Six hundred years ago poets praised the death of celebrated poets, and the header to this page is a common expression used in their celebrations.
"Conturbat" is variously translated "disturbs," "concerns," "confounds" [this I like, since it is part of Nero Wolf's favorite expression of exasperation: "Confound it!", but I'll not use it because of its many meanings]. Of the options, I prefer the simple "frightens," and have used it.
From Wikipedia:
" A common [medieval Scottish and English] theme is death's triumph over people no matter how great or powerful a person was in life. Another common theme is the uncertainty of when one's life will end. Poets invariably pointed out that there is no guarantee that a person will live from one moment to the next, and that death could strike suddenly and without warning."
William Dunbar's Lament for the Makers [i.e., great poets of his day and recent past] is one of the best. Two stanzas (you who studied Chaucer will appreciate them):
Medieval poets are roughly contemporary with the Renaissance and Baroque periods we are concerned with, for time moved slowly in those days.
For a roughly contemporary poet's Lament ,nothing beats Alan Ginsberg's In Memorium, on the death of the poet Dylan Thomas.
Here is a fragment.
"Conturbat" is variously translated "disturbs," "concerns," "confounds" [this I like, since it is part of Nero Wolf's favorite expression of exasperation: "Confound it!", but I'll not use it because of its many meanings]. Of the options, I prefer the simple "frightens," and have used it.
From Wikipedia:
" A common [medieval Scottish and English] theme is death's triumph over people no matter how great or powerful a person was in life. Another common theme is the uncertainty of when one's life will end. Poets invariably pointed out that there is no guarantee that a person will live from one moment to the next, and that death could strike suddenly and without warning."
William Dunbar's Lament for the Makers [i.e., great poets of his day and recent past] is one of the best. Two stanzas (you who studied Chaucer will appreciate them):
The state of man does change and vary, Now sound, now sick, now blyth, now sary, 10 Now dansand mirry, now like to die:— Timor Mortis conturbat me.
| He has done petuously devour | |
| The noble Chaucer, of makaris flour, | 50 |
| The Monk of Bury, and Gower, all three:— | |
| Timor Mortis conturbat me. |
Medieval poets are roughly contemporary with the Renaissance and Baroque periods we are concerned with, for time moved slowly in those days.
For a roughly contemporary poet's Lament ,nothing beats Alan Ginsberg's In Memorium, on the death of the poet Dylan Thomas.
Here is a fragment.
They are murdering all the young men.For half a century now, every day,They have hunted them down and killed them.They are killing them now.At this minute, all over the world,They are killing the young men.They know ten thousand ways to kill them.Every year they invent new ones.In the jungles of Africa,In the marshes of Asia,In the deserts of Asia,In the slave pens of Siberia,In the slums of Europe,In the nightclubs of America,The murderers are at work.
We lack the solace that Father Abraham's invisible god had for our artistic ancestors, and also lack the dread, though Bacchus is very much with us, and will be always, if the past portends the future.Where is Ezra, that noisy man?Carol who was so beautiful, where is she?Timor mortis conturbat me.
Ginsberg's anger sustains us while we are young, and then it fails, as it did for Alan himself, toward the end of his life. Those of us for whom the last light breaking draws nearer, look for meaning and hope to sustain joy.
If any of you knows a modern poet who stands tall and speaks with power, please let me know. I love the old dead guys. I would know the new, alive ones.
