"et creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam,
ad imaginem Dei creavit illum,
masculum et feminam creavit eos."
--Genesis/B'reshith 1:27
There is no part of a human
that is not holy,
and those that bring
new life
are even more so.
It is time to act
as the images of God
that we are.
Donald Jacobson Traxler
Oct. 7 2018
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Swimming in the Pool of Consciousness
Swimming in the pool of consciousness,
I seek my friend.
Our fingers touch,
and a poem is born.
Donald Jacobson Traxler
Oct. 7 2018
I seek my friend.
Our fingers touch,
and a poem is born.
Donald Jacobson Traxler
Oct. 7 2018
Saturday, October 6, 2018
A Piece of Myself
A piece of myself
was missing, the
yellowed page had an
ancient
lacuna,
hidden but
also
known.
You, Yakov,
helped me
to find it.
Donald Jacobson Traxler
Oct. 6 2018
was missing, the
yellowed page had an
ancient
lacuna,
hidden but
also
known.
You, Yakov,
helped me
to find it.
Donald Jacobson Traxler
Oct. 6 2018
My Earliest Ancestors
My earliest ancestors were
short,
dark,
and naked.
After a hundred thousand years,
I am
tall,
light,
and still naked
when I can be.
At heart,
I am a dweller
among the trees.
Donald Jacobson Traxler
Oct. 6 2018
short,
dark,
and naked.
After a hundred thousand years,
I am
tall,
light,
and still naked
when I can be.
At heart,
I am a dweller
among the trees.
Donald Jacobson Traxler
Oct. 6 2018
Countries of Passage
My ancestors started out
in Africa--
yours did, too.
Egypt,
the Fertile Crescent,
and on to Europe,
wave after wave,
for thousands of years,
The Ukraine,
Russia,
Finland,
Sweden,
Germany,
England,
Scotland,
Ireland,
North and South America.
These, who went west,
met at last
those who had gone east.
The meeting
wasn't pretty.
Sometimes we forget
that we are only
passing through.
Donald Jacobson Traxler
Oct. 6 2018
in Africa--
yours did, too.
Egypt,
the Fertile Crescent,
and on to Europe,
wave after wave,
for thousands of years,
The Ukraine,
Russia,
Finland,
Sweden,
Germany,
England,
Scotland,
Ireland,
North and South America.
These, who went west,
met at last
those who had gone east.
The meeting
wasn't pretty.
Sometimes we forget
that we are only
passing through.
Donald Jacobson Traxler
Oct. 6 2018
Friday, October 5, 2018
unelanvhi uwetsi / ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎤᏪᏥ
The Cherokee translation of Amazing Grace is much more than a hymn. It was sung on the Trail of Tears, and has been sung countless times since then, to the point where it has become a sort of Cherokee national anthem. Here it is, in Cherokee:
unelanvhi uwetsi
igaguyvheyi
hnaquotsosv wiyulose
igaguyvhonv.
aseno yiunetseyi
iyuno dulenv
talinedv tselutseli
udvne yunetsv
ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎤᏪᏥ
ᎢᎦᎫᏴᎮᏱ
ᎿᏉᏦᏒ ᏫᏳᎶᏎ
ᎢᎦᎫᏴᎰᏅ.
ᎠᏎᏃ ᏱᎤᏁᏤᏱ
ᎢᏳᏃ ᏚᎴᏅ
ᏔᎵᏁᏛ ᏤᎷᏤᎵ
ᎤᏛᏁ ᏳᏁᏨ
I'm thinking of translating it into Udugi. This will be a challenge because, first of all, the meaning is different in Cherokee. For example, the first line does not mean "amazing grace," it means "child of the Lord, or God's child." Secondly, the Udugi version has to be just as singable as the Cherokee. Wish me luck!
Here is a link to the song, with lyrics, good pronunciation, and some English:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAb4bhnQ6aI
Here is a more beautiful and fuller version, sung by Walela (Rita Coolidge and her family):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_-GBZ4UZk8
Enjoy!
unelanvhi uwetsi
igaguyvheyi
hnaquotsosv wiyulose
igaguyvhonv.
aseno yiunetseyi
iyuno dulenv
talinedv tselutseli
udvne yunetsv
ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎤᏪᏥ
ᎢᎦᎫᏴᎮᏱ
ᎿᏉᏦᏒ ᏫᏳᎶᏎ
ᎢᎦᎫᏴᎰᏅ.
ᎠᏎᏃ ᏱᎤᏁᏤᏱ
ᎢᏳᏃ ᏚᎴᏅ
ᏔᎵᏁᏛ ᏤᎷᏤᎵ
ᎤᏛᏁ ᏳᏁᏨ
I'm thinking of translating it into Udugi. This will be a challenge because, first of all, the meaning is different in Cherokee. For example, the first line does not mean "amazing grace," it means "child of the Lord, or God's child." Secondly, the Udugi version has to be just as singable as the Cherokee. Wish me luck!
Here is a link to the song, with lyrics, good pronunciation, and some English:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAb4bhnQ6aI
Here is a more beautiful and fuller version, sung by Walela (Rita Coolidge and her family):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_-GBZ4UZk8
Enjoy!
