| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Open Letter on Translating by Dr. Martin Luther: "kecharitomene" that the angel used. And I think that the angel
Gabriel spoke with Mary just as he spoke with Daniel, when he
called him "Chamudoth" and "Ish chamudoth, vir desiriorum", that
is "Dear Daniel." That is the way Gabriel speaks, as we can see
in Daniel. Now if I were to literally translate the words of the
angel, and use the skills of these asses, I would have to
translate it as "Daniel, you man of desires" or "Daniel, you man
of lust". Oh, that would be beautiful German! A German would, of
course, recognize "Man", "Lueste" and "begirunge" as being German
words, although not altogether pure as "lust" and "begir" would be
better. But when those words are put together you get "you man of
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: Maccabees drove thy people out of Hebron; Hyrcanus forced them to be
circumcised!" Then, with all the contempt of the patrician for the
plebeian, the hatred of Jacob for Esau, she reproached him for his
indifference towards palpable outrages to his dignity, his weakness
regarding the Phoenicians, who had been false to him, and his cowardly
attitude towards the people who detested and insulted herself.
"But thou art like them!" she cried; "Dost regret the loss of the Arab
girl who danced upon these very pavements? Take her back! Go and live
with her--in her tent! Eat her bread, baked in the ashes! Drink
curdled sheep's-milk! Kiss her dark cheeks--and forget me!"
The tetrarch had already forgotten her presence, it appeared. He paid
Herodias |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Lovecraft: to be not on earth. Carter questioned the oddly robed men of that
city about the peak of Ngranek on the isle of Oriab, and found
that they knew of it well.
Ships came from Baharna on that island,
one being due to return thither in only a month, and Ngranek is
but two days' zebra-ride from that port. But few had seen the
stone face of the god, because it is on a very difficult side
of Ngranek, which overlooks only sheer crags and a valley of sinister
lava. Once the gods were angered with men on that side, and spoke
of the matter to the Other Gods.
It was hard to get this information
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: of using the word "Priest" as a contraction for "presbyter."
Now, in order to deal with words rightly, this is the habit you must
form. Nearly every word in your language has been first a word of
some other language--of Saxon, German, French, Latin, or Greek; (not
to speak of eastern and primitive dialects). And many words have
been all these--that is to say, have been Greek first, Latin next,
French or German next, and English last: undergoing a certain
change of sense and use on the lips of each nation; but retaining a
deep vital meaning, which all good scholars feel in employing them,
even at this day. If you do not know the Greek alphabet, learn it;
young or old--girl or boy--whoever you may be, if you think of
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