Seeking words

Debate on Leonard Cohen's poetry (and novels), both published and unpublished. Song lyrics may also be discussed here.
Post Reply
iron_ringer
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2005 10:21 pm

Seeking words

Post by iron_ringer »

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie who just found this site as part of my search.

I'm looking for a Cohen poem that would be suitable for a wedding reading. I'm getting married this fall and would love to have a Canadian poem read - and the first name I think of when I think Canadian poetry is, of course, Leonard Cohen. Only I'm not too familiar with his poetry - so if anyone here does know and can suggest something appropriate, please let me know.

Thanks! :)
User avatar
tomsakic
Posts: 5274
Joined: Wed Jul 03, 2002 2:12 pm
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
Contact:

Post by tomsakic »

Great "wedding-poem" Slowly I married her, from 1978 book Death of a Lady's Man.

Or Dance Me To The End Of Love, song from Various Positions 1985 LP. You can find it on CDs Cohen Live, The Essential Leonard Cohen, and More Best Of Leonard Cohen. The lyrics here on this site, or in 1993 book Stranger Music.
User avatar
tomsakic
Posts: 5274
Joined: Wed Jul 03, 2002 2:12 pm
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
Contact:

Post by tomsakic »

Slowly I married her
Slowly and bitterly married her love
Married her body
in boredom and joy
Slowly I came to her
Slow and resentfully came to her bed
Came to her table
in hunger and habit
came to be fed
Slowly I married her
sanctioned by none
with nobody's blessings
in nobody's name
amid general warnings
amid general scorn
Came to her fragrance
my nostrils wide
Came to her greed
with seed for a child
Years in the coming
and years in retreat
Slowly I married her
Slowly I kneeled
And now we are wounded
so deep and so well
that no one can hurt us
except Death itself
And all through Death's dream
I move with her lips
The dream is a night
but eternal the kiss
And slowly I come to her
slowly we shed
the clothes of our doubting
and slowly we wed


This poem was adopted for screen play by Lewis Furey, and because it was sung by male and female in duet, the verses were changed so one is sung by man, another by woman. This is the version: maybe you'll find it appropriate... :wink:

Slowly I married her
Slowly and bitterly married her love
Slowly I came to her
Married her body
In boredom and joy
Slow and resentfully came to her bed
Came to her table
In hunger and habit
came to be fed
Slowly I married him
Slowly and bitterly married his love
Slowly I came to him
Married his body
In boredom and joy
Slow and resentfully came to his bed
Came to his table
in hunger and habit
came to be fed
Slowly I married you
Slowly and bitterly married your love
Slowly I came to you
Married your body
In boredom and joy
Slow and resentfully came to your bed
Came to your table
In hunger and habit
came to be fed
Slowly I married
Sanctioned by none
Slowly with nobody’s blessings
In nobody’s name
Came to her fragrance
my nostrils wide
Came to her greed
with seed for a child
It was years in the coming
and years in retreat
Slowly I married her
Slowly I kneeled
It was years in the coming
and years in retreat
Slowly I married her
Slowly I kneeled
And now we are wounded
So deep and so well
that no one can hurt us
except Death itself
And all through Death’s dream
I move with her lips
The dream is a night
but eternal the kiss
And slowly I come to her
slowly we shed
the clothes of our doubting
and slowly we wed
User avatar
linda_lakeside
Posts: 3857
Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2004 3:08 pm
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea..

Post by linda_lakeside »

Beautiful poem, Tom. If it were my wedding, I would be concerned about the number of times I heard "bitter" or "resentful" or "out of habit", not wedding night images. How about "If It Be Your Will". No? Hmmm. I like this. I'll sleep on it.

Linda.
User avatar
tomsakic
Posts: 5274
Joined: Wed Jul 03, 2002 2:12 pm
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
Contact:

Post by tomsakic »

linda_lakeside wrote:I would be concerned about the number of times I heard "bitter" or "resentful" or "out of habit", not wedding night images.
I am aware of that. But I guess they must be ready for the fact that the marriage isn't just first happy night :wink: - That's why Dance Me To The End Of Love is better choice, maybe :lol: - But this wedding poem is beautiful indeed, it's such a shame Leonard never actually set it to music as he intended.
User avatar
Tri-me
Posts: 798
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:41 pm
Location: Canada

Post by Tri-me »

Don't hate me LC fans. For the wedding scene in the script I wrote I used a poem from Rumi. It has been edited.

May this marriage be full of laughter, every day a day in paradise. May this marriage be a sign of compassion, a seal of happiness here and hereafter. May this marriage have a fair face and a good name, an omen as welcome as the moon in a clear blue sky. I am out of words to describe how spirit mingles in this marriage.

http://www.khamush.com/wedding.htm
Cheers & DLight
Tri-me (tree-mite) Sheldrön
"Doorhinge rhymes with orange" Leonard Cohen
User avatar
lizzytysh
Posts: 25531
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 8:57 pm
Location: Florida, U.S.A.

Post by lizzytysh »

Well, how about three poems? Geez. Reading these makes me want to get married :lol: .

I love the "Slowly I Married Her" idea ~ as, generally, that's how marriages do come to be [at least these days]. I'd go with that one first; then Rumi's; and then "Dance Me to the End of Love." Ahhhh. Perfect :D . Interspersed throughout the ceremony, of course.

Yes ~ Tom! What a loss to not have that one set to music. There's still time......... :D .
User avatar
Tri-me
Posts: 798
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:41 pm
Location: Canada

Post by Tri-me »

You want to get married Linda? I will marry you :lol: :lol: Looks like I won't be walknig down the aisle, maybe in a past life I was married 50 times.

Excuse my self-indulgence. There is passionate love in the poems and songs but they are intertwined with insecurities, which will freak out your???? I hate partner, your lover. Just edit out the words you dont want to say. Congradulations I hope you enjoy your lives together and all your dreams coem true. True love is rare and random a gift to be cherished.

Slowly I married her (him)
Married her love
Married her body
in boredom and joy
Slowly I came to her
sanctioned by none
with nobody's blessings
in nobody's name
Came to her fragrance
my nostrils wide
Slowly I married her
Slowly I kneeled
And now we are wounded
so deep and so well
that no one can hurt us
except Death itself
And all through Death's dream
I move with her lips
The dream is a night
but eternal the kiss
And slowly I come to her
slowly we shed
the clothes of our doubting
and slowly we wed
Cheers & DLight
Tri-me (tree-mite) Sheldrön
"Doorhinge rhymes with orange" Leonard Cohen
User avatar
linda_lakeside
Posts: 3857
Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2004 3:08 pm
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea..

Post by linda_lakeside »

Tri-me,

Where is my ring? You know, the diamond one that comes before the ceremony? I need a big ring (and a ticket out of the country) if we're to be married.

Linda.

** I must add, it is really a beauty. The poem, I mean (haven't seen the ring yet). Every time I re-read it, there's a little more to read. Truly beautiful.
User avatar
lizzytysh
Posts: 25531
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 8:57 pm
Location: Florida, U.S.A.

Post by lizzytysh »

I thought I was the one who was tempted by the poem into marriage :shock: ! Gimme that ring, Linda :lol: !

Boy, are you lucky, Linda ~ you just missed an "edited" line :wink: .

Yes, the poem is truly beautiful ~ and the depiction not unlike many paths to marriage.
User avatar
linda_lakeside
Posts: 3857
Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2004 3:08 pm
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea..

Post by linda_lakeside »

Ha! Yes, I see by the time of your posting, an edit line was not far behind.

You're right about 'the depiction not unlike many paths to marriage.'
Maybe people should just read the poem, then think about it for a long, long time, then get married if the embers still glow.

As for the ring, it's absolutely gorgeous! You'll really love it in the photo I'll send you. You can keep the photo.

Linda.
User avatar
lizzytysh
Posts: 25531
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 8:57 pm
Location: Florida, U.S.A.

Post by lizzytysh »

I can't wait.

~ Jilted Lizzy

You deserve an "edited" liine for this.
User avatar
Tri-me
Posts: 798
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:41 pm
Location: Canada

Post by Tri-me »

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I am against diamonds, unless they come from Yellowknife. If a man were to ask me to marry him with a diamond from Africa, that would end the deal. In the fantasy world I dip into every now and then I would prefer a work of art over a ring. A bronze statue of us togeher, a portrait of us......Leonard could simply write me a poem if he were the one... :lol: :lol: then when we have a fight I can say, "Look at that, how happy we are."

Weddings are so beautiful. I am proud to live in a country that allows gay marriage. I just shot a film about a woman who has given up on men and decided to marry her dog. She is out of a bad marriage and finds the love she shares with her dog to be easier and more satisfying. The dog is female. I will get the production stills from my shoot soon, there are 180 of them :shock: . It was great, three of my best friends were in the film and all the cast and crew are people I love to work with, a good friend drove four hours to come here for the week-end, just to do a cameo, which was one of two tributes to Leonard Cohen. My mom decorated a wedding cake for me and we had food and beer after the first day of shooting, almost like a wedding, it was fun. I will put the stills on my yahoo site.

CATERER (with cake emerges from trees decorated with big red bells he has a big smile and eyes that twinkle)
Where would you like this?

AUNT FRANKA
(women react as if they have just seen the most handsome man in the world, the men are jealous) Please, please let me give you a hand (runs toward the caterer)
Cheers & DLight
Tri-me (tree-mite) Sheldrön
"Doorhinge rhymes with orange" Leonard Cohen
User avatar
linda_lakeside
Posts: 3857
Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2004 3:08 pm
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea..

Post by linda_lakeside »

I am against diamonds, unless they come from Yellowknife
Yes, Canada is producing some good quality diamonds now. The problem, as seen by those who deal in diamonds, is the fact that they're usually no bigger than about 2 carats. Which is OK for me. Not far from where I live, there is an emerald mine. So, an emerald (Ascher cut) in the middle, and 2, 2 carat diamonds on either side, ok? Thanks. A lot. I mean it. Platinum please.

Linda.
User avatar
Perth
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 10:36 pm

Post by Perth »

Linda:
an emerald (Ascher cut) in the middle, and 2, 2 carat diamonds on either side, ok?
Overbold.

You can have the emerald engagement ring
and the diamonds made into earrings.
Deal?
Post Reply

Return to “Leonard Cohen's poetry and novels”