We finished chapter 1 of book 3, and have started with chapter 2 of book 3, reading till
"... allo misto posto .... " (430.10)
Shaun, who was bouncing in a barrel down the river Liffey, talking about his brother Shem to the 29 girls assembled on the banks, simply disappaled and vanesshed (disappeared and vanished) at the end of chapter 1.
He was just gaogaogaone! (gone!) And the night fell. And the stellas were shinings. And the earthnight strewed aromatose. (The stars were shining. The night strewed fragrance.) According to McHugh (Annotations to Finnegans Wake), Joyce was inspired for this passage by the aria, 'E lucean le stelle e ollezzava la terra...' sung by the painter Cavaradossi just before his execution by the soldiers of Scarpia in Giacomo Puccini's opera, Tosca. Listen to Jonas Kaufmann singing the aria - an unforgettable experience - here, and read the lyrics in English translation and in original Italian here.
Though Shaun is supposed to have been gaogaogaone at the end of chapter 1, he is back as Jaunty Jaun as chapter 2 starts. He has started walking down the road, and has stopped at the weir by Lazar's Walk to loosen his heavy shoes. He is propped up against a warden of the peace, one comestabulish Sigurdsen (constable Sigurdsen), who looks like he has been buried upright like the Osbornes (don't know who these are!), a result of having finished on his own a bottle (monopolized bottle). It is then he sees the 29 girls (hedge daughters) once again, who are keeping time with their 58 pedalettes.
Who are these 29 girls? One interpretation is that they are Shaun's sister Issy and her 28 classmates from St. Brigid's School. They also interpreted to represent one day each of the month February + 1 for the leap year. Why February? Because February 1st is the feast day of St. Brigid! Why St. Brigid? Because she is one of the patron saints of Ireland!
"... allo misto posto .... " (430.10)
Shaun, who was bouncing in a barrel down the river Liffey, talking about his brother Shem to the 29 girls assembled on the banks, simply disappaled and vanesshed (disappeared and vanished) at the end of chapter 1.
He was just gaogaogaone! (gone!) And the night fell. And the stellas were shinings. And the earthnight strewed aromatose. (The stars were shining. The night strewed fragrance.) According to McHugh (Annotations to Finnegans Wake), Joyce was inspired for this passage by the aria, 'E lucean le stelle e ollezzava la terra...' sung by the painter Cavaradossi just before his execution by the soldiers of Scarpia in Giacomo Puccini's opera, Tosca. Listen to Jonas Kaufmann singing the aria - an unforgettable experience - here, and read the lyrics in English translation and in original Italian here.
Though Shaun is supposed to have been gaogaogaone at the end of chapter 1, he is back as Jaunty Jaun as chapter 2 starts. He has started walking down the road, and has stopped at the weir by Lazar's Walk to loosen his heavy shoes. He is propped up against a warden of the peace, one comestabulish Sigurdsen (constable Sigurdsen), who looks like he has been buried upright like the Osbornes (don't know who these are!), a result of having finished on his own a bottle (monopolized bottle). It is then he sees the 29 girls (hedge daughters) once again, who are keeping time with their 58 pedalettes.
Who are these 29 girls? One interpretation is that they are Shaun's sister Issy and her 28 classmates from St. Brigid's School. They also interpreted to represent one day each of the month February + 1 for the leap year. Why February? Because February 1st is the feast day of St. Brigid! Why St. Brigid? Because she is one of the patron saints of Ireland!
No comments:
Post a Comment