Randolph Healy's posting of his wonderful "Sacrament as Charm"
(thank you!) has inspired me to suggest that the list collaborate
on a verse garland for Doug, to be sent to Alice (Notley), ideally
by early Thursday. (A memorial service for family and friends is
planned for that evening at the Institut Britannique in Paris, and
Peter Riley will be attending and presenting all the Brit-Po posts
in tribute to Doug.)
I'm going to follow up Randolph's octet with my translation of
the Anglo-Saxon metrical charm against a swarm of bees, which Doug
professed to find "charming" when I sent it to him last year. If
other listees would like to post something (on bees or not) of their
own--or a piece by Doug himself that may be special to them--please
do so by tomorrow evening (say, 6:00 EDT), to allow me enough time
to put the "garland" together and e-mail it to Alice before 7:30pm
(Paris time) on Thurs. Thanks very much--Candice
THE SACRAMENT AS CHARM
When she lifted the hive she discovered
a chapel made by the bees from honeycombs.
The windows, walls, roof and tower
all stood exact in golden miniature.
When she opened the little door she saw
that inside they had set up an altar
for the communion which, to cure them
of a plague, she had hid in their hive.
--Randolph Healy
ANGLO-SAXON CHARM FOR A SWARM OF BEES
Take up earth in your right hand,
cast it under your right foot,
and say:
I catch it under foot, I have found it.
Look! Earth has power against all creatures,
against malice and against neglect,
and against the mighty tongue of man.
Then cast sand over them, when they swarm,
and say:
Settle down, victory-women, down to earth!
Never be wild or fly into the woods.
Always be as mindful of my good
as any man be of hearth and home.
--trans. Candice Ward
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