Gymnosophia LXIV - Our Aspirations Are Remote (+ptl, es, fr)

Our aspirations are remote,
the Reaper ever nearer.
The past, formative and
deep, has brought us here,
to speculate
on future
reunions.

[portunhol surenho]

Nossas aspirasones son remotas,
o Ceifador sempre mais perto.
O passado, formador y
profundo, nos trouxe aqui,
especular
em futuras
reuniones.


[español]

Nuestras aspiraciones son remotas,
el Segador cada vez más cerca.
El pasado, formativo y
profundo, nos ha traído aquí,
especular
en futuras
reuniones.


[français]

Nos aspirations sont lointaines,
le Moissonneur toujours plus près.
Le passé, formatif et
profond, nous a amené ici,
spéculer
sur des futures
réunions.

I am obsessed with writing. It isn't much different from an opioid addiction, but it is legal, and no one is profiting from me except the makers of pens, notebooks, and computers. It has become something I have to do, and I can't stop.

It will never make me rich, but sometimes there is a payback. I try to break out of a bankrupt Western culture, translating Kashmiri and Sanskrit, writing in Udugi, and then, when I write something like Gymnosophia LXIII - And Adam Rested (published today, 11 September 2018), I am forced to acknowledge the depth of my European roots and cultural heritage. I may reject much of it, but it is still there.

But writing makes things clearer. I can see where we went wrong. It was pretty close to Genesis 2:21, so it was a long time ago. This culture is based on patriarchy, machismo, and male privilege. I have rejected it and actively resisted it for forty-five years, but it sure as hell is there.

Until we get past the mistakes that the ancients made in writing about Adam and Eve, and the Garden of Eden, we can never go back to it.

Gymnosophia LXIII - And Adam Rested (+ptl, es, fr)

"inmisit ergo Dominus Deus soporem in Adam"
--Genesis 2:21

For all my sisters.


And Adam rested,
having given names
to all the creatures
the Lord had created.
Tomorrow, with an
equal companion,
as naked as he
and also unashamed,
he would begin
to give names
to the rest.

He would give names
to the things created
by mankind: shame,
clothing, jealousy,
murder, deceit,
rape, slavery,
prostitution,
torture,
greed,
and war.

But it wasn't
as we imagine.
Adam spoke neither
English, nor Latin,
nor even Hebrew.
His mouth was
full of clicks,
his skin was dark,
and he was very,
very short.
His proto-Pygmy
language has not
survived,
nor any of the words
that he created.

This much of the story
is true,
the rest distorted,
for from an X
we can make a Y
if a leg of the X
is only shortened,
but the opposite
we cannot do.

And what of Eve?
She had no need
of all those names,
but knew the use
and place
of every thing.

She made her
 partner's life
worthwhile.

[portunhol surenho]

Para todas as minhas irmanas.

Y Adam descansou
tendo dado nomes
para todas as criaturas
que o Senhor havia criado.
Amanhá, com uma
companheira igual,
tan nua quanto ele
y também sem vergonha,
ele iria comesar
dar nomes
para o resto.

Ele daria nomes
para as coisas criadas
pela humanidade: vergonha,
roupas, ciúme,
assassinato, engano,
estupro, escravitud,
prostitución,
tortura,
avidez,
y guerra.

Mas non foi
como imaginamos.
Adán non falou
inglês, nem latim,
nem mesmo hebraico.
Sua boca estava
cheia de cliques
sua pele estava escura
y ele era muito,
muito curto.
Seu proto-pigmeu
idioma non tem
sobrevivido,
nem qualquera das palavras
que ele criou.

Esta parte da historia
é verdade,
o resto distorcido,
porque de um X
nós podemos fazer um Y
se uma perna do X
só é encurtado,
mas u oposto
non podemos fazer.

Y o que de Eva?
Ela non precisava
todos essos nomes,
mas sabía o uso
y lugar
de tudo.

Ela fez que a
vida do parceiro
valgara la pena.


[español]

Para todas mis hermanas.

Y Adán descansó,
habiendo dado nombres
a todas las criaturas
que el Señor había creado.
Mañana, con una
compañera igual,
tan desnuda como él,
y también sin vergüenza,
él comenzaría
dar nombres
a los demás.

Él daría nombres
a las cosas creadas
por la humanidad: vergüenza,
ropa, celos,
asesinato, engaño,
violación, esclavitud,
prostitución,
tortura,
codicia,
y guerra.

Pero no fue
como nos imaginamos.
Adán no habló ni
inglés, ni latino,
ni siquiera hebreo.
Su boca era
llena de clics,
su piel era oscura,
y él era muy,
muy corto.
Su proto-pigmeo
idioma no ha
sobrevivido,
ni ninguna de las palabras
que él creó.

Esta parte de la historia
es verdad,
el resto distorsionado,
porque de una X
podemos hacer una Y
si una pierna de la X
solo se acorta,
pero lo opuesto
no podemos hacer.

¿Y qué hay de Eva?
Ella no tenía necesidad
de todos esos nombres,
pero sabía el uso
y lugar
de todo.

Ella hizo que
la vida del compañero
valgara la pena.


[français]

Pour toutes mes soeurs.

Et Adam se reposa,
ayant donné des noms
à toutes les créatures
que le Seigneur avait créé.
Demain, avec une
compagne égale,
aussi nue que lui
et aussi sans honte,
il commencerait
donner des noms
au reste.

Il donnerait des noms
aux choses créées
par l'humanité: honte,
vêtements, jalousie,
meurtre, tromperie,
viol, esclavage,
la prostitution,
torture,
avidité,
et la guerre.

Mais ce n'était pas
comme nous l'imaginons.
Adam n'a pas parlé
anglais, ni latin,
ni même l'hébreu.
Sa bouche était
pleine de clics,
sa peau était sombre,
et il était très,
très court.
Son proto-pygmée
langage n'a pas
survécu,
ni aucun des mots
qu'il a créé.

Cette partie de l'histoire
est vrai,
le reste déformé,
parce que d'un X
on peut faire un Y
si une jambe du X
est seulement raccourci,
mais le contraire
nous ne pouvons pas faire.

Et qu'en est-il d'Eve?
Elle n'avait pas besoin
de tous ces noms,
mais connaissait l'usage
et place
de tout.

Elle a fait
la vie du partenaire
digne d'intérêt.