Bright Star, a movie review

This week I saw the movie Bright Star. It's a romance telling the story of the renowned English poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, a couple who cared deeply for each other but fate ultimately kept apart. The setting was England about 1820. It features period costumes and, of course, poetry. The movie stars Ben Whishaw as John Keats and Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne, with Paul Schneider as Charles Armitage Brown.

Bright Star was released in 2009, and it played several art film theaters around town. I wanted to see it then, as I admire Keats' poetry, but didn't. I borrowed the DVD from the public library, after being on a lengthy waitlist, and I'm glad I did. The love story was touching, emotional, and a bit unconventional. The ending was quite sad, but I knew that going in. I would recommend Bright Star, it's a well-made, interesting to see, movie.

The Eve of St. Agnes, stanza six, words by Keats

"The Eve of St. Agnes" is a long poem (42 stanzas) by John Keats which was first published in 1820. As I've recently posted words for woman and maiden, I thought I'd feature a stanza from this fine poem. This is stanza 6 (or VI in Roman numerals).

They told her how, upon St. Agnes’ Eve,
Young virgins might have visions of delight,
And soft adorings from their loves receive
Upon the honey’d middle of the night,
If ceremonies due they did aright;
As, supperless to bed they must retire,
And couch supine their beauties, lily white;
Nor look behind, nor sideways, but require
Of Heaven with upward eyes for all that they desire.

Keats based his poem on the superstition that a girl could see her future husband in a dream if she performed certain rites on the eve of St. Agnes.

Markirya fifth stanza, words in Quenya

This is the last stanza, five of five, of The Markirya poem. This poem is an important piece of the Quenya language.

Here is the fifth stanza of Tolkien's Markirya Poem in Quenya:

Man tiruva rácina cirya
ondolissë mornë
nu fanyarë rúcina,
anar púrëa tihta
axor ilcalannar
métim' auressë?
Man cenuva métim' andúnë?

Here's Tolkien's translation of the fifth stanza:

Who shall heed a broken ship
on the black rocks
under broken skies,
a bleared sun blinking
on bones gleaming
in the last morning?
Who shall see the last evening?

Markirya fourth stanza, words in Quenya

Contining with The Markirya poem, this is stanza four of five. This poem is an important piece of the Quenya language.

Here is the fourth stanza of Tolkien's Markirya Poem in Quenya:

Man cenuva lumbor ahosta
Menel acúna
ruxal' ambonnar,
ëar amortala,
undumë hácala,
enwina lúmë
elenillor pella
talta-taltala
atalantië mindonnar?

Here's Tolkien's translation of the fourth stanza:

Who shall see the clouds gather,
the heavens bending
upon crumbling hills,
the sea heaving,
the abyss yawning,
the old darkness
beyond the stars
falling
upon fallen towers?

Notice that the first line includes the Quenya word for clouds, specifically dark clouds. Yesterday's post featured Tolkien's words for cloud.

Markirya third stanza, words in Quenya

Contining with The Markirya poem, this is stanza three of five. This poem is an important piece of the Quenya language.

Here is the third stanza of Tolkien's Markirya Poem in Quenya:

Man hlaruva rávëa súrë
ve tauri lillassië,
ninqui carcar yarra
isilmë ilcalassë,
isilmë pícalassë,
isilmë lantalassë
ve loicolícuma;
raumo nurrua,
undumë rúma?

Here's Tolkien's translation of the third stanza:

Who shall hear the wind roaring
like leaves of forests;
the white rocks snarling
in the moon gleaming,
in the moon waning,
in the moon falling
a corpse-candle;
the storm mumbling,
the abyss moving?

Markirya second stanza, words in Quenya

This Saturday, I'll continue sharing with you all The Markirya poem. This is stanza two of five. This poem is an important piece of the Quenya language.

Here is the second stanza of Tolkien's Markirya Poem in Quenya:

Man tiruva fána cirya,
wilwarin wilwa,
ëar-celumessen
rámainen elvië
ëar falastala,
winga hlápula
rámar sisílala,
cálë fifírula?

Here's Tolkien's translation of the second stanza:

Who shall heed a white ship,
vague as a butterfly,
in the flowing sea
on wings like stars,
the sea surging,
the foam blowing,
the wings shining,
the light fading?

Markirya first stanza, words in Quenya

The Markirya poem is the longest text in "mature" Quenya. Christopher Tolkien described the poem as "one of the major pieces of Quenya". It has five stanzas. The poem is an important source for Quenya language grammar.

Here is the first stanza of Tolkien's Markirya Poem in Quenya:

Men cenuva fánë cirya
métima hrestallo círa,
i fairi nécë
ringa súmaryassë
ve maiwi yaimië?

Here's Tolkien's translation of the first stanza:

Who shall see a white ship
leave the last shore,
the pale phantoms
in her cold bosom
like gulls wailing?

Lovely, isn't it?