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Wednesday, October 01, 2008

On a pedestal

This is another of my illustrations of verse written by Hanna Filo. It's called Su un piedistallo (on a pedestal).



For context, here is my loose translation of the salient lines from the poem L'Orazione (the prayer):

Dentro di me ho il tutto
Per posarti su un piedistallo
E venerare

Inside me I have everything
To put you on a pedestal
And worship

9 comments:

fihanna said...

Hi FrancisS!
Very encouraging to think this parable optic...
You used a term "worhip" which leads us to "The Sufferings of Young Werther" by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe...
Love is "worship" of our mind...
;PP
Look at this:
VENERARE I thought:
reverence, fear, revere, venerate
regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of; "Fear God as your father"; "We venerate genius"
Category Tree:
think; cogitate; cerebrate
╚judge
╚think; believe; consider; conceive
╚see; consider; reckon; view; regard
╚respect; esteem; value; prize; prise
╚reverence, fear, revere, venerate
╚worship
╚enshrine; saint

Look up "venerate" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "venerate" at dictionary.com
...
Nice concept..THX U FRANCIS!!!!

fihanna said...

..Then..
ORAZIONE mean:
elaborate discourse, religious discourse, peroration, a speech delivered in a high-flown or pompous manner,in mystical language, form of mental elevation in which dominated the admiration, praise and gratitude by following certain formulas rituals.
Etymology:
Latin oration-, oratio speech, oration, from orare to plead, speak, pray; akin to Hittite ariya- to consult an oracle and perhaps to Greek ara prayer

Anonymous said...

This looks sexy...lol..or is it only in my mind? I see legs entwined.

Superb drawing Francis , as ever.
Cheers.

Anonymous said...

It is beautiful!

Not knowing any background to the poem, is it a prayer about worshiping a higher divine source or is to a person?

For some reason I was thinking about this over the weekend, the idea of "worshiping God." Forgive me if this sounds like blasphemy, but would not God be above such egoistical notions, possibly? It seems like the divine seeks ideas such as love and respect, not ego boosting.

So, that's what your illustration and the poem made me think about...

Ellie

SUSAN SONNEN said...

The illustration complements the verse nicely. :)

I have some catching up to do here! I hope that you are well.

Francis Scudellari said...

@Hanna I chose "worship" because it sounds better in English, and it works well in combination with the pedestal image. I also changed Oration to prayer because, in English, we tend to link oration to speech-making, especially as related to politics.

Thanks for sharing the definitions and etymology ... that's very interesting to see. Translation of poetry is definitely a challenge :).

@Jena You're definitely not crazy ... I drew it to look like legs. It fits with the rest of the poem.

@Ellie The poem is very much about another person, not a deity. Of course It's also about celebrating the divine in ourselves and those we love (very simply). I think there's much truth in what you say. Most of the contradictory and petty ideas of God are merely the projections of man's own insecurities. Thanks for sharing your thoughts :).

@Susan I'm well. I hope you're having a great time here in Chicago!

Laura Brown said...

I'd never want to be a on a pedestal. It would be too lonely. The very person who put you up there would become beneath you.

fihanna said...

Laura!
All persons seeking someone to believe in, and put on a pedestal...
God or man.
is the same

Francis Scudellari said...

@Laura I agree, but I think its a part of human nature to seek salvation in god or other. We should probably look more inside ourselves. A relationship has a better chance if the two are on an equal footing, but it's hard to keep that perspective when you're head of heels -- as we often are at the start :).