Sunday, November 02, 2025

Joan Maragall: The blinded cow

As so often happens,
I spontaneously opened this new book
to 'a random' page and... read this poem several times.
Pages 36/37: La vaca sega / Die erblindete Kuh.

10 comments:

  1. Quan jo era petita i era jove, no es podia estudiar el català, o s'havia de fer clandestinament. Per les mateixes circumstàncies polítiques d'aquella dictadura, que produien aquesta prohibició, el meu pare va haver de marxar exiliat a Andorra i allà vaig tenir les meves primeres classes de català, quan ja tenia ben bé 11 o 12 anys. El primer professor que vam tenir, entre moltes altres feines, ens va fer aprendre aquest poema: La vaca cega de memòria. Encara te la recitaria, em sembla. Com que jo vivia a la muntanya, imaginava perfectament tota l'escena que explica el poema. I com totes les coses que aprens a la infància, queden.

    Abraçades, Sean.

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    1. Serendipity, Carme, isn't it? You open a book to read one of the poet's most popular poems.
      I enjoyed reading it aloud several times – in German. Wonderfully observed, wonderfully described; and brillantly transcribed.
      Thank you for the little trip down memory lane to your childhood. Thank you so much. I'd love to hear you recite it! Then I could practice. ;-)
      Abraçades, Carme!

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  2. Pobra vaca cega i no sega. ;-)
    Petonets, Sean.

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    1. Uff! My fault! 'cega', not 'sega'. ;-)))
      Petonets, Paula.

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  3. Hi Sean - a tale of compassion ... I occasionally think what it'd be like to lose my sight, or partially lose it ... reflections on life ... thank you for the introduction to Joan Maragall, Catalan's poet ... cheers Hilary

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    1. It's lovely, Hilary, isn't it? A poem worth to be learned by heart, despite my old age. ;-)

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  4. El Josep Murgades, a filologia catalana, ens va explicar que aquest poema parlaria de com es pateix el doble quan no es pot expressar el sofriment, com li passa a la vaca cega. Per això els que escrivim o llegim trobem consol en la literatura o la poesia.

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    1. Interesting thoughts, Helena. Thank you.
      It's a very moving picture, Maragall is painting with his words.

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  5. El meu comentari no ha sortit, i en l'altra entrada sí, no ho entenc.

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    1. Ah, I don't understand, either.
      Sorry, Helena, I was unaware you were trapped in the dungeon of oblivion, thus freed you only a few minutes ago.
      Però ara: ben tornada i una abraçada! ;-)

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