What Is Nostalgia?

Homesickness, or nostalgia, is a longing not so much for people as for the natural landscape of one's homeland: its forests, mountains and hills, rivers, lakes, the blue of its skies, its sunsets—in short, for the whole environment with which a person has grown together, and on leaving which he feels that he has left behind a part of himself.
(Antanas Maceina)

Below is a poem by Salomėja Nėris, one of Lithuania's most celebrated poets, who suffered more than perhaps any other Lithuanian intellectual from being separated from her homeland and, above all, from being accused of treason (rightly or wrongly, that is not for us to judge).

Bloodied and plundered,
You stand before my eyes...
I would walk a hundred miles on foot
Until I saw you living once again.

Whether orchards there are blossoming,
Or fruit hangs heavy on the bough,
Or yellow leaves are falling,
I shall return to you on my knees
Through rain, hard frost, and winter's cold...

Like the grass that grows in open fields,
I was nourished by the sap of my native soil...
I have kept my heart for you alone—
Glowing, living still.

I never sold you,
Nor did I betray you, my beloved!
The storm may rage, yet the forest remains...
And the heart does not lie.

(Salomėja Nėris "To My Homeland)

-------------------

Sukruvinta ir apiplėšta
Ji stovi man akyse…
Šimtus aš mylių eisiu pėsčia,
Kol gyvą pamatysiu.

Žydės ten sodai, svyros vaisiai,
Ar lapai kris pageltę,
Aš keliais į tave pareisiu
Per lietų, gruodą, šaltį…

Mane – kaip lauko žolę – girdė
Gimtosios žemės syvai…
Aš saugojau tau savo širdį –
Žėruojančią ir gyvą.

Nepardaviau tavęs aš niekad,
Neišdaviau, mieloji!
Audra praūžia, miškas lieka…
Širdis gi nemeluoja.

(Salomėja Nėris „Tėvynei“)

Comments

Poetry dwells near the divine light's breath

The comparison between poetry and divine light that we have proposed HERE finds its perfect explanation in Saint Paul, Epistle to the Romans 1:19: τ ὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσεν — “that which may be known of God has been made manifest in them (in men), for God has manifested it unto them”. Poetry unveils within the human being the need to be human, that is, the need for Beauty, the need to feel Beauty within oneself and alongside oneself; and this feeling is sustained by divine light. Since we are influenced by the Augustinian idea of saeculum , we hold that poetry belongs to the saeculum and therefore comes to a halt upon the threshold of divine light [I] without crossing it, though perceiving the light that lies beyond that threshold. We are led to that threshold by the human feeling of Beauty that dwells within us and guides us to that point: to that door which cannot be crossed in our human condition. And yet, the mere act of stan...

Similarities between Lithuanian, Sanskrit and Ancient Greek: the sigmatic future

by Fabrizio Ulivieri Lithuanian is the most archaic among all the Indo-European languages spoken today, and as a result it is very useful, indeed, indispensable in the study of Indo-European linguistics. The most important fact is that Lithuanian is not only very archaic, but still very much alive, i. e., it is spoken by about three and a half million people. It has a rich tradition in folklore, in literature, and it is used very successfully in all walks of modern life, including the most advanced scientific research. Forced by our interest for this piece of living archaism, we go deeper in our linguistic survey. One of the most noticeable similarities is the future (- sigmatic future -). Lithuanian has preserved a future tense from prehistoric times: it has one single form, e.g. kalbė-siu 'I will speak', etc. kalbė-si kalbė-s kalbė-sime kalbė-site kalbė-s This form kalbėsiu is made from the stem kalbė-(ti) 'to speak', plus the ancient stem-end...

L'ombra del dharma

Può qualcuno nascondere la verità per tutta la sua vita e ingannare sé e tutti gli altri? Vi sono demoni nell'uomo, che vengono di lontano - per linee di sangue e generazioni che, se li ascolti, si fanno tuo dharma Se cerco di spiegare quello che eri Devo l' oltre e il prima guardare Dove cause ignote e foschi criteri Erano il karma del tuo andare. Di lí andavi larvato di nulla E mai il volto sincero mostravi. Di silenzio vivevi in una bolla Eppure libero a me sembravi. In pubblico e privato ti scindevi E disprezzavi me a te non pari Ma santo mi apparivi e tu sapevi. Del tuo dharma che adesso appari Eri schiavo - di quel lontano demone Tara remota e senza memoria Che nel sangue ti seguiva epigone E segnava immemore tua la storia.

Fabrizio Ulivieri - TrendSetter

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