Oh my God! Never heard of that one to be sure. Thanks, uncle Trevor! I'll
treasure it, SAVE IT, for any future referrence and may even, in time,
attempt a translation, if only for your delectation down there on your
keltic island. I think the only Elizabethan referrence to this place we're
relatively aware of up here is the fact that someone once (1940s) put
forward the theory that Ben Jonson was probably of Icelandic origin! First
item to prove the point being the spelling of his surname (without the h). A
second point paraded before the unanimous & timeless jury was the fact that
Will Shakspear is supposed to have referred to Jonson as an "Icelandic dog",
at one point or other in their brief lives. I could never find that
particular quote, but my hope has not diminished.
Again, thanks, Trevor. I'll cherish this.
BTW. I've 'secretly' been toying with the very silly and relatively
meaningless idea of gathering an anthology of sorts of 'foreign' poetry that
at least refers to this place - that keeps nourishing me. All the way from
the Romans' ULTIMA THULE to BJÖRK COUNTRY. Any suggestions from listees
would be treasured, at least, if not revered.
Best
Árnio
--
Árni Ibsen
Stekkjarkinn 19,
220 Hafnarfjördur,
Iceland
tel.: +354-555-3991
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://www.centrum.is/~aibsen/
on 10/1/03 10:06 PM, Trevor Joyce at [log in to unmask] wrote:
> The "limits / of cosmography" were to attract Árni's interest. If you're
> listening, Árni, do you know this Elizabethan madrigal about your homeland?
>
> Thule, the period of cosmography,
> Doth vaunt of Hecla, whose sulphureous fire
> Doth melt the frozen clime and thaw the sky;
> trinacrian etna's flames ascend not higher;
> These things seem wondrous, yet more wondrous I,
> Whose heart with fear doth freeze, with love doth fry.
>
> The Andalusian merchant, that returns
> Laden with cochineal and china dishes,
> Reports in Spain how strangely Fogo burns
> Amidst an ocean full of flying fishes:
> These things seem wondrous, yet more wondrous I,
> Whose heart with fear doth freeze, with love doth fry.
>
> {T.Weelkes, Madrigals of 6 parts, 1600)
>
> Best,
>
> Trevor
