Mycenae [ Memory Dots ] Poem by dimitrios galanis
Mycenae [ Memory Dots ]
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Kneeling to its dignity the fortress.
The great stones, once lifting the pride high up,
in ruins stay humiliated down,
cyclopean supposedly, calamities of old years,
in decay's silver under the shining sun,
golden in memory's epics, in their mighty luck.
Eyes of Hades darkly black, blind *
gazing with envy the olive groves
flourishing still, superior of the mortal's fate. *
Calligraphic eyebrow stone lonely sickle *
silent and alone watches permanently the glazing sea.
Without the head of Roar
the gemini Lintel's lions, *
stoppers seals
of primal brilliant centuries.
The boulders of the Gate!
There, strengthening the price of the memory. *
Plein of our hybris
gaping the stone royal shrouds *
in the Death's circular gardens. *
Upon the same cistern waters your idol *
beside bloody royal idols,
central figures of the great myths, *
reads the questions in his own eyes:
Blood the price of greatness!
![Mycenae [ Memory Dots ]](https://www.poemhunter.com/i/poem_image/89/43959189_poem_87.JPG)
*eyes blind = the open ports [and 'roads']of the domed
and rock-cut tombs in the area
*superior of the fate of mortals. The beautifull
olive trees live for thousands of years, superior than of mortals]
* stone sickle = a row of benches theater of the Hellenistic period
on the graves of so-called Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. '
* = the lions above the lintel of the gate are headless
* shrouds -circular gardens = grave-circles of A and B royal enclosure
after the excavations remain empty and uncovered
* those figures had painted their hands in the blood [their blooded face not in the mirror
of water tanks? ]
A marvelous poem. I wish to get lost in these words again. I have not visited the place either but your words make it so alive for our mind's eyes. Blood the price of greateness! so true. Loved the lines of olive groves. Thanks for sharing the poem Dimitrios Galanis with notes. It helped so much in understanding the poem.
I had to search through your poems list to find the English translation of this poem, but I was determined to find it. Mycenae with its double-lion gateway haunts my imagination with its grandeur, and then its fall. That is the gravitas of history, the pathos of human existence, and the doom of pride. Yopur poem's heightened language makes all of this live for me: both the grand vision of glory of those larger-than-life human builders and the tragic end of all things mortal. The opening stanza is brilliant: pride contrasted to humiliation, but still that pride was HIGH UP, maybe the wrong quest for glory but still the wonder of those humans who challenged the limitations of their humanity. That ambition to rise HIGH UP is an endemic part of our humanity, and those of us who keep our heads down will never see the vistas of those who risked everything for glory. Your poem allows me to sense that glory without facing the inevitable punishment for Hubris.
I have the privilage to face every day the sight of Mycenae, twelve kilometres is the distance from my window.I study its history and influence in history of mankind the whole of my life.I'm more than sure that our world is this one because once flourished that city and formed a new way of perception and living wich we still follow.....Thank you, dear Daniel for the eruditum scholium.
*eyes blind = the open ports [and 'roads']of the domed and rock-cut tombs in the area *superior of the fate of mortals. The beautifull olive trees live for thousands of years, superior than of mortals] * stone sickle = a row of benches theater of the Hellenistic period on the graves of so-called Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. ' * = the lions above the lintel of the gate are headless * shrouds -circular gardens = grave-circles of A and B royal enclosure after the excavations remain empty and uncovered * thyestean...= Thyestes, the Atreus, Clytemnestra, Aigisthos had painted their hands in the blood [their blooded face not in the mirror of water tanks? ]
Though I have never visited Mycene but I can see it through the lovely poem that gave me Dimitrios Galanis' eyes for a few minutes to read this wonderful poem.
Another great work Dimitrios. I really like the imagery you used. The first line caught me right off. Kneeling to its dignity the fortress. I loved how you described the olive trees as superior to the mortal's fate. No man, nor anything man made, is forever, especially since we are so destructive. Thanks for sharing.
I would like to know whether you have ever visited Mycene, the place where started our modern civilization.I do live near by, some 15 chilometers
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/1/2024 4:33:59 PM # 1.0.0.1119
These here are comments on the poem. *eyes blind = the open ports [and 'roads']of the domed and rock-cut tombs in the area *superior of the fate of mortals. The beautifull olive trees live for thousands of years, superior than of mortals] * stone sickle = a row of benches theater of the Hellenistic period on the graves of so-called Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. ' * = the lions above the lintel of the gate are headless * shrouds -circular gardens = grave-circles of A and B royal enclosure after the excavations remain empty and uncovered * thyestean...= Thyestes, the Atreus, Clytemnestra, Aigisthos had painted their hands in the blood [their blooded face not in the mirror of water tanks? ]