charge d'âme

La solitude est l’aphrodisiaque de l’esprit, comme la conversation celui de l’intelligence. (Le crépuscule des pensées)

Cold Commemorative

'Umbra ta, lovindu-se de ziduri,

iar se sparge-n cioburi colorate.

Oh, de-aceea m-ai zărit în stradă

adunând pierdutele-i pătrate.

Şi s-o fac la loc, în ceasul nopţii,

peste geamuri ţi le-aşez cu grijă,

verzi, albastre, galbene şi roşii,

încoifate-n creştet cu o sprijă.'

(

Nichita Stănescu - Vitraliu )

Iff

'While the meaning of artefacts is subjective and even their existence, as I have pointed out, is subject to selection and pressure, it does seem that up to a certain extent they act as independent witnesses. We can read many meanings into a text but, to a certain extent, a spade is a spade. Either a civilization developed a steam engine or it did not. Therefore, the archaeological record is to a certain extent uncontaminated by the grosser swings of theoretical fashion. '

Ignotum per æque ignotum

'Out of the stories of Greek myth modern poets and painters have constructed new “classical” worlds, not, however, really classical, but transmuted in their crucibles and tempered into romanticism. In spirit, if not in letter, the legends told and painted by the new artists are as unlike the old, as the Arcadia of the Renaissance is unlike the Arcadia of geography. But it is from the new vessels that we drink in our early childhood. By the time we can read Greek literature for ourselves, our imaginations are dyed with romantic colours; the poetry of Homer and Euripides is laden with imported qualities; the light of antiquity comes to us through painted panes. If we do not take good heed, the impression produced by Tennyson’s Lotos Eaters, a poem trembling with modern emotion, will imperceptibly adulterate the nature of our pleasure in the passage of Homer’s Lotophagoi with the melancholy languor of the afternoon.'

fastidiosité

Quand vous me montrez l’hirondelle
Qui part jusqu’au prochain avril,
Pourquoi mon âme se meurt-elle ?
Quand vous me montrez l’hirondelle,
C’est que je pense à mon exil.

De L'échange

...De même que dans un concerto la valeur du violon ou de l'alto est provoquée, poussée à son plein exercice, par le dialogue de l'autre violon et du violoncelle. Et le mot Echange aurait plutôt dans ce drame une valeur musicale (...) Les quatre personnages sont inséparables l'un de l'autre, aucun d'eux n'a été conçu séparément, mais en fonction des autres ; par lui-même il serait difficile de savoir ce qu'il est et ce qu'il vaut. II ne vaut et il n'existe que par comparaison avec les trois autres. (...) Alors, dans ce temps artificiel que constitue l'unité classique, les quatre personnages sont ensemble et quoi qu'ils fassent, ils ne peuvent pas éviter d'être ensemble pendant la courte durée du lever du soleil à son coucher, où ils sont réunis. Ce que leur tempérament les obligerait à faire, ils sont emprisonnés, pour ainsi dire, dans la nécessité dramatique, c'est là l'intérêt de la pièce justement. Une idée que j'ai développée plus tard, c'est que dans l'histoire, aussi bien dans l'histoire réelle que dans l'histoire fictive, les personnages sont provoqués par la situation ; ce n'est pas une situation qu'il s'agit de développer au moyen de personnages, ce n'est pas des personnages qui trouvent leur illustration dans une situation, comme c'est le cas dans Shakespeare, c'est une situation donnée comme dans nos classiques qui provoque les personnages eux-mêmes.

Immanens

"Informaţiile - scrie Nicolae Manolescu - şi declaraţiile turnătorilor - în majoritate, scriitori - sunt de o bogăţie - dacă nu şi de o calitate - literară remarcabilă. Ele nu se mai fac vinovate de realismul plat al notelor informative. Sunt pătrunse de emoţie, sincere, pătimaşe uneori şi îndeajuns de transparente de obicei spre a lăsa să se vadă, întregi, invidia sau ura cu care au fost aşternute pe hârtie."

Humpty

Alice felt that in that case she really ought to listen to it, so she sat down, and said `Thank you' rather sadly.

`In winter, when the fields are white,
I sing this song for your delight --

only I don't sing it,' he added, as an explanation.

`I see you don't,' said Alice.

`If you can see whether I'm singing or not, you're sharper eyes than most.' Humpty Dumpty remarked severely. Alice was silent.

`In spring, when woods are getting green,
I'll try and tell you what I mean.'

`Thank you very much,' said Alice.

`In summer, when the days are long,
Perhaps you'll understand the song:

In autumn, when the leaves are brown,
Take pen and ink, and write it down.'

`I will, if I can remember it so long,' said Alice.

`You needn't go on making remarks like that,' Humpty Dumpty said: `they're not sensible, and they put me out.'

`I sent a message to the fish:
I told them "This is what I wish."

The little fishes of the sea,
They sent an answer back to me.

The little fishes' answer was
"We cannot do it, Sir, because -- "'

`I'm afraid I don't quite understand,' said Alice.

`It gets easier further on,' Humpty Dumpty replied.