Tuesday 7 October 2008

FRICIS BĀRDA(1880 – 1919)


Is one of the most philosophically educated Latvian poets at the beginning of the 20th century.
Is a bright and talented master of Latvian romantic poetry.
The basis of his poetry is a visual image picture, through which one can precisely perceive the mood and feelings of the lyrical hero.
Traditional themes – Motherland, love, nature, soul, death, life, eternity-framed into an original imagery and rhythm, philosophical generalization.
A decisive pantheist in nature poetry.
is an outstanding master of children’s poetry – uses original imagery and a special love.
One of the most popular Latvian classics. His collection “A son of the Earth” has been edited at least 12, “Songs and prayers to the True of Life” – 9 times.
Rain-Lietutiņš

Rain… Rain…
Warm May rain!
The sky’s gladness glittering
Making soul to awake
How it is dancing!
How it is shining!How it is glittering
With golden fires
On lime-tree leaves
Soft, honeyed
As child’d soft hands
Raised to the sky

Birches- Bērzi

My fatherland’s saint birches
They stand bluish
And with blooming hands
Blessing growing grass

Still flower souls fields
Sending praying to the clouds

Ploughman is going to the field
Old, grey-haired already, power in limbs dissapears
But flower souls sing songs to him
And pet his cheek.
***
Bukurags

Ah, ah- he is terrible and bad,
This old, this big, this corniferous ram!
Even to Janka he doe not give way
And goes to butt with last year’s calf.
Only today to him happened everything simply.
He went to a spring to take a look at dandelions
And opposite comes the same ram as him.
o- thinks he the business will be! And bah!he strikes !
bah !and into the spring...
he jumped out ans sneezes.

1 comment:

Myke Wilcinskis said...

This Fricis Barda poem evokes powerful devotional imagery for those following the traditions of the original North European folk faiths;

To The Tree of Life

O Radiance of Envisioned Being, our Tree of Life,
Sunblossoms gladden your boughs with their singing,
And round your summit the stars go swinging,
And, as your boughs waver, their motion showers
Space with the light of miraculous flowers.

O heaven-haloed Living Tree,
Bound at the roots with eternity,
In a ring unscarred by the forges blast-
A serpent with jaws and tail locked fast-
Listen,
O listen to me!
I am but the tiniest, frailest bud,
Sprung of your vivid golden blood,
I yearn to burst forth my inner light’s plume,
With sap of your heart to break and to bloom.

O many branched Cosmic Tree
Celestial axis of all things that be,
Spangled with the dews of eternal light,
I seek so to flower in lustrous delight,
One with your sunblossoms, blissfully
Beyond world, sun and stars;- in infinity.