Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Second Interpretation

This is a song of encouragement between comrades in arms. They both have been injured an are headed home. The one who singing has been blinded.

“Lay down,
your sweet and weary head.
Night is falling,
You have come to journeys end.

Sleep now, and dream
of the ones who came before.
They are calling,
From across a distant shore.”

The first and second verses are literal. The struggle of war is over for the injured soldiers, they are on the ship that will take them back home. It is nighttime and the blind man bids the other to rest. Don’t fret. Family and friends are waiting fro him at voyage’s end.

“Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see.
All of your fears will pass away.
Safe in my arms,
your only sleeping.”

The soldier fears the voyage home, it is exceedingly dangerous, there isn’t a thing he can do about it, and he has been away from home so long he does not know what kind of reception he will receive from his family and friends. The blind comrade is assuring the soldier that he will be fine, that the voyage will go off with out a hitch and that he’s not going to be abandoned by either his family or him.

“What can you see,
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?”

The blind soldier is asking his comrade to describe to him the ocean, asks him to be his eyes.
What is happening that the sea gulls are crying?

“Across the sea,
a pale moon rises”

This is the bland man's guess at what is happening, based on the time of day.

“The ships have come,
to carry you home.”

Again, a literal interpretation will suffice.

“And all will turn,
to silver glass.
A light on the water.
All souls pass.”


This is a description of what the blind man imagines sunset looks like: the water turns silver from reflecting light. And “All souls” is referring to all their other fellow soldiers who have to make the same voyage they are taking now to get back home.

1 comment:

  1. wow, this is very creative and i like the direction you are going with this! It seems very interesting!!! :-)

    ReplyDelete