Christ’s robe
“Scholars have long noted that the medieval peasant could not move far from the iconography of Catholicism. . . . Just as we may recognize the difference between Coca-Cola red and Marlboro red, the medieval audience knew well that Christ’s robe was a distinct shade of red. Commercial speech is here for the same reason Christian iconography was there. It is how we sort through things.”
—James B. Twitchell, Lead Us Into Temptation: The Triumph of American Materialism, 1999.
the shining light
“The gentleman of the criminal type ground his teeth:
‘What you’re accused of and you’ve committed proves you’ve got all your wits about you.’
And now he proceeded to enumerate to Svejk a whole series of different crimes, beginning with high treason and ending with abuse of His Majesty and members of the Imperial Family. The central gem of this collection was Svejk’s approval of the murder of the Archduke Ferdinand, from which there branched out a string of fresh crimes, among which the shining light was the crime of incitement, as it had all happened in a public place.
‘What do you say to that?’ the gentleman with features of bestial cruelty asked triumphantly.
‘There’s a lot of it,’ Svejk replied innocently. ‘You can have too much of a good thing.’”
—Jaroslav Hasek (1883-1923), The Good Soldier Svejk and His Fortunes in the World War, translated from the Czech by Cecil Parrot, 1973.
Green Antony.
Black Maria.
—translators footnote from The Good Soldier Svejk and His Fortunes in the World War by Jaroslav Hasek, translated from the Czech by Cecil Parrot, 1973.
glorious times
“The clean, cosy cubicles of the regional criminal court made the most favorable impression on Svejk—the white-washed walls, the black-painted bars and the fat Mr Demartini, the chief warder for the prisoners on remand, with his purple facings and purple braid on his government-supplied cap. Purple is the colour prescribed not only here, but also at religious services on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
The glorious times of Roman rule over Jerusalem were coming back.”
—Jaroslav Hasek (1883-1923), The Good Soldier Svejk and His Fortunes in the World War, translated from the Czech by Cecil Parrot, 1973.
Jesus is here
“‘Jesus is here, and he wants
to resurrect somebody!’”
—Rumi, from The Essential Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks, 1995.
Judge a moth by the beauty of its candle
“The only way to measure a lover
is by the grandeur of the beloved.
Judge a moth by the beauty of its candle.”
—Rumi, Judge a Moth by the Beauty of Its Candle, from The Essential Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks, 1995.
We are the night ocean
“We are the night ocean filled
with glints of light. We are the space
between the fish and the moon,
while we sit here together.”
—Rumi, The Private Banquet, from The Essential Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks, 1995.
only talking
“There’s the light gold of wheat in the sun
and the gold of bread made from that wheat.
I have neither. I’m only talking about them,
as a town in the desert looks up
at stars on a clear night.”
—Rumi, Unmarked Boxes, from The Essential Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks, 1995.
the spirit tree
“Make peace with the universe. Take joy in it.
It will turn to gold. Resurrection
will be now. Every moment,
a new beauty.
And never any boredom! . . .
Sleep in the spirit tree’s peaceful shade,
and never stick your head out from that green.”
—Rumi, Green Ears, from The Essential Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks, 1995.
gifts for Solomon
“Queen Sheba loads forty mules with gold bricks
as gifts for Solomon. When her envoy and his party
reach the wide plain leading to Solomon’s palace,
they see that the top layer of the entire plain
is pure gold. They travel on gold
for forty days!
What foolishness to take gold
to Solomon, when the dirt of his land
is gold.”
—Rumi, Sheba’s Gifts To Solomon, from The Essential Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks, 1995.