I met a traveller from an antique land

Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown

And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.

And on the pedestal these words appear:

"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

(Percy Bysse Shelley)

This one always makes me shiver. To think of the enormity of time, the fragility of mankind...

One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it."

"If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?"

"It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy." Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility.

Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of he poorest quarters

of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet. "Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah.

He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile. That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. "Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?" All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled.

To everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!" As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: _gimel, zayin, yud_, which began the words "_Gam zeh ya'avor_" -- "This too shall pass."

At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.

A Jewish folk tale on the same theme. I'm feeling melancholy today.

Gaily bedight,

A gallant knight,

In sunshine and in shadow,

Had journeyed long,

Singing a song,

In search of Eldorado.

.

But he grew old-

This knight so bold-

And o'er his heart a shadow

Fell as he found

No spot of ground

That looked like Eldorado.

.

And as his strength

Failed him at length,

He met a pilgrim shadow.

"Shadow," said he,

"Where can it be-

This land of Eldorado?"

.

"Over the mountains

Of the Moon,

Down the Valley of the Shadow,

Ride boldly ride,"

The shade replied-

"If you seek for Eldorado!"

Edgar Allen Poe, yes?

I've always loved "Ozymandius", Asta. As for your second, contribution, I haven't heard that particular version, but it is a good story.

Edgar Allen Poe, yes?

Yep.

I thought I knew literature well..... Now I feel very "out of the loop"

How old are you? Chances are I have twenty years of reading on you...

Remember

Remember me when I am gone away,

Gone far away into the silent land;

When you can no more hold me by the hand,

Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no day by day

You tell me of the future that you planned:

Only remember me; you understand

It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while

And afterwards remember, do not grieve:

For if the darkness and corruption leave

A vestige of the thoughts that I once had,

Better by far you should forget and smile

Than that you should remember and be sad.

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Also:

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

"Forward the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns!" he said.

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

-

Forward, the Light Brigade!"

Was there a man dismay'd?

Not tho' the soldier knew

Some one had blunder'd.

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die.

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

-

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Volley'd and thunder'd;

Storm'd at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell

Rode the six hundred.

-

Flash'd all their sabres bare,

Flash'd as they turn'd in air

Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army, while

All the world wonder'd.

Plunged in the battery-smoke

Right thro' the line they broke;

Cossack and Russian

Reel'd from the sabre-stroke

Shatter'd and sunder'd.

Then they rode back, but not,

Not the six hundred.

-

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon behind them

Volley'd and thunder'd;

Storm'd at with shot and shell,

While horse and hero fell,

They that had fought so well

Came thro' the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of hell,

All that was left of them,

Left of six hundred.

-

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made!

All the world wonder'd.

Honor the charge they made!

Honor the Light Brigade,

Noble six hundred!

Alfred Tennyson.

Who rides so late through night and wind?

It is the father with his child.

He has the boy close in his arms,

he holds him safe, he keeps him warm.

.

My son, why are you hiding your face in such fear?

Father, don't you see the Elf King?

The Elf King, with crown and tail?

My son, that is a wisp of cloud.

.

You darling child, come, go with me!

Such nice games I'll play with you,

there are many bright flowers on the beach,

my mother has many golden robes.

.

My father, my father, and don't you hear

what the Elf King is softly promising me?

Be still, be still, my child,

in the dry leaves the wind is rustling.

.

Would the young master like to come with me?

My daughters shall wait on you beautifully,

my daughters lead the nightly lines

and they'll rock and dance and sing you in.

.

My father, my father, and don't you see

the Elf King's daughters in that gloomy place?

My son, my son, I see it quite well:

it's the old willows shining so gray.

.

I love you, I'm drawn by your handsome form,

and if you aren't willing, I'll take you by force!

My father, my father, he's grabbing me now,

the Elf King has hurt me.

.

The father shudders, he rides like the wind,

he holds in his arms the moaning child,

reaches the yard with the utmost pains,

in his arms the child was dead.

@asta: oh, I thought WS told you. I'm the new child of the group. 14. Makes me feel special and warm and cuddly inside.

That lastpost made me shudder. Where'd you find that????

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Erlk%C3%B6nig

Der Erlkönig, by Goethe. This was what elves were before Tolkien got his hands on them. Scary, no?

Oh yeah. They were disturbing as hell.

Have you ever read Lords and Ladies? Discworld?

The elves in Aequar aren't like that, but some of the fey are. Even Serrin knows that it's best to back away from a pissed-off fey. Better yet, run in the other direction as fast as you can.

Lords and Ladies is another excellent portrayal of pre-Tolkien elves (although it was, of course, written after Tolkien.)

Ozzy Osbourne, You're no different to me

How many times can you put me down

Till in your heart you realize

If you choose to criticize

You choose your enemies

Everything that i say and do

In your eyes is always wrong

Tell me where do I belong

In a sick society

-

You're no different to me

You're no different

No different to me

-

Look in yourself instead of looking at me

With accusation in your eyes

Do you want me crucified

For my profanity

Concealing your crime behind a grandeur of lies

Tell me where do I begin

If you think you're without sin

Be the first to cast the stone

-

You're no different to me

You're no different

No different to me

You're no different to me

You're no different

No different to me

-

Can't you see can't you see

You're no different to me

Won't you see won't you see

You're no different to me

-

Living my life in a way

That I choose You say I should apologize

Is that envy in your eyes

Reflecting jealousy

Tell me the truth and I'll admit to my guilt

If you'll try and understand

But is that blood that's on your hand

From your democracy

-

You're no different to me

You're no different

No different to me

You're no different to me

You're no different

No different to me

"Thou Sun, who view'st at once the world below;

Thou Juno, guardian of the nuptial vow;

Thou Hecate hearken from thy dark abodes!

Ye Furies, fiends, and violated gods,

All pow'rs invok'd with Dido's dying breath,

Attend her curses and avenge her death!

If so the Fates ordain, Jove commands,

Th' ungrateful wretch should find the Latian lands,

Yet let a race untam'd, and haughty foes,

His peaceful entrance with dire arms oppose:

Oppress'd with numbers in th' unequal field,

His men discourag'd, and himself expell'd,

Let him for succor sue from place to place,

Torn from his subjects, and his son's embrace.

First, let him see his friends in battle slain,

And their untimely fate lament in vain;

And when, at length, the cruel war shall cease,

On hard conditions may he buy his peace:

Nor let him then enjoy supreme command;

But fall, untimely, by some hostile hand,

And lie unburied on the barren sand!

These are my pray'rs, and this my dying will;

And you, my Tyrians, ev'ry curse fulfil.

Perpetual hate and mortal wars proclaim,

Against the prince, the people, and the name.

These grateful off'rings on my grave bestow;

Nor league, nor love, the hostile nations know!

Now, and from hence, in ev'ry future age,

When rage excites your arms, and strength supplies the rage

Rise some avenger of our Libyan blood,

With fire and sword pursue the perjur'd brood;

Our arms, our seas, our shores, oppos'd to theirs;

And the same hate descend on all our heirs"

---

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, indeed...

"Gilgamesh, where do you roam?

You will not find the eternal life you seek.

When the gods created mankind

They appointed death for mankind,

Kept eternal life in their own hands.

So, Gilgamesh, let your stomach be full,

Day and night enjoy yourself in every way,

Every day arrange for pleasures

Day and night, dance and play,

Wear fresh clothes.

Keep your head washed, bathe in water,

Cherish the child who holds your hand,

Let your wife enjoy herself in your lap.

This is the work [of man]

I feel terribly lowbrow compared to some of these, but the song 'Sit Down' by James is like getting a hug from someone who actually understands.

"I'm relieved to hear

That you've been to some far-out places

It's hard to carry on

When you feel all alone

Now that I've swung back down again

It's worse than it was before

If I hadn't seen such riches

I could live with being poor

Oh, sit down, oh, sit down, sit down next to me

Sit down, down, down, down, down, in sympathy

Those who feel the breath of sadness

Sit down next to me

Those who find they're touched by madness

Sit down next to me

Those who find themselves ridiculous

Sit down next to me

In love, in fear, in hate, in tears

In love, in fear, in hate, in tears

In love, in fear, in hate, in tears

In love, in fear, in hate... down

Oh, sit down, oh, sit down, sit down next to me

Sit down, down, down, down, down in sympathy"

While we're talking about Sappho:

I

Peer of the gods, the happiest man I see

Sitting before thee, rapt at thy sight, hearing

Thy soft laughter and that voice most gentle,

Speaking so sweetly.

II

Then in my bosom my heart wildly flutters,

And, when on thee I gaze never so little,

Bereft am I of all power of utterance,

My tongue is useless.

III

There rushes at once through my flesh tingling fire,

My eyes are deprived of all power of vision,

My ears hear nothing but sounds of winds roaring,

And all is blackness.

IV

Down courses in streams the sweat of emotion,

A dread trembling o'erwhelms me, paler than I

Than dried grass in autumn, and in my madness

Dead I seem almost.

I feel terribly lowbrow compared to some of these, but the song 'Sit Down' by James is like getting a hug from someone who actually understands.

I liked it. And I think few people would describe Ozzy Osbourne (whom I quoted) as 'highbrow'. This section is for texts that move your emotions, lowbrow or highbrow.

A James fan? Wow, that's a nice change. :)

Dr Jones, by Aqua, used to make me cry. But that's because I connoted it to an unrequited indian love, so hey.

I must admit, I don't know much James. An ex-girlfriend was a fan, and played me 'Laid' and 'Sit Down', both of which I adore, as well as 'Booth and the Bad Angel'.

For me, it's the quieter chant-y bit. "Those who feel the breath of sadness, sit down next to me." And the lines, "If I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor." I rediscovered the song when I was dealing with my moronic ex-counsellor, who seemed to think a remission-relapse cycle should be easy to deal with because I should know it got better. Er, no.

There are a few things I'd like to post in this thread, but a) I think I'm finding them significant because I didn't take my meds for a few days and b) I don't want to trigger anybody, so maybe not.

(cuddles tightly)

The song Never Too Late.

Even if I say

It'll be all right

Still I hear you say

You want to end your life

Now and again we try

To just stay alive

Maybe we'll turn it all around

Cause it's

Not too late

It's Never too Late

Maybe we'll turn it all around

Cause it's

Not too late

It's Never too Late

That's why those words are in my avatar.

The Legacy by Iron Maiden

Tell you a thing

That you ought to know

Two minutes of your time

Then on you go

.

Tell tale of the men

All dressed in black

That most of them

Not coming back

.

Sent off to the war

To play little games

And on their return

Can't name no names

.

Some strange yellow gas

Has played with their minds

Has reddened their eyes

Removed all the lies

.

And strange as it sounds

Death knows no bounds

How many get well

Only time will tell

.

Only time will tell

.

You lie in your death bed now

But what did you bring to the table

Brought us only holy sin

Utter trust is a deadly thing

.

To the prayer of holy peace

We didn't know what was lying underneath

So how could we be such fools

And to think that we thought you the answer

.

I can't begin to understand in all the lies

But on your death bed I can see it in you eyes

Just as clear as all the sweat upon your brow

It really makes sense I can see it clearly now

.

Tangled up in a web of lies

Could have been a way to prophesize

Unaware of the consequence

Not aware of the secrets that you kept

.

Nothing that we could believe

To reveal the façade of faceless men

Not a thing that we could foresee

Now a sign that would tell us the outcome

.

You had us all strung out with promises of peace

But all along you cover plan was to deceive

Can it put to rights now only time will tell

Your prophecies will send us all to hell as well

.

Left to all our golden sons

All to pick up on the peace

You could have given all of them

A little chance...at least

.

Take the world to a better place

Given them all just a little hope

Just think what a legacy

You now...will leave

.

We seem destined to live in fear

And some that would say Armageddon is near

But where there's a life while there's hope

That man won't self-destruct

.

Why can't we treat our fellow men

With more respect and a shake of their hands

But anger and loathing is rife

The death on all sides is becoming a way of life

.

We live in an uncertain world

Fear understanding and ignorance is leading to death

Only the corpses are left

For vultures that prey on their bones

.

But some are just not wanting peace

Their whole life is death and misery

The only thing that they know

Fight fire with fire life is cheap

.

But if they do stop to think

That man is teetering right on the brink

But do you think that they care

They benefit from death and pain and despair

Oh man, I LOVE that song. :3

Everybody Hurts - R.E.M.

When the day is long and the night,

the night is yours alone,

When you're sure you've had enough

of this life, well hang on.

-

Don't let yourself go,

'cause everybody cries

and everybody hurts

sometimes.

-

Sometimes everything is wrong.

Now it's time to sing along.

When your day is night alone,

(hold on, hold on)

If you feel like letting go,

(hold on)

When you think you've had too much

of this life, well hang on.

-

'Cause everybody hurts.

Take comfort in your friends.

Everybody hurts.

-

Don't throw your hand.

Oh, no.

Don't throw your hand.

If you feel like you're alone,

no, no, no, you are not alone

-

If you're on your own

in this life, the days and nights are long,

When you think you've had too much

of this life to hang on.

Well, everybody hurts sometimes,

Everybody cries.

And everybody hurts

sometimes.

And everybody hurts sometimes.

So, hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on. (Everybody hurts. You are not alone)

And one that's really close to my heart:

-

Carrot Juice is Murder - The Arrogant Worms

Listen up brothers and sisters,

come hear my desperate tale.

I speak of our friends of nature,

trapped in the dirt like a jail.

-

Vegetables live in oppression,

served on our tables each night.

This killing of veggies is madness,

I say we take up the fight.

-

Salads are only for murderers,

coleslaw's a fascist regime.

Don't think that they don't have feelings,

just cause a radish can't scream.

-

Chorus:

I've heard the screams of the vegetables (scream, scream, scream)

Watching their skins being peeled (having their insides revealed)

Grated and steamed with no mercy (burning off calories)

How do you think that feels (bet it hurts really bad)

Carrot juice constitutes murder (and that's a real crime)

Greenhouses prisons for slaves (let my vegetables go)

It's time to stop all this gardening (it's dirty as hell)

Let's call a spade a spade (is a spade is a spade is a spade)

-

I saw a man eating celery,

so I beat him black and blue.

If he ever touches a sprout again,

I'll bite him clean in two.

-

I'm a political prisoner,

trapped in a windowless cage.

Cause I stopped the slaughter of turnips

by killing five men in a rage

-

I told the judge when he sentenced me,

This is my finest hour,

I'd kill those farmers again

just to save one more cauliflower

-

Chorus

-

How low as people do we dare to stoop,

Making young broccolis bleed in the soup?

Untie your beans,

uncage your tomatoes

Let potted plants free,

don't mash that potato!

-

I've heard the screams of the vegetables (scream, scream, scream)

Watching their skins being peeled (fates in the stirfry are sealed)

Grated and steamed with no mercy (you fat gormet slob)

How do you think that feels? (leave them out in the field)

Carrot juice constitutes murder (V8's genocide)

Greenhouses prisons for slaves (yes, your composts are graves)

It's time to stop all this gardening (take up macrame)

Let's call a spade a spade (is a spade, is a spade, is a spade, is a spade.....)

I was in total agreement while it stuck to salad, coleslaw and celery. But oh, if eating root vegetables is wrong, then I don't want to be right!

Oh, I know it's cheesy. But this song came dangerously close to making me cry before I knew it was about Janis Joplin. When I found out it was about my favourite singer, dead stupidly young...

Chelsea Hotel #2, Leonard Cohen

I remember you well in the Chelsea hotel

You were talking so brave and so sweet

Giving me head on the unmade bed

While the limousines wait in the street

Those were the reasons and that was New York

We were running for the money and the flesh

And that was called love for the workers in song

Probably still is, for those of them left

--

Ah, but you got away, didn't you, babe?

You just turned your back on the crowd

You got away, I never once heard you say

I need you, I don't need you

I need you, I don't need you

And all of that jiving around

--

I remember you well in the Chelsea hotel

You were famous, your heart was a legend

You told me again you preferred handsome men

But for me, you would make an exception

And clenching your fist for the ones like us

Who are oppressed by the figures of beauty

You fixed yourself, and said, "Well, never mind

We are ugly, but we have the music."

--

Ah, but you got away, didn't you, babe?

You just turned your back on the crowd

You got away, I never once heard you say

I need you, I don't need you

I need you, I don't need you

And all of that jiving around

--

I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best

I can't keep track of each fallen robin

I remember you well in the Chelsea hotel

And that's all, I don't even think of you that often.

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