Epiphany Project - The Poet and the Revolution
Songlist:
Bolore Kes
The Poet and the Revolution
Abigail
New Jerusalem
Velocity
Awaken (the Birds)
Black Garden
Papillon
Eyes of God
Das Mädchen
BOLORE KES (Armenian)
By the Armenian poet Yegishe Charents (1897 – 1937)
Ինչքան որ հուր կա իմ սրտում—բոլորը քեզ,
Ինչքան կրակ ու վառ խնդում—բոլորը քեզ.—
Բոլո՜րը տամ ու նվիրեմ, ինձ ո՛չ մի հուր թող չմնա՝
Դո՜ւ չմրսես ձմռան ցրտում,—բոլո՜րը քեզ…
As much fire as there is in my heart — all of it for you
All the intensity of the fire that is smiling there — all of it for you
I give as a gift, for me not even a shred
just as long as you do not feel the cold – all of that for you
THE POET AND THE REVOLUTION
Inspired by words from the Chinese philosopher LaoTsu
“All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them.”
As he walks down the street to the square
All the ones who believe him are there
And they call from the doors to the keeper of truth
And they yell from the windows and lean from the roof
And they know that words of the poet,
The soul of the movement’s alive
People shout and sing
The revolution’s blooming
Everywhere they rise to freedom
And they follow him, follow him, follow him
He turns around to lead them and he
Follows them, follows them, following him.
ABIGAIL
Words from the letters of Abigail Adams and John Adams between the years 1775 and 76
I will follow you
Tracing the maps as you go
To the battle
Or the gallows
The rocks in the fields where I wait…
To talk with you
Ships in the harbor now
Watching the fires from the hill
Drums beat since morning
All in shadow
The thought of this great revolution
Is fraught… for you
Write to me everything as I write you
Tell me this war will bring something good
I would that will remember the women
Let us be free
Tell me everything
I long to hear you declare independency
Yesterday it was decided so
Are you aware of the toil and blood to be spilled?
But I can see rays of light and glory
I greatly rejoice at the spirit arising
I believe that our cause will prevail
If we’re defeated we shall not be conquered
But learn by defeat to be invincible
How many times have I read every letter?
I want you to tell me you’re coming home
Your father is well and the children are calling you
Heaven preserve and return you to me
I can see waves of light and glory
I am your faithful friend
Your ever faithful friend
I shall come home ‘fore long
To see your face again
To hear that you are well
To tell me everything
And have you in my arms
And lay with you again
I am forever yours
I am your faithful friend
Your ever faithful friend
I am your faithful friend.
NEW JERUSALEM
Words by Bet Williams
Take me to
A new Jerusalem
Take me to a new Jerusalem
Jerusalem
One where the walls come tumbling down
One where nobody’s keeping nobody down
One where the human heart beat beats as one
Take me to a new Jerusalem
Take me to a new Jerusalem
Jerusalem.
VELOCITY
Words by Bet Williams inspired by the words and work of Albert Einstein
In the intro are bits of recorded speeches of Albert
“We are concerned not merely with the technical problem of securing and maintaining peace but also with the important task of education and enlightenment.” – A. Einstein.
“that have been incapable of getting rid of the mentality created by war. It is impossible to achieve peace as long as every single action is taken with a poss of a future conflict in view.”
He envisioned a universe where gravity was not a force but a geometric property of curved spacetime, warped around massive objects. Einstein famously called this "the happiest thought of my life.”
Matter tells space time how to curve
And curved space time
Tells matter how to move
How to curve
Where to fold
How to turn
Earth distorts space and time
Pulls the universe behind
In a great free fall
Geodetic results
From the large to the small
It’s all molecular
Velocity
You are not lost to me
This could be my happiest thought
This could be eternity
It is not lost on me
Present, past and future all are not
Our bodies move through space and time and touch
The force of gravity
Is acting instantaneously
Is a force we don’t see
Between one, one two, two three, three four
Dimensions more
Velocity
You are not lost to me
This could be my happiest thought
This could mean eternity
It is not lost on me
Present, past and future all are not
Our bodies move through space and time and touch
Speed of Light…
AWAKEN (The Birds) (Greek)
Words taken from “The Birds” the play by Aristphanes circa 600 BC
Awaken
See the world remade
See the birds reborn
eetaw teys hawday ton aman homopteyren
Oh Birds of fellow feather come
naymastay feela meeria kreethotragon spermolagon taygayna
Come you birds who graze who feed
tahay p’tomena maltaken h’yen tayeren
over the farmer’s fresh sown fields
Barley eating tribes in thousands come
How far you rise
How far you fall
Only the birds
Fly
feela metalkeyonesee potaiytayees
Come birds who soar upon the sea
ponta gar entade feela throeeezomen
Come and see the world remade
Oh-you-non tama ooh dayron (tayren or tayeren)
Come and see the birds reborn
BLACK GARDEN
Written for the people of Karabagh and all who have loved this land
In the mist on the hill
In the valley of green
In the warmth of the sun I found you
In the sweet yellow grass
By the river Arax
There's a mystery, it surrounds you
From the Caspian Sea
To the Mediterranean
I can feel it running inside me
I have fallen
Dodged the bullets
Crossed the rivers
Watched the borders change before us
All around our mountain forest
Ah Karabagh
Lernerjin
Du Mer Artsakh
Ah Karabagh
Du mer Artsakh
Tell me what do you say
When you call out her name
Does her beauty the same astound you
Tell me what do you see
When you look in my eyes
I am the enemy who confounds you?
From the River Aras
To the mighty Tigris
I can feel it running inside me
We have loved her
We have lost too much to ever
Let the borders change again
All around our mountain garden
Ah Karabagh
Ah Karabagh
Du mer Artsakh
PAPILLON
Inspired by the book “Papillon”
And then in the dark
You laid down your body
You laid down your burden
Your fractured life
A voice became clear
Let me carry your darkness
Let me carry the black dogs
From the prison gate
It was the summer of your life
A sudden turn into the light
Your soul entwined in his
Cascading through the city night
Oh Papillon I’m hanging on
Over the rocks and cliffs I call
Now count to seven take the leap
Hold on tight and fall…
Crashing hard into the breakers
Rising from the waves to take her
Grasping for the first time what it means to feel
Freedom, freedom, freedom
Or death
And is there a difference?
And would you even know
Cause when he’s not here
Why would the world keep turning?
How will the sun keep burning?
How will it be enough?
How will it be?
EYES OF GOD
Looking in the eyes of God
Searching in the eyes of God
Looking for the one who sees you as you are
Only in the eyes of God
Only in the eyes of God
Only in the eyes of God
Searching for the one who sees you as you are
Only in the eyes of God
Falling through the hands of one
Falling to the sands alone
Searching for the one who sees you as you are
Falling in the light
Only in the eyes of God
Only in the eyes of God
Searching for the one who sees you as you are
Only in the eyes of God
DAS MÄDCHEN
Words by Wiebke Zollmann
Der Mutter brach der Rücken
Die Tochter krümmt sich unter ihrer Last
Sie deckt den Tisch für andere, geht hungrig fort
Den Magen voller Steine schluckt sie Luft, wird federleicht
Der Wind weht starker
Die Tage werden grau
Die Dämmerung verfrüht
Sie friert, hustet, zittert
Wie Espenlaub hält sie dem Wind nicht stand
Mir fehlt die Haut zur Welt, sie prasselt auf mich ein
Der Regen fällt ins Fleisch, gefriert, ich taumle immer mehr
Das Eis trägt nicht
Das Eis bricht unter mir
Die Zehen im Eis
Die Füße sind taub
Im Schneesturm hält ein Wagen
Im Irrenhaus sagt Vater: Du bleibst hier
Er raucht, die Hände zittern und die Asche fällt
Ich stehe aufrecht hör ihn nicht, ich falle aus der Welt
ich falle aus der Welt
ich falle aus der Welt
ich falle aus der Welt