SO FAR, SO NEAR by: Christopher Cranch (1813-1892)

Ramai · April 15th, 2011, 05:16

SO FAR, SO NEAR by: Christopher Cranch (1813-1892)

Thou, so far, we grope to grasp thee--
Thou, so near, we cannot clasp thee--
Thou, so wise, our prayers grow heedless--
Thou, so loving, they are needless!

In each human soul thou shinest,
Human-best is thy divinest.
In each deed of love thou warmest;
Evil into good transformest.

Soul of all, and moving centre
Of each moment’s life we enter.
Breath of breathing--light of gladness--
Infinite antidote of sadness;--

All-preserving ether flowing
Through the worlds, yet past our knowing.
Never past our trust and loving,
Nor from thine our life removing.

Still creating, still inspiring,
Never of thy creatures tiring;
Artist of thy solar spaces;
And thy humble human faces;

Mighty glooms and splendours voicing;
In thy plastic work rejoicing;
Through benignant law connecting
Best with best--and all perfecting,

Though all human races claim thee,
Thought and language fail to name thee,
Mortal lips be dumb before thee,
Silence only may adore thee!

Enjoy.

Love,

Ramai

olmate · April 18th, 2011, 09:22

Hi Ramai,

Do you know if this prose was translated from another language? Just curious as I stumble over the second last verse each time I read it.

Something seems out of context, so I wondered if there is a translation issue or whether it is something with the reader?

Olmate

Ramai · April 18th, 2011, 13:40

Hi Don,

I don’t believe this prose was translated from another language.
In my opinion, dumb in this context is referring to mute, such as “Deaf and dumb”. However, that’s just a stab in the dark; English is my second language...

Best Regards,
Maria

GilesC · April 18th, 2011, 14:47

Looks as though it's of english source with all those "Thou" "Nor" and "Thee"

And yes, the "dumb" in the last paragraph is referring to keeping the mouth quiet...

Though all human races claim thee,
Thought and language fail to name thee,
Mortal lips be dumb before thee,
Silence only may adore thee!

Let's break it down...

Though all human races claim thee,

Although each human claims to be the Self (in the dualistic sense)

Thought and language fail to name thee,

There's no way to observe or words to encompass the whole True Self

Mortal lips be dumb before thee,

Words cannot describe the True Self

Silence only may adore thee!

Only in silence can awarness of the True Self become apparent.

That's the way I understand it anyway.

Hugs

Giles

Ramai · April 18th, 2011, 15:54

Thank you, Giles. That was a brilliant explanation, as usual

In the hope that you take pleasure in reading poetry, here is another beautiful poem by Cranch:

Enosis

Thought is deeper than all speech,
Feeling deeper than all thought:
Souls to souls can never teach
What unto themselves was taught.
We are spirits clad in veils:
Man by man was never seen:
All our deep communing fails
To remove the shadowy screen.
Heart to heart was never known:
Mind with mind did never meet:
We are columns left alone,
Of a temple once complete.
Like the stars the gem the sky,
Far apart, though seeming near,
In our light we scattered lie;
All is thus but starlight here.
What is social company
But a babbling summer stream?
What our wise philosophy
But the glancing of a dream?

Only when the Sun of Love
Melts the scattered stars of thought;
Only when we live above
What the dim-eyed world hath taught,
Only when our souls are fed
By the Fount which gave them birth,
And by inspiration led,
Which they never drew from earth,
We, like parted drops of rain,
Swelling till they meet and run,
Shall be all absorbed again,
Melting, flowing into one.

Love,
Ramai

olmate · April 19th, 2011, 09:13

Hi Maria,

I think I may have identified the issue - it is the reader. In the second last verse, it was the word "plastic" that had me intrigued and puzzled. I kept thinking of it in the modern contexts like "plastic bag". When I went and tried to identify the meaning in the circa 1800's context, it has all fallen into place.

Thanks too for the second helping of Cranch.

Nothing but the best...

Don

Ramai · April 19th, 2011, 13:18

Hi Don

Ahhh...You stirred my curiosity.
I completely missed the subtlety of the word “plastic” until now. After an hour of googleing and pondering, all I have is “Celluloid”. Am I on the right track? Help!
PS. You’re welcome
Love,
Maria

GilesC · April 19th, 2011, 14:25

A good place to look things like that up is anywhere supplying etymology...

Online Etymology Dictionary

That should make it clearer.

Thanks for the second poem, yes, I do like reading some poetry.
If you like philosophical poems and sayings etc. then look up the meditations of Marcus Aurelius...

The Internet Classics Archive | The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

olmate · April 20th, 2011, 02:23

Hi Maria,

Giles' links help provide some insight to some of the early meanings of some of these words. I like the imagery of an artist shaping, sculpting, moulding and forming.

I found this little prayer by Michael Leunig which I thought was apt.

God help us to change.
To change ourselves and to change the world.
To know the need for it.
To deal with the pain of it.
To feel the joy of it.
To undertake the journey without understanding the destination.
The art of gentle revolution.
Amen

Wishes for a wonderful, restful, safe and happy Easter break to you and your family. Nothing but the best...

Don

Ramai · April 20th, 2011, 12:51

Giles,
Thanks for the links. Now I know where to look when I need help with the true sense of a word.

Don,
Nice little prayer by our fellow Australian.
Thank you for your kind Easter wishes and I wish the same for you and yours.

Fellow Meditators,
Hope that you and your loved ones have a wonderful Easter.

Love,
Maria