On Poetry — 1: Good Gracious! Lady Lorelei

Oft it feels like being trapped in an unsettled Rhine, deemed directionless by the tempestuous voice of Lorelei

A brief introduction of Lorelei?

German legends have it that “Loreley”, as was, (after the early 20th century German spelling reform, y’s are taken for i) — a mythical lady, who after being betrayed by her sweetheart, jumped over the cliff, in the Rhine river and died and now her spirit wanders at night over the same cliff, luring and enchanting the sailors, passing by, culminating in accidents — taking their lives anon.

Good Gracious! Lady Lorelei,

To-day not lure to-day not play;

Thy enchanting verses, thy mystic voice,

Should the night come doth not rejoice;

Not to-day scatter thy golden curls,

Not ebb my boat in sudden whirls;

For my vessel is aimless,

Over the waves — reckless;

Doth not trick doth not delude,

Doth but over the cliff elude;

Spread thy gracious wings and fly,

Oh beloved a lunar high;

Fly but like the Halcyon and twine,

Thy nest on the unsettled Rhine;

Put no waves asunder,

My heart has fallen deep down under;

Lead — Oh beauty, my promise’s away,

Kill not to-day — Lady Lorelei.

• With love — Ritik P. Nayak

Afterwards: What is an Halcyon?

Halcyon is the bird of the Kingfisher family. Greek legends have it that the Halcyon when sat about weaving nests over the moving waves of the “Aegean Sea”, it had the ability to calm the waves… tempestuous however may.