Spanning the Cosmos

Spanning the Cosmos
Hadeeqat al-Azhar (Azhar Park), Cairo, Egypt (photo by Dalia Basiouny)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Cafe Vienna

The past few days have been full of snow, wind, and drifts, and so we have taken time to review our photo albums and recall past trips and experiences. Our visit to Vienna in 2000 is a particularly fond memory.

"Cafe Terrace at Night," Vincent van Gogh, 1888

Cafe Vienna
(Tune from "Adult All-in-One Course-Level 1"

Soft and quiet, in the moonlight,
With the starlight above us;
Sitting with you, by the candles,
All around us is music.
When you listen, you can hear it,
Soaring high, signing deeply;
In your eyes, Dear, shines the love-light
That forever is clear.

Let's go dancing, let's go prancing,
Through the streets of the city;
Let's go singing, let's go ringing,
Let's run gaily through the town.
Glockenspiels chime, carolers all rhyme,
In traditional cadence;
Let us join voice and shout in glee,
With the immortal tunes.

Mozart's house, where in the attic,
He wrote spirit-filled sonnets;
In the park, by Ludwig's statue,
Let our hearts sing their praises,
By the Danube, Opera Platz,
There are mem'ries so precious;
But the best, Dear, is right here, Dear:
You, and Cafe Vienna,
Lyrics (c) Doug Ewing
04 December 2009

This tune, and these lyrics, recall our one-day visit to Vienna on November 27, 2000, during which we literally "ran through the town," in order to see as much as possible. The places mentioned are still fresh and vivid in our memory. The painting by van Gogh particularly inspires our feelings.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Alpine Melody Lyrics

Crystal Ridge in Fall

Music that moves us needs lyrics to complement it.
As Vivian practices the piano, I write lyrics. You may listen to the tune for "Alpine Melody" by searching in YouTube.

Alpine Melody
(Tune from "Adult All-in-One Course - Level 1)


Yodels echo, 'tween the hills,
Lea and dale - stream and vale;
Let's go hiking, singing clear,
Alpine melodies.

Morning fog cloaks beast and man,
In embrace - mystery;
Tinkling cow bells pierce the dawn,
Cow herds trudge along.

Deer and vixen scurry past,
To their lairs - there to fast
'Till at noontime to emerge,
Foraging anew.

You and I enjoy this scene,
Stand in awe - calm - serene;
Then we wend our trail once more,
Humming Alpine tunes.

Lyrics (c) Doug Ewing
17 January 2010

At Crystal Ridge - our 15-acre retreat in the Catskill Mountains - we see scenes that inspire such thoughts. The fog and clear air evoke images of the European Alps.