the sound of the ecstatic flute...
"i know the sound of the ecstatic flute,
but i don't know whose flute it is.
a lamp burns and has neither wick nor oil.
a waterplant blossoms and is not attached to the bottom.
when one flower opens, ordinarily dozens open.
the moon bird's head is filled with nothing but thoughts
of the moon.
and when the next rain will come is all that the
rain - bird thinks of.
who is it that we spend our entire life loving?"
text: kabir, "try to live to see this", translations by robert bly, 1976.
image: RPPC, circa 1910, unknown man with flute...
Labels: ecstatic flute, kabir, robert bly, RPPC
4 Comments:
I like his dreamy self-confidence. I don't know that I have seen anything quite like it before.
dreamy self confidence or strange distance? he seems to look at the camera with some disdain.
what struck me was how the first impression is that his chair is levitating - perhaps that is why he is so focussed? After some moments you notice it's a rocker. but still, it floats!
well, his feet are so large, i think they keep him grounded, while his head must be filled with helium...
"The small bar in Shinjuku reminded him of that Indian flute whose sound can only be heard by whomever is playing it. He might have cried out if it was in a Godard film or a Shakespeare play, 'Where should this music be?'"-Sans Soleil
ps. I don't think I thanked you yet, but the box of records was incredible! Still making my way through listening to them. Enjoy LA!
Post a Comment
<< Home