a garland of freshly cut tears?

[sharik]

"...Ah, but who is it climbs to your picture with a garland of freshly cut tears?"
nice one isn't it... ive liked this line for 15 years and yet .. why?
what does it mean to you in your minds eye?

ill give it a little try :
freshly cut -- new tears , maybe suppressed-- unfully manifeted...not fully understood sadness/laughter yet it is offered like so many gifts we give..
a garland of tears ... how can it be..? only in a pictures ...but is it a specific picture he's talkning about?

...lets see you try figuring it out...--

[Tchocolatl]

One of my favourite, Take this Waltz.

So many lovely images, so beautifully arranged.

Now in Vienna there's ten pretty women
There's a shoulder where Death comes to cry
There's a lobby with nine hundred windows
There's a tree where the doves go to die
There's a piece that was torn from the morning
And it hangs in the Gallery of Frost
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take this waltz with the clamp on its jaws
Oh I want you, I want you, I want you
On a chair with a dead magazine
In the cave at the tip of the lily
In some hallways where love's never been
On a bed where the moon has been sweating
In a cry filled with footsteps and sand
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take its broken waist in your hand

This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz
With its very own breath of brandy and Death
Dragging its tail in the sea

There's a concert hall in Vienna
Where your mouth had a thousand reviews
There's a bar where the boys have stopped talking
They've been sentenced to death by the blues
Ah, but who is it climbs to your picture
With a garland of freshly cut tears?
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take this waltz it's been dying for years

There's an attic where children are playing
Where I've got to lie down with you soon
In a dream of Hungarian lanterns
In the mist of some sweet afternoon
And I'll see what you've chained to your sorrow
All your sheep and your lilies of snow
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
With its "I'll never forget you, you know!"

This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz ...

And I'll dance with you in Vienna
I'll be wearing a river's disguise
The hyacinth wild on my shoulder,
My mouth on the dew of your thighs
And I'll bury my soul in a scrapbook,
With the photographs there, and the moss
And I'll yield to the flood of your beauty
My cheap violin and my cross
And you'll carry me down on your dancing
To the pools that you lift on your wrist
Oh my love, Oh my love
Take this waltz, take this waltz
It's yours now. It's all that there is

My try Sharik :

Who cares for you to such an extreme?

[Carmen Palomino]

Federico García Lorca: Pequeño Vals Vienés , from the book "Poeta en Nueva York" (1930)

En Viena hay diez muchachas,
un hombro donde solloza la muerte
y un bosque de palomas disecadas.
Hay un fragmento de la mañana
en el museo de la escarcha.
Hay un salón con mil ventanas.


¡Ay, ay, ay, ay!
Toma este vals con la boca cerrada.


Este vals, este vals, este vals, este vals,
de sí, de muerte y de coñac
que moja su cola en el mar.


Te quiero, te quiero, te quiero,
con la butaca y el libro muerto,
por el melancólico pasillo,
en el oscuro desván del lirio,
en nuestra cama de la luna
y en la danza que sueña la tortuga.


¡Ay, ay, ay, ay!
Toma este vals de quebrada cintura.


En Viena hay cuatro espejos
donde juegan tu boca y los ecos.
Hay una muerte para piano
que pinta de azul a los muchachos.
Hay mendigos por los tejados,
hay frescas guirnaldas de llanto.


¡Ay, ay, ay, ay!
Toma este vals que se muere en mis brazos.


Porque te quiero, te quiero, amor mío,
en el desván donde juegan los niños,
soñando viejas luces de Hungría
por los rumores de la tarde tibia,
viendo ovejas y lirios de nieve
por el silencio oscuro de tu frente.


¡Ay, ay, ay, ay!
Toma este vals, este vals del "Te quiero siempre".


En Viena bailaré contigo
con un disfraz que tenga
cabeza de río.
¡Mira qué orillas tengo de jacintos!
Dejaré mi boca entre tus piernas,
mi alma en fotografías y azucenas,
y en las ondas oscuras de tu andar
quiero, amor mío, amor mío, dejar,
violín y sepulcro, las cintas del vals.

[TipperaryAnn]

Surprised to see so few responses to this. Those who love to interpret LC lyrics must be all worn out from interpreting!
Leonard likes to overturn expectations; "freshly cut flowers" would be expected here, a bouquet laid as a tribute before the picture of the beloved. But in typical LC form love and tears are inseparable, and having climbed laboriously to the altar of the beloved he lays newly shed tears, not flowers, before her. Beautiful phrase, beautiful song...

[lightasabreeze]

I thought there might be some more comments on those words.
I think those are beautiful words, - freshly cut tears - only a special poet could conjure up words like that.

[sharik]

ya.. i also thought more comments would be a - coming.
thanks for the spanish verses-- i remember going to a library and being really excited about finding lorcas translated works..
"
hay frescas guirnaldas de llanto.
" -- these are the lines in question - but my spanish isnt good enough to figure out any new realization about it..

my favorite line in spanish is --

en nuestra cama de la luna
y en la danza que sueña la tortuga.

i found an english translation online -
it is interesting to compare between leonards take and this one.

Little Viennese Waltz ---( unknown translator)

In Vienna there are ten little girls
a shoulder for death to cry on
and a forest of dried pigeons.
There is a fragment of tomorrow
in the museum of winter frost.
There is a thousand-windowed dance hall.

Ay, ay, ay, ay!
Take this close-mouthed waltz.

Little waltz, little waltz, little waltz,
of itself, of death, and of brandy
that dips its tail in the sea.

I love you, I love you, I love you,
with the armchair and the book of death
down the melancholy hallway,
in the iris's dark garret,
in our bed that was once the moon's bed,
and in that dance the turtle dreamed of.

Ay, ay, ay, ay!
Take this broken-waisted waltz

In Vienna there are four mirrors
in which your mouth and the echoes play.
There is a death for piano
that paints the little boys blue.
There are beggars on the roof.
There are fresh garlands of tears.

Aye, ay, ay, ay!
Take this waltz that dies in my arms.

Because I love you, I love you, my love,
in the attic where children play,
dreaming ancient lights of Hungary
through the noise, the balmy afternoon,
seeing sheep and irises of snow
through the dark silence of your forehead.

Ay, ay, ay ay!
Take this "I will always love you" waltz.

In Vienna I will dance with you
in a costume with a river's head.
See how the hyacinths line my banks!
I will leave my mouth between your legs,
my soul in photographs and lilies,
and in the dark wake of your footsteps,
my love, my love, I will have to leave
violin and grave, the waltzing ribbons.

[Steven]

Hi,

Garlands are sometimes trophy equivalents, given to racehorses and, historically, to people in athletic
competitions. They are of longstanding meaning as a reward/honorific. A garland is appropriated for that meaning
in the bible, with Proverbs, in one translation, speaking of "a garland of grace on your head." A "garland of
freshly cut tears" could indicate an "achievement" of having emotionally paid one's dues, and, ironically, coming in as
the "winner" in a competition of painfully demonstrated love. Not saying much beyond or different than what has already been said in this thread.

[TipperaryAnn]

Interesting, thanks, sharik. Having read this I appreciate Leonard's version even more.
I much prefer the "ten pretty women" to the ten little girls, the "tree where the doves go to die" to the forest of dried pigeons, and as for "I will leave my mouth between your legs" versus "my mouth on the dew of your thighs", no contest! Just as well the translator remains anonymous...

[MaryB]

"I will leave my mouth between your legs" versus "my mouth on the dew of your thighs", no contest! Just as well the translator remains anonymous...

So true! The anonymous version sounds crass, while LC's interpretation is so sensual.

[holydove]

Hi,

Garlands are sometimes trophy equivalents, given to racehorses and, historically, to people in athletic
competitions. They are of longstanding meaning as a reward/honorific. A garland is appropriated for that meaning
in the bible, with Proverbs, in one translation, speaking of "a garland of grace on your head." A "garland of
freshly cut tears" could indicate an "achievement" of having emotionally paid one's dues, and, ironically, coming in as
the "winner" in a competition of painfully demonstrated love. Not saying much beyond or different than what has already been said in this thread.

Hi Steven! I think your post certainly IS beyond & different than what's been said before! Not to mention, very interesting - I like it - thank you!!

I just wanted to add that, in India, "wedding garlands" are worn by the two people being married in the wedding ceremony, to celebrate (I presume) the happy union, new life, etc. Also, in India, garlands of flowers are offered to deities during festivities which are held in honor of certain deities, on a particular day each year; if a statue of the deity is present, the garland is placed around its neck (this would fit well with the image of "climbs to your picture", as though the picture is hung high on an altar, as a picture of the deity would be). So as usual, I'd say the "garland of tears" may have multiple implications. And whichever way you look at it, there is certainly some very poignant irony here.

This also reminds me of the lyric Leonard sang in Isle of Wight, in BOTW: ". . .I have saved all my sorrows for thee"; in another recording, I heard Leonard sing: ". . .I have broken all my sorrows on thee". So there is this occasionally recurring theme of "offering" one's sorrows to the beloved (or Beloved), which I find very interesing!

[Steven]

Hi holydove,

Thanks. Interesting about the other uses of garlands, in India, that you posted of. Yes, multiple implications.

An ultimate irony, in the context of male/female relationship dyanmics, is that tears and the like (when expressing
neediness or a disproportionate amount of caring) are often regarded as negatives, resulting in diminished romantic interest by the female. In "I'm Your Man," Leonard sings that "a man never got a woman back / Not by begging on his knees..." Same principle as wearing a "garland of freshly cut tears." Wouldn't want to be the guy in a relationship that is the exception to the rule.

Sorrows, sharing them with someone can be evidence of trust, honor and individual/mutual strength.

[holydove]

An ultimate irony, in the context of male/female relationship dyanmics, is that tears and the like (when expressing
neediness or a disproportionate amount of caring) are often regarded as negatives, resulting in diminished romantic interest by the female. In "I'm Your Man," Leonard sings that "a man never got a woman back / Not by begging on his knees..." Same principle as wearing a "garland of freshly cut tears." Wouldn't want to be the guy in a relationship that is the exception to the rule.

Sorrows, sharing them with someone can be evidence of trust, honor and individual/mutual strength.

Hi Steven,

I absolutely agree that sharing of sorrows can represent great trust & strength, & very deep intimacy; thank you for mentioning that! When I said "offering", I didn't mean something negative; I meant an offering which arises out of love/intimacy/affection (you probably understood that, but I thought I should clarify it, just in case. ..)

And tears as manifestation of excessive neediness could bring about a result which is the opposite of what the man wants, which would indeed constitute a kind of double irony. That could certainly be the reference here, but (& I could be off about this), I'm not totally sure that the tears in this lyric are associated with that kind of neediness. I think it's possible that the woman being addressed in this song/poem, is dead; so it is a loss which cannot be reversed. The main thing that gives me this impression is the line: ". . .& you'll carry me down on your dancing/ to the pools that you lift on your wrist. . ." I think the "pools" on her wrists might be pools of blood, the woman having committed suicide by slitting her wrists. The tears are "freshly cut" because he is still weeping, & will be eternally weeping,(because there is no possible resolution) so the tears will always be fresh & new. Also, the "river's disguise" might be the river between life & death (if my memory is correct, in Greek mythology, it's called the River Styx?), across which the boatman transports departed souls.

[Steven]

Hi holydove,

I understood what you meant, but clarified for others. Interesting possibilities of meaning that you brought up.

[lightasabreeze]

Interesting, thanks, sharik. Having read this I appreciate Leonard's version even more.
I much prefer the "ten pretty women" to the ten little girls, the "tree where the doves go to die" to the forest of dried pigeons, and as for "I will leave my mouth between your legs" versus "my mouth on the dew of your thighs", no contest! Just as well the translator remains anonymous...

On a similar theme, in the Foreword of The Everyman's Pocket Book on Leonard Cohen, I was amused to read the following

Cohen is the poet who wrote in "The News You Really Hate" "You fucking whore, I thought that you were really interested in music, I thought your heart was somewhat sorrowful" and later transformed and compressed the sentiment into the line
"But you don't really care for music. do you?" A great dramatic gesture and a stunning hilarious rhyme (one of hundred in Cohen's work) to "Hallelujah"

[sharik]

thanks for all your insightful remarks !!

Steven - yes -- a tear garland as 'reward' /trophy of sorrow/ victory
-- tears and victory are intertwined ---

Leonard uses this image on many occasions – like ‘Holydove’s ‘ examples
or like
in ‘Take this longing’ -- "..I'll even wear these old laurel leaves that he's shaken from his head.."

in the same song he writes --“And I'll see what you've chained to your sorrow all sheep and your lilies of snow “ -
beautiful imagery which sub-subtly depicts blind / doomed 'followers' and fragility..

its also kind of interesting that he uses “ who is it climbs to you picture ..” with a question (?)
while the original poem doesn’t have one. And the rest of the song he is descriptive or personal -- "
I'll be wearing a river's disguise”..
“Where I've got to lie down with you soon..”
“ there’s a bar”
“there’s a lobby”..