LYRICS
FLOR & BLANCHEFLOR
"How does one publish
A handwritten book?"
I visited Istanbul in 2009,
And bought an empty book
At the grand bazaar.
This is a free copy of
"The original manuscript".
If you like it, print on demand:
The Finnish Cultural Foundation has
Supported the making of Lyrics.
Lyre
"Divine, divine!"
Harmony of the Spheres
Musical and poetic inspiration
7-stringed lyre
The seven sacred planets
12-stringed lyre
The zodiac
"swaz der Franzois heizt flôri,
der glast kom sînem velle bî."
(“The lustre which the French call 'fleur'
entered his complexion.”)
Excerpts from
Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival,
a roman written in the early 13th century.
(English translation by Arthur Thomas Hatto).
To Gunnar Ekelöf:
The themes of this collection vary
a roman written in the early 13th century.
(English translation by Arthur Thomas Hatto).
To Gunnar Ekelöf:
The themes of this collection vary
From religion to street lamps,
But there's an empty chair
But there's an empty chair
Around the table for you...
And there are parts in this book
That may (not) sound
Like everyman's poetry,
Verses that remind you
Of old prayers and chants.
Hopefully in the world of songs
Brot und Wein could be shared.
For the reader, I wish there's enough
Music hidden between the(se) lines.
And my sincere apologies,
If there is not.
(Not) A Young Man's Apology
Who gave me this cup of coffee
The words will be gone
If I have lost it again
Would you help me with this
If I have failed again
Or caused you any harm
If someone only had a heart like that
Son of the Highest, help me now
If nothing like that could last in here
"Take this cup away from me"
Let the words of these songs be heard
The part that was written
For the days when I'm certain
And those days when I'm not
Please help me with the mystery
Of this cup, and the question
"Who is like God?" (2010)
Forgive me, if I have hurt you
With a tongue that was bleeding
For those who were lost again
(No more) ill in the soul, (un)certainty
Where I saw someone's youth walking down
The years that fell away (2012)
"And gone are the days, gone the nights
When I lived like a God damned ghost"
And there was that fear, also
The abyss, black and terrible
For those who would fall again
With (or without) someone's youth
The words will be gone
If I have lost it again
Would you help me with this
If I have failed again
Or caused you any harm
If someone only had a heart like that
Son of the Highest, help me now
If nothing like that could last in here
"Take this cup away from me"
Let the words of these songs be heard
The part that was written
For the days when I'm certain
And those days when I'm not
Please help me with the mystery
Of this cup, and the question
"Who is like God?" (2010)
Forgive me, if I have hurt you
With a tongue that was bleeding
For those who were lost again
(No more) ill in the soul, (un)certainty
Where I saw someone's youth walking down
The years that fell away (2012)
"And gone are the days, gone the nights
When I lived like a God damned ghost"
And there was that fear, also
The abyss, black and terrible
For those who would fall again
With (or without) someone's youth
(Not) A Young Man's Apology
I STRINDBERG, HÖLDERLIN & CELAN
I STRINDBERG, HÖLDERLIN & CELAN
II TRYST
I ONE COFFEE, ONE TRYST
II LETTERS IN MAY:
"And how will you marry me..."
III AMBER CAME TO SEE US
(TO SEE IF WE'RE INTERESTED)
IV LETTERS IN MAY:
"And we're here tonight..."
V A HAVEN IN CHERBOURG
VI LETTERS IN MAY:
"Like seven years ago..."
VII THE PILGRIM / THE CRUSADER
VIII LETTERS IN MAY:
"Many of them went by..."
---- THE EARLY YEARS BEGIN ----
III PATHWAYS & THE FLOWERY MARCH
I RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE
OVERTURE (ALKUSOITTO)
II TEARS OF THE LOST ONE
III CIRCLE / STRINGS
BRUNHILD AND THE DREAMLESS
IV AMOR FATI
V A NUMBER FOR THE POET
AMFORTAS, THE FOURTH NOVEMBER
VI INTERLUDE
VII TRAUERMARSCH
PURPLE, THE HORIZON'S CELESTIAL
IV A GOOD FRIDAY SPELL
I UNDER AUTUMNAL RAIN DISTINCT.
II (POET)ASTER
III BEAUREPAIRE
IV A DECENT MAN
V SOMNOLENCE OUT
VI THE RED WINE
VII THE SHAPE
V THE SLEEPING GOLD
I A PLACE TO HIDE IN THIS CITY
II THE WARMTH
III HARD RAIN FELL
IV PARK ROMANTICISM
V IN THE CELLAR
VI NIGHT CAFÉ & CONVERSATIONS
VII ANCHORAGE
---- THE EARLY YEARS END ----
VI WHITE FLOWER
I LETTERS IN MAY:
"We've seen it grow, lately..."
II THE THIN YOUNG MEN
III LETTERS IN MAY:
"And there's nothing in this world..."
IV BLACK WINE (FROM HARER)
V LETTERS IN MAY:
"And we'll be watching elsewhere..."
VI THE BEAUTIFUL
VII LETTERS IN MAY:
"What love spells or letters have you..."
VIII WHITE FLOWER (FROM SALVAT)
VII LAST NIGHTS OF SEPTEMBER AT HAND
A Song Of Love And Friendship
Notes For The Lyrics
I ONE COFFEE, ONE TRYST
II LETTERS IN MAY:
"And how will you marry me..."
III AMBER CAME TO SEE US
(TO SEE IF WE'RE INTERESTED)
IV LETTERS IN MAY:
"And we're here tonight..."
V A HAVEN IN CHERBOURG
VI LETTERS IN MAY:
"Like seven years ago..."
VII THE PILGRIM / THE CRUSADER
VIII LETTERS IN MAY:
"Many of them went by..."
---- THE EARLY YEARS BEGIN ----
III PATHWAYS & THE FLOWERY MARCH
I RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE
OVERTURE (ALKUSOITTO)
II TEARS OF THE LOST ONE
III CIRCLE / STRINGS
BRUNHILD AND THE DREAMLESS
IV AMOR FATI
V A NUMBER FOR THE POET
AMFORTAS, THE FOURTH NOVEMBER
VI INTERLUDE
VII TRAUERMARSCH
PURPLE, THE HORIZON'S CELESTIAL
IV A GOOD FRIDAY SPELL
I UNDER AUTUMNAL RAIN DISTINCT.
II (POET)ASTER
III BEAUREPAIRE
IV A DECENT MAN
V SOMNOLENCE OUT
VI THE RED WINE
VII THE SHAPE
V THE SLEEPING GOLD
I A PLACE TO HIDE IN THIS CITY
II THE WARMTH
III HARD RAIN FELL
IV PARK ROMANTICISM
V IN THE CELLAR
VI NIGHT CAFÉ & CONVERSATIONS
VII ANCHORAGE
---- THE EARLY YEARS END ----
VI WHITE FLOWER
I LETTERS IN MAY:
"We've seen it grow, lately..."
II THE THIN YOUNG MEN
III LETTERS IN MAY:
"And there's nothing in this world..."
IV BLACK WINE (FROM HARER)
V LETTERS IN MAY:
"And we'll be watching elsewhere..."
VI THE BEAUTIFUL
VII LETTERS IN MAY:
"What love spells or letters have you..."
VIII WHITE FLOWER (FROM SALVAT)
VII LAST NIGHTS OF SEPTEMBER AT HAND
A Song Of Love And Friendship
Notes For The Lyrics
Apollo received the lyre from Hermes (Mercury). Many lyrics have references to Greek mythology, but these are not mentioned in the notes. All in all, I have used my old myth-inspired songs as a point of return to these pictures, in other words, referring to lyrics that had mythological themes, giving it a new kind of angle, and a reason to take another look at the age-old clichés. Photo by Antti Filppu, September 2009, in the Archaeological Museum(s) of Istanbul.