gypsy hymns
Who among them would try to impress you?
Sad-eyed lady of the Lowlands.

* your sheets like metal and your belt like lace - reference to Sara's father's business.

------------------------------------------------------------
The kings of Tyrus with their convict list
Are waiting in line for their geranium kiss
And you wouldn’t know it would happen like this
But who among them really wants just to kiss you?
With your childhood flames on your midnight rug
And your Spanish manners and your mother’s drugs
And your cowboy mouth and your curfew plugs
Who among them do you think could resist you?
Sad-eyed lady of the Lowlands.

Oh, the farmers and the businessmen, they all did decide
To show you the dead angels that they used to hide
But why did they pick you to sympathize with their side?
Oh, how could they ever mistake you?
They wished you’d accepted the blame for the farm
But with the sea at your feet and the phony false alarm
And with the child of a hoodlum wrapped up in your arms*
How could they ever, ever persuade you?
Sad-eyed lady of the Lowlands.

*child of a hoodlum wrapped up in your arms - most likely Sara's daughter Mary she had with her first husband.

With your sheet-metal memory of Cannery Row*
And your magazine-husband** who one day just had to go
And your gentleness now, which you just can’t help but show
Who among them do you think would employ you?
Now you stand with your thief, you’re on his parole
With your holy medallion which your fingertips fold
And your saintlike face and your ghostlike soul
Oh, who among them do you think could destroy you?
Sad-eyed lady of the Lowlands.


*     sheet-metal memory of Cannery Row - reference to Sara's father's business, Steinbeck. 
**   Magazine husband - Sara's first husband, magazine photographer Hans Lownds.

Bob Dylan is worth being repetitive.
I know hay amores so beautiful that in themselves inspire artists to create masterpieces not many people can (bother to) understand and appreciate.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

God is a WoMan?



A few months ago I read an article where one schizoid-curious smartass explores the schizoid subject from a close-to-religious aspect. He supports Newton's point of view stating that science and religion not always contradict one another. Here's what he writes. 

"I'll start with the statement that all people are different yet at the same time similar.

However, there's one 'behaviour pattern' that differs from others, it deals with the (notorious) schizoid personality. I'm not mentioning severe cases here, I'm speaking about 'milder' schizoids (good side of schizoid personality I'd say). These people are cautious in choosing contacts, and sometimes this caution is peaking.

Grigoriy Perelman - a prominent Russian (Jewish, according to the name) mathematician is a typical schizoid. He's 44, lives with his Mother in a tiny apartment in St. Perersburg. Likes walks in the beautiful city in the company of his Self. Journalists are hunting him hoping for an interview but to no avail - he hides because he doesn't like these random contacts. Refused from $1000000 offered for his unique scientific achievements (ignored some other awards as well).

And so, about a year ago, when I was randomly thinking about God, I found myself comparing His 'traits' to the ones of schizoids. Avoids direct interactions. Exceptions are brief and restricted contacts. Prefers to speak with prophets only in their dreams. Go-betweens deal with all the contacts, he is  always behind the scenes. He even wrote the Bible through his "write-betweens"... Same eccentricity and inconsistency in actions (or, in any case, seeming inconsistency).

If you're hoping to ask me about the conclusions I may have drawn after arriving at the God-is-schizoid idea, I'll tell you I haven't yet. There's one interesting thought though. Nobody will argue over the fact that if there's no way to watch the tiger, you may observe a cat to substitute for the striped sacredness. Not the same,  but still something to learn about "feline traits" from. So when you look at the schizoid, you see a bit of God."

Is God schizoid, crazy or what? According to the article - both (crazy being the sane response to the world around). But aren't people too "saint" and "sane" for such judgemental non-musical comparisons?


now I need to know where exactly it played...





Thursday, August 12, 2010

Portuguese Songs of the Sea


I'm currently swimming in Portuguese music. "Sweet Bridges", Mariza, fado, songs of the sea... I like Canção do Mar by Dulce Pontes (originally by Amália Rodrigues), its instrumental cover by Mariano do Rego and the way it fits the Tudors in certain moments.

But my favourite is 'O Mare e Tu by Andrea Bocelli and Dulce. I love the sound, the video and the way their voices fuse. Sources say it was written by Enzo Gragnaniello in Neapolitan. The songs are old, so the lyrics are pathos and quite theatrical (histrionic?), but still they sound amazing in Portuguese. Needless to say I love the language.

Andrea Bocelli with Dulce Pontes 'O Mare e tu - correct translation traducción точный перевод

Portuguese: Sentir em nós
English: To feel in us,
Spanish: Sentir en nosotros
Russian: Чувствуем в нас

Portuguese: Sentir em nós
English: To feel in us,
Spanish: Sintiendo en nosotros
Russian: Чувствуем в нас  


Portuguese: Uma razão para não ficarmos sós
English: A reason not to stay alone
Spanish: Una razón para no quedarnos solos
Russian: Причину оставаться вдвоем 

Portuguese: E nesse abraço forte
English: In that strong embrace  
Spanish: Y en ese abrazo fuerte
Russian: В этих крепких объятьях 

Portuguese: Sentir o mar
English: I feel the sea.
Spanish: Sentir el mar
Russian: Мы чувствуем море  

Portuguese: Na nossa voz,
English: In our voice  
Spanish: En nuestra voz
Russian: В нашем голосе 

Portuguese: Chorar como quem sonha sempre navegar
English: There's a cry of someone who dreams of navigating
Spanish: Llorar como quien sueña siempre navegar
Russian: Слышен крик тех, кто мечтает плыть 

Portuguese: Nas velas rubras deste amor
English: Under scarlet sail of this love
Spanish: En las velas apasionadas de este amor
Russian: Под парусами этой любви 

Portuguese: Ao longe a barca louca perde o norte.
English: In the distance the barque loses its way.
Spanish: En la distancia la barca loca pierde el norte.
Russian: Вдалеке неистовая лодка теряет ориентиры.

Portuguese: Meu amor
Spanish: Amor mío
English: My love
Neapolitan: Ammore mio
Russian: Любовь моя 

Portuguese: Se não estivesse aqui o mar e tu
Spanish: Si no existiese el mar y tú
English: If the sea and you were not here 
Neapolitan: Si nun ce stess'o mare e tu
Russian: Если бы здесь не было моря и тебя, 

Portuguese: Eu também não estaria aqui
Spanish: Yo tampoco estaría.
English: I wouldn't be here either.  
Neapolitan: Nun ce stesse manch'io
Russian: Меня бы тоже здесь не было  

Portuguese: Meu amor
Spanish: Amor mío
English: My love  
Neapolitan: Ammore mio
Russian: Моя любовь, 

Portuguese: O amor existe quando nós
Spanish: Si nuestro amor se fuese un día
English: Love exists when we are 
Neapolitan: L'amore esiste quanno nuje
Russian: Ты существуешь пока 

Portuguese: Estamos próximos de Deus.
Spanish: Dios nos lo encontraría
English: Close to God
Neapolitan: Stamme vicino a Dio
Russian: Мы есть под небесами. 

Neapolitan: Ammore

Portuguese: No teu olhar
Spanish: En tus ojos
English: In your eyes 
Russian: В твоих глазах 

Portuguese: Um espelho de água
Spanish: Un espejo de agua
English: There's the reflection of water 
Russian: Отражение воды

Portuguese: A vida a navegar por entre o sonho e a mágoa
Spanish: Toda la vida navegar entre el sueño y el dolor
English: And of life navigating between the dream and the pain. 
Russian: И жизни, плавающей между мечтаньями и болью.

Portuguese: Sem um adeus sequer.
Spanish: Sin siquiera un adios
English: Without a word of goodbye 
Russian: Без единого слова прощанья


Portuguese: E mansamente,
Spanish: Y en silencio
English: And gently 
Russian: Нежно

Portuguese: Talvez no mar,
Spanish: Tal vez en el mar,
English: Perhaps in the sea 
Russian: Быть может, в море

Portuguese: Eu feita espuma encontre o sal do teu olhar,
Spanish: Yo hecha espuma encuentre el sal de tus ojos
English: I made the foam find the salt of your look.
Russian: Я заставила пену отыскать соль твоего взгляда

Portuguese: Voga ao de leve, meu amor
Spanish: Remo hacia la luz, mi amor
English: I sail towards the light, my love.
Russian: Я плыву к свету, любовь моя

Portuguese: Ao longe a barca nua a todo o pano.
Spanish: A lo lejos la barca desnuda va a toda vela
English: In the distance the sailess barque goes under full sail.
Russian: Вдали лодка плывет на всех несуществующих парусах.



Dulce Pontes Canção do Mar translation перевод

Fui bailar no meu batel
I was dancing on my little boat
Я танцевала в своей маленькой лодке

Além do mar cruel
There in the cruel sea
В жестоком море

E o mar bramindo
And the sea was crying out to me
И море взывало ко мне

Diz que eu fui roubar
Telling me that I should steal
Просило украсть

A luz sem par
The unique light
Ни с чем не сравнимый свет

Do teu olhar tão lindo
Of your beautiful eyes
Твоего взгляда

Vem saber se o mar terá razão
Come and prove that the sea is right
Прийди, чтоб я убедилась, что море не врет

Vem cá ver bailar meu coração
Come here and see me dancing my love
Прийди и посмотри, как я танцую, любовь моя.

Se eu bailar no meu batel
If I go dancing on my little boat
Если я пойду танцевать в моей маленькой лодке,

Não vou ao mar cruel
I won't go to the cruel sea
Я не выйду в жестокое море,

E nem lhe digo aonde eu fui cantar
Nor will I tell you where I was singing
И тебе не скажу, где я пела,

Sorrir, bailar, viver, sonhar contigo
Smiling, dancing, living, dreaming of you.
Улыбалась, танцевала, жила и мечтала о тебе.

Gonna have to watch the Tudors now. ( watched and did not like) But before that - tonight's star shower. Meteorite rain Russians call it.