Poets' Corner

Here is an image of a stamp featuring a profile portrait of Icelandic poet and natural scientist Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807-1845), designed by Stefán Jónsson after a sketch (1845) by Déssington, engraved and printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co., Ltd., and issued by Iceland on November 15, 1957 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the poet's birth, Scott No. 308, Facit No. 356, plus an image of the original sketch and a sample of Hallgrímsson's poetry in translation.

- nethryk



Einbúinn (The Solitary)

Over scarp, over fen,
over gully and glen
I have gone on the feet of the breeze,
ever meaning to find
an abode for my mind
in the mountains and valleys and seas.

But I found not a one,
all the places were gone,
they were packed with the living and dead.
Now I live all alone
in a lodge of my own
where the licking flames are red.

- Jónas Hallgrímsson

Suryamall Mishran (1815-63), a member of the Hindu Charan caste, was a court poet from Bundi, Rajasthan, India who knew six languages and was a scholar of grammar, logic, history and politics. Here is an image of a stamp depicting Suryamall Mishran, printed by photogravure, and issued by India on October 19, 1990 to commemorate the 175th anniversary of his birth, Scott No. 1331, plus a sample of Mishran's poetry, which often glorified local heroes.

- nethryk



The boars lay waste the greenery, the elephants muddle the lake,
While the lion is lost in his lioness' love oblivious of the stake
Don't be called now Simhas [lions], O Thakurs [lords], while alien mercy you seek
Only those whose paws fell the elephants, are worth the name, not the meek.

--Suryamall Mishran

Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805) was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Schiller, designed by Czech artist Karel Svolinsky (1896-1986), engraved by Jindra Schmidt, and issued by Czechoslovakia on October 27, 1955, Scott No. 724, SG No. 900, plus a photo of a 1793/94 painting of Schiller, and a translation of his poem "Archimedes."

- nethryk




Archimedes

To Archimedes once a scholar came,
"Teach me," he said, "the art that won thy fame;--
The godlike art which gives such boons to toil,
And showers such fruit upon thy native soil;--
The godlike art that girt the town when all
Rome's vengeance burst in thunder on the wall!"
"Thou call'st art godlike--it is so, in truth,
And was," replied the master to the youth,
"Ere yet its secrets were applied to use--
Ere yet it served beleaguered Syracuse:--
Ask'st thou from art, but what the art is worth?
The fruit?--for fruit go cultivate the earth.--
He who the goddess would aspire unto,
Must not the goddess as the woman woo!"

- Friedrich Schiller

Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga (1533-1594) was a Spanish nobleman, soldier and epic poet. While in Chile (1556–63) he fought against the Araucanians, and there he began the epic poem La Araucana, considered the greatest Spanish historical poem. It tells of the courageous insurrection of the Araucanians and also relates the history of Chile and of contemporary Spain. Here is an image of an engraved stamp featuring a portrait of Alonso de Ercilla, issued by Chile on March 20, 1972 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the publication of La Araucana, plus an image of a painting of the soldier-poet by El Greco (1541-1614).

- nethryk

Narsinha Mehta (1414? – 1481?) was an Indian poet-saint from Gujarat known as a bhakta, an exponent of Vaishnava poetry. He is especially revered in Gujarati literature, where he is acclaimed as its Adi Kavi (Sanskrit for "first among poets"). Here is an image of a stamp depicting Narsinha Mehta, printed by photogravure, and issued by India on May 30, 1967, Scott No. 451, plus an image of a similar painting of the poet holding what appear to be tambourines, and a translation of his bhajan, Vaishnav Jan To (about the life, ideals and mentality of a follower of Vishnu), which was Mahatma Gandhi's favorite.

- nethryk



Vaishnav Jan To

He who understands the pain of others is one of God's own.
Helping others in sorrow does not reduce his humility.

This person respects all people in the world, and does not condemn or criticize anyone.
He is pure in speech, deed and thought. His mother is blessed indeed!

He is equanimous and has given up all desires. To him, other women are [equivalent to] mothers.
He never speaks the untruth, not even if his tongue is tired. He does not covet others' wealth.

Delusion and attachment do not affect him, his mind is firm in detachment.
He is ever engrossed in God's name and meditation, and he embodies all places of pilgrimage.

Such a person has no greed and deceit. He has overcome lust and anger.
Narsi says: Such a person is worthy of worship, and alone elevates his entire race.

- Narsinha Mehta

Fuzuli (c. 1483-1556) was the pen name of the Azeri-Turkish poet Muhammad bin Suleyman Oglu. He is considered one of the greatest contributors to the Dîvân tradition of Azerbaijani literature. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Fuzuli, designed by L. Kerimov, printed by photogravure, and issued by Russia (USSR) on December 23, 1958, Scott No. 2155, Zagorski No. 2176, plus another image of Fuzuli, and an excerpt from his poem Leyli And Mejnun.

- nethryk



From Leyli And Mejnun

Yield not the soul to pang of Love, for Love's the soul's fierce glow;
That Love's the torment of the soul doth all the wide world know.
Seek not for gain from fancy wild of pang of Love at all;
For all that comes from fancy wild of Love's pang is grief's throe.
Each curving eyebrow is a blood-stained saber thee to slay;
Each dusky curl, a deadly venomed snake to work thee woe.
Lovely, indeed, the forms of moon-like maidens are to see---
Lovely to see, but ah! the end doth bitter anguish show.
From this I know full well that torment dire in love abides,
That all who lovers are, engrossed with sighs, rove to and fro.
Call not to mind the pupils of the black-eyed damsels bright,
With thought, "I'm man"; be not deceived, 'tis blood they drink, I trow.
E'en if Fuzuli should declare, "In fair ones there is troth,"
Be not deceived--- "A poet's words are falsehoods all men know."

---Fuzuli

José Bartolomé Hidalgo (1788-1822) was a Uruguayan poet who wrote both patriotic and folk-flavored "gauchoesque" works. Gaucho literature was a literary movement purporting to use the language of the gauchos, comparable to the American cowboy, and reflecting their mentality. In homage to Hidalgo, in Uruguay August 24 is designated as "National Payador (gaucho minstrel) Day." Here is an image of a stamp honoring Bartolomé Hidalgo, designed by Uruguayan artist Angel Medina, printed by lithogravure, and issued by Uruguay on April 28, 1972 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the poet's death, Scott No. 820, plus a photo of the monument to Hidalgo in Montevideo, and a link to a YouTube video featuring a brief musical rendition by Camino y Canto of passages from Hidalgo's patriotic poem Cielito de la Independencia (music begins at 1:45).

- nethryk



Cielito de la Independencia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcozoI1i2VU

Saint-John Perse (pseudonym of Alexis Leger, 1887–1975) was a French poet and diplomat, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1960 "for the soaring flight and evocative imagery of his poetry." Here is an image of a semi-postal stamp featuring a portrait of Perse, designed and engraved by Marie-Noëlle Goffin, and issued by France on October 11, 1980, Scott No. B527, Y&T No. 2099, plus a photo of the poet in 1960. Also, here is a link to an online bilingual book containing some of Perse's poems, entitled Éloges (Praises) and Other Poems, translated by Louise Varèse (1890-1989):
http://archive.org/stream/logesothe.../n5/mode/2up

- nethryk

Johan Jakob Nervander (1805-1848) was a Finnish poet and physicist who invented a galvanometer to measure small electric currents. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Nervander and the Meterological Observatory in Helsinki, designed by Olavi Vepsäläinen, engraved by Birger Ekholm, and issued by Finland on February 23, 1955 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the poet-scientist's birth, Scott No. 325, Facit No. 441, plus a profile image of Nervander which may have been the model for this stamp's design. Two of Nervander's better known poems are Morgonshelsning ("A Greeting in the Morning") and Dödens vaggsång ("The Lullaby of Death"), concerning, respectively, human happiness and human sorrow.

- nethryk

Carl Jonas Love (Ludvig) Almqvist (1793-1866) was a Swedish romantic poet, novelist, early feminist, composer, social critic and traveler. Here are images of the two stamps in set featuring Almqvist and a wild rose, designed by Stig Åsberg after an 1835 portrait by Swedish artist Carl Peter Mazer (1807-1884), engraved by Czeslaw Slania, and issued by Sweden on September 26, 1966 to commemorate the centenary of the poet's death, Scott Nos. 707 & 708, Facit Nos. 585 & 586, plus a translation of a popular poem written by Almqvist, "God's War."

- nethryk



God's War

His mighty weapon drawing,
God smites the world he loves;
Thus, worthy of him growing,
She his reflection proves.
God's war like lightning striking,
The heart's deep core lays bare,
Which fair grows to his liking
Who is supremely fair.

Escapes no weakness shame,
No hid, ignoble feeling;
But when his thunder pealing
Enkindles life's deep flame,
And water clear upwelleth,
Flowing unto its goal,
God's grand cross standing, telleth
His truth unto the soul.
Sing, God's war, earth that shakes!
Sing, sing the peace he makes!

- Carl Jonas Love Almqvist

Eino Leino (1878-1926) was a Finnish poet and journalist and is considered one of the pioneers of Finnish poetry. His poems often combine modern and Finnish folk elements. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Leino and a soaring eagle, designed by Eeva Oivo, printed by lithography, and issued by Finland on July 6, 1978 to commemorate Leino's birth centenary, Scott No. 611, Facit No. 831, plus a photo of the poet and a translated excerpt from Leino's poem Hymn to Fire.

- nethryk



From Hymn to Fire

Short time's to us allotted till our urn.
Living, like furnace flames then let us burn,
High let us in the fire be ascending,
Earth stays below, the spirit's heavenward tending.

- Eino Leino

Alexander Alexandrovich Blok (1880-1921) was a Russian lyrical poet and a major poet of the Russian Symbolism style. Here is an image of an "autographed" stamp designed by G. Pikunov after a 1907 portrait of Alexander Blok by Russian artist Konstantin Andreyevich Somov (1869–1939), printed by lithography, and issued by Russia (USSR) on November 24, 1980 to commemorate the poet's birth centenary, plus an image of Somov's original portrait of Blok, and a couple of stanzas from Blok's 1918 poem entitled The Twelve.

- nethryk



From The Twelve

Black night.
White snow.
The wind, the wind!
It will not let you go. The wind, the wind!
Through God's whole world it blows

The wind is weaving
The white snow.
Brother ice peeps from below
Stumbling and tumbling
Folk slip and fall.
God pity all!

- Alexander Blok
Trans. Babette Deutsch and Avrahm Yarmolinsky

Abu Abdollah Jafar ibn Mohammad Rudaki (or Rudagi), entitled "Adam of Poets" (858- ca. 941), was a blind Persian poet, singer and instrumentalist who is regarded as the first great literary genius of Modern Persian, and is also considered a founder of Persian classical literature. Here is an image of a stamp depicting Rudaki playing a lyre, printed by photogravure, and issued by Iran on December 24, 1958 as one of a set of three stamps commemorating the 1100th anniversary of the poet's birth, Scott No. 1130, and the opening lines from Rudaki's poem Lament in Old Age.

- nethryk



From Lament in Old Age

Every tooth, ah me! has crumbled, dropped and fallen in decay!
Tooth it was not, nay say rather, 'twas a brilliant lamp's bright ray;
Each was white and silvery-flashing, pearl and coral in the light,
Glistening like the stars of morning or the raindrop sparkling bright;
Not a one remaineth to me, lost through weakness and decay,
Whose the fault?

- Rudaki, translated by A. V. William Jackson.

Petr Bezruc was the pseudonym of Vladimír Vasek (1867-1958), a Czech poet and short story writer who was associated with the region of Austrian Silesia. Here is an image of a UNESCO stamp featuring a portrait of Bezruc, designed by Czech artist Jaroslav Sváb (1906-1999), combined engraved by Bedrich Housa and photogravure, and issued by Czechoslovakia on June 21, 1967 to commemorate Bezruc's birth centenary, Scott No. 1483, plus a photo of the poet which was probably the model for this stamps' design, and a translation of "Red Flower," the first poem in Bezruc's Slezské písne (Silesian Songs) (1899–1900), one of the fundamental books of Czech poetry.

- nethryk



Red flower

Behind the dark window, in a grey pot,
a woolen and spiny cactus glowered.
One morning
a hectic calyx burst from the stalk:
a red flower.

It was our poet – who else had eyes -
who would enjoy a sweet and lovely rose.
His heroic couplet
commended the rose and arrogantly condemned
the red flower.

They are rugged souls who went to dwell
in those hills suffused by spikes and spines.
And what in their chests,
where once blossomed each day and every night
the lost red flower?

- Petr Bezruc

Sayat-Nova (born as Harutyun Sayatyan, 1712-1795), was an Armenian poet, musician and ashik (folk singer-songwriter) who had compositions in a number of languages. He was a virtuoso on the kemenche (a three-stringed instrument played upright with a bow). His adopted name Sayat-Nova meant "Master of Songs" in Persian. Here is an image of a stamp depicting Sayat-Nova writing and holding a kemenche, designed by Russian artist Vasili Vasilievich Zavialov (1906-1972), printed by photogravure, and issued by Russia (USSR) on November 17, 1962 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the poet's birth, Scott No. 2664, Zagorski No. 2680, plus an image of a painting of Sayat-Nova which may have been a model for this stamp's design. Note: Sergei Parajanov's 1968 art film masterpiece The Color of Pomegranates is a biography of Sayat-Nova's life using songs and images inspired by his poetry rather than conventional narration.

- nethryk