Thursday 17 November 2016

QURAN 81 (1-14)


When the sun is overthrown,
And when the stars fall,
And when the hills are moved,
And when the camels big with young are abandoned,
And when the wild beasts are herded together,
And when the seas rise,
And when souls are reunited,
And when the girl-child that was buried alive is asked;
For what sin she was slain,
And when the pages are laid open,
And when the sky is torn away,
And when Hell is lighted,
And when the garden is brought nigh,
Then every soul will know what it hath made ready.


Saturday 12 November 2016

HYMN TO PAN BY JOHN FLETCHER


SING his praises that doth keep
Our flocks from harm,
Pan, the father of our sheep;
And arm in arm
Tread we softly in a round,
Whilst the hollow neighbouring ground
Fills the music with her sound.


Pan, O great God Pan, to thee
Thus do we sing!
Thou who keepst us chaste and free
As the young spring:
Ever be thy honour spoke
From that place the morn is broke
To that place day doth unyoke!


The Oxford Book of English Verse, Oxford: Clarendon Press 1919


Friday 11 November 2016

DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?


[Enjolras:]
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

[Combeferre:]
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?

[Courfeyrac:]
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!

[All:]
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

[Feuilly:]
Will you give all you can give
So that our banner may advance
Some will fall and some will live
Will you stand up and take your chance?
The blood of the martyrs
Will water the meadows of France!

[All:]
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes


From the musical Les Misérables by Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel (French lyrics), Herbert Kretzmer (English lyrics) and James Fenton (English additional lyrics).


JERUSALEM BY WILLIAM BLAKE (1757 – 1827)


And did those feet in ancient time,
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?



Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In England's green and pleasant land.






BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD: FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH (1967)


Here’s something happening here.
What it is ain't exactly clear.
There’s a man with a gun over there.
Telling me I got to beware.
I think it's time we stop, children, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what's going down.

There's battle lines being drawn.
Nobody’s right if everybody's wrong.
Young people speaking their minds.
Getting so much resistance from behind.
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down.

What a field-day for the heat.
A thousand people in the street.
Singing songs and carrying signs.
Mostly say, hooray for our side.
It’s time we stop, hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down.

Paranoia strikes deep.
Into your life it will creep.
It starts when you're always afraid.
You step out of line, the man come and take you away.
We better stop, hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down.

Stop, hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down.
Stop, now, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down.
Stop, children, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down.