I should have mentioned that too the Doctor 'died' last night, murdered,
shot while regenerating, and was even cremated.
On a different, but not entirely dissimilar note, I hadn't come across this
beautiful little 4th century (A.D.) Greek poem before. It's a lament for the
passing of the Classical gods. The translation is by Andrew Foreman.
*Non habebis deos alienos*
Εἴπατε τῷ βασιλῆι·
χαμαὶ πέσε δαίδαλος αὐλά·
οὐκέτι Φοῖβος ἔχει
καλύβαν, ὀυ μάντιδα δάφνην,
οὐ παγὰν λαλέουσαν·
ἀπέσβετο καὶ λάλον ὕδωρ.
The Old Gods are Dead (anon)
Go break the news to the King:
The high court is fallen, its plumage melted.
No dwelling left for Apollo,
No prophecy left in his darling Laurel
No heathenly prattle of fountains
For even the chattering waters have been dumbed dry.
On 24 April 2011 08:28, David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dr Who returned to British tv last night. The familiar theme was there: the
> human-looking figure from above, who dies but returns from death, the only
> one of his kind, whose mission is to save the human race, who suffers for
> our sake, and is (traditionally) celibate. While amidst the make-believe, or
> should I say the regeneration of myth, smoking from the Doctor's sleeves
> like a chasuble, there was the desolation of a real and absolute death: a
> leading actress from the cast (the 'family' they call themselves) who had
> died a few days before aged 63. Who died into the darkness of Easter
> Saturday. Who will live on, in memories, in images on the screen.
>
> It reminded me of something but I can't think what. The moving finger
> writes, then writes again.
>
> --
> David Joseph Bircumshaw
> Website and A Chide's Alphabet
> http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
> The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/david.bircumshaw
> twitter: http://twitter.com/bucketshave
> blog: http://groggydays.blogspot.com/
>
--
David Joseph Bircumshaw
Website and A Chide's Alphabet
http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/david.bircumshaw
twitter: http://twitter.com/bucketshave
blog: http://groggydays.blogspot.com/
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