Mi chiedo se Averroè, Kant, Socrate, Newton, Voltaire avrebbero mai creduto che nel Ventesimo secolo la piaga delle città, l'avvelenatore dei polmoni, l'omicida di massa, l'oggetto di culto sarebbe diventato un carrello di lamiera con le ruote e che le persone avrebbero preferito morire schiantate al suo interno durante gli esodi di massa per i fine settimana, anzichè restarsene tranquillamente a casa.” ― Stanisław Lem, The Futurological Congress: From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy

“Certainly not! I didn't build a machine to solve ridiculous crossword puzzles! 
That's hack work, not Great Art! Just give it a topic, any topic, as difficult as you like..."
Klapaucius thought, and thought some more. Finally he nodded and said:
"Very well. Let's have a love poem, lyrical, pastoral, and expressed in the language of pure mathematics. Tensor algebra mainly, with a little topology and higher calculus, if need be. But with feeling, you understand, and in the cybernetic spirit."

"Love and tensor algebra?" Have you taken leave of your senses?" Trurl began, but stopped, for his electronic bard was already declaiming:

Come, let us hasten to a higher plane,
Where dyads tread the fairy fields of Venn,
Their indices bedecked from one to n,
Commingled in an endless Markov chain!

Come, every frustum longs to be a cone,
And every vector dreams of matrices.
Hark to the gentle gradient of the breeze:
It whispers of a more ergodic zone.

In Reimann, Hilbert or in Banach space
Let superscripts and subscripts go their ways.
Our asymptotes no longer out of phase,
We shall encounter, counting, face to face.

I'll grant thee random access to my heart,
Thou'lt tell me all the constants of thy love;
And so we two shall all love's lemmas prove,
And in bound partition never part.

For what did Cauchy know, or Christoffel,
Or Fourier, or any Boole or Euler,
Wielding their compasses, their pens and rulers,
Of thy supernal sinusoidal spell?

Cancel me not--for what then shall remain?
Abscissas, some mantissas, modules, modes,
A root or two, a torus and a node:
The inverse of my verse, a null domain.

Ellipse of bliss, converge, O lips divine!
The product of our scalars is defined!
Cyberiad draws nigh, and the skew mind
Cuts capers like a happy haversine.

I see the eigenvalue in thine eye,
I hear the tender tensor in thy sigh.
Bernoulli would have been content to die,
Had he but known such a^2 cos 2 phi!” 
  The Cyberiad

“I had noticed that I had no difficulty conversing with robots, because absolutely nothing surprised them. They were incapable of surprise. A very sensible quality.”
―

“As more and more norms disappear from social praxis, literature faces ever-growing difficulties. Its predicament is beginning to resemble that of a child who has discovered that his incredibly understanding parents will let him break with impunity all his toys, indeed everything in the house. The artist cannot create specific prohibitions for himself in order to attack them later in his work; the prohibitions must be real, and hence independent of the writer's choices. And since the relativization of cultural norms has not so far been able to disturb the given characteristics of human biology, that is where writers today seek the still perceptible points of resistance--which is why literature is preoccupied with the theme of sex.”
, Microworlds

Ora o Duque de Viseu, irmão da rainha, um nobre até á raiz dos cabelos, leviano e estouvado, pouco inte- ligente e a quem já um astrólogo em Castela (sempre coisas de Castela) profetisara um trono, era o homem naturalmente indicado para desempenhar esse papel e liquidar a política moderna que ventos nefastos traziam da Itália e da França. Levantar por rei o Duque, assim ficou resolvido em Santarém, numa reunião a que assis- tiram D. Fernando e D. Garcia de Menezes, bispo d'Evora, Fernão da Silveira, escrivão da puridade, D. Guterres Coutinho, D. Álvaro e D. Pedro d'Ataide, o Conde de Penamacor e seu irmão Pêro d'Albuquerque, alcaide-mór do Sabugal. Ficou ainda incluído no pro- grama, alem do assassinato do rei, o rapto da Exce- lente Senhora, para assim obrigar Castela a intervir em seu favor (frutificavam as lições del-rei...) e a su- pressão do Príncipe herdeiro, pela forma que a Oportunidade melhor aconselhasse.

O mais acérrimo instigador da conjura, D. Garcia 
de Menezes, tinha, apesar de eclesiástico, e por sua 
desdita, estreitas e amorosas relações com uma tal 
Maria Tinóca, a quem nada ocultava e cujo irmão, 
senhor das inconfidências episcopais, se resolveu por 
vingança ou por cubica, a contar tudo ao rei, pelo que 
recebeu, no convento de S. Francisco em Setúbal, da 
mão do soberano, «cinco mil cruzados em oiro e seissentos 

mil reis de renda em benefícios, logo nomeados». 
Como se vê, o sábio e prudente administrador dos seus 
reinos, não regateava nestas coisas. 

Passados tempos chega novo aviso^ mas agora tra- 
zido por um fidalgo, D. Vasco Coutinho, a quem o 
irmão, D. Guterre, no intuito de o atrair á causa revo- 
lucionária e por sabê-lo em desfavor no Paço, tudo re- 
velara. Mas este Senhor, ou para conquistar as alie- 
nadas simpatias régias, ou porque lhe repugnou a pre- 
meditada traição, fingiu aceitar o seu papel, mas foi 
pondo a par de tudo o liai confidente do soberano, 
Antão de Faria. 

D. João, segundo o seu costume, dissimulou, espe- 
rando pacientemente a hora própria para ferir o golpe. 
Mas prevenido, «andava muy a recato armado muy 
secretamente e sempre com espada e punho e acavalo 
e nunca em muUa». As tentativas de assassínio suce- 
diam-se umas ás outras, pondo ainda mais em relevo 
a coragem deste homem raro que sabendo-se rodeado 
de assassinos, conseguiu sempre manter- se no seu posto, 
sem que jamais o mínimo gesto revelasse o que lhe ia 
na alma. 

De uma vez, ao descer a escada que dava para os 
aposentos da rainha, procurou D. Pedro d'Ataíde

 lança-lo por terra, fingiudo para isso que tropeçara. Ao 
rei nada escapou, e voltando-se, poude ainda ver D. Guterre 

com a espada meio fora da bainha ; mas disse 
naturalmente : 

— Cuidado, não caias. 


Como noutra ocasião, se tivesse afastado da sua 
guarda (*) foi logo rodeado pelos conjurados que viran assi 
ser ocasião asada para liquidar a vitima ; mas o rei, 
encarando serenamente os assassinos, impossibilitou-os 
por um simples olhar, de dar sequer um passo. 

Por último, emfim, resolvido que o atentado se consumasse 

no regresso da corte de Alcácer, mais uma 
vez tudo se malogrou devido aos preciosos avisos de 
Vasco Coutinho. 

O Duque de Viseu, retirado em Palmela, escrevia 
aos conjurados, instigando-os a liquidarem rapidamente o 
caso, pois de contrário seria a perda irremediável.

 Mas o rei, cheio de reZão e sentindo-se cada vez mais

 ameaçado, é que julgou conveniente não protelar por mais 
tempo o desfecho da tragédia.

 Chamou o Duque a Setúbal, e numa sala do Palácio, 

guardadas discretamente 
as portas por Diogo d'Azambuja e mais dois cavaleiros, 
ficou a sós com êle. 

Que se passou então ? 

As narrativas que se referem ao ocorrido, 

são das mais desencontradas.

 Mas conhecido o temperamento sanguíneo e 
o caracter violento de D. João, devia a scena ter sido 
terrível. 

O Duque de Viseu, seu cunhado, ambicioso mesquinho e estúpido, nobre deslial a quem tudo perdoara, 
o homem que pertinaz e traiçoeiramente não pensava 
senão em roubar-lhe a vida «com ferro q peçonha» para 
lhe roubar a coroa, estava ali, deante do Rei, cujos 
olhos, raiados de sangue, fitavam a vitima com uma 
expressão de ódio irreparável. Poucas palavras deviam 
ter trocado. Houve luta ? Tudo leva a crer que sim ; 
mas, o Duque não poude resistir ao pulso desse hércules

 cuja força era conhecida em todo o reino. 

Senhor Martins, the Capitao Mor, expressed great indignation when I told him how our carriers had behaved, and was, I am sure, perfectly sincere. He succeeded in making several of them restore the calico they had received as wages in advance before leaving Tete, and said that he would have some of them flogged if I liked ; but having succeeded in my object in spite of them, my resentment had cooled, and I begged him to do nothing further in the matter. One day Burnett and I went to breakfast with this most hospitable Lusitanian, who is a right good fellow, though bitterly opposed to the acquisition of any territory by the British in South-East Africa. It being Sunday, Senhor Martins thought it would be the correct thing to make the two luiglishmen drunk. He first plied us with wine, and then ordered a case of beer and several flasks of Hollands gin. Several of the inhabitants of Tete dropped in, and every one drank as much as he liked, and they all liked to drink a good deal. Although not a teetotaler, I am by habit a very abstemious man, and practically a total abstainer. I drank as little as possible, as did also Burnett, but for the honour of our country we were obliged to drink a good deal more than we wanted. About eleven o'clock a coloured gentleman who had formerly been the schoolmaster of Tete was carried home crying drunk, and soon afterwards our hospitable entertainer, who had lately lost his wife, got into a very lachrymose condition. We thought this a good opportunity to get away, but he then rallied and insisted upon going with us to the house we had hired, and here of course we had to do our best to return his hospitality.

OUTRAGE ON A BRITISH SUBJECT 



307 



Presently, to our dismay, the schoolmaster again rolled up, now 
intensely polite, and constantly bowing and saying " Tank you." 
He was a weak-headed man, however, and soon again became 
melancholy, and at last fell backwards over the little parapet 
that surrounded our house, and a recumbent position just at 
that time suiting him better than any other, he lay where he 
fell until some friends presently removed him. Altogether, 
although no rain fell, this was a very wet Sunday, though I 
think the two Englishmen came very well through the ordeal. 

On 29th October we bade adieu to Tete, and in the after- 
noon passed the mouth of the Ruenya. Before leaving I called 
upon Senhor Alpuina, the Governor, but, as I have said before, 
was unable to see him. For this return journey down the 
Zambesi we hired a boat and crew from Senhor Anakulete 
Nuncs, who had boarded us during our stay in Tete. 

On 4th November we passed Sena, keeping, however, near 
to the opposite bank of the Zambesi to that on which the town 
is situated. Here were encamped a portion of the black levies 
with which Colonel Serpa Pinto soon afterwards attacked the 
Makololo beyond the river Ruo in a country which Consul 
Johnston had proclaimed to be British territory. 

Two days later we passed the mouth of the Shiri. Soon 
afterwards hfeavy rain began to fall, and a strong head wind 
lashed the river into waves that threatened to swamp our boat, 
so that on reaching Missongwi, where the Dutch East African 
trading company have a station, we took advantage of the 
hospitality of their agent, Mr. Van Yssom, and spent the rest 
of the day with him. 

On 7th November we reached Viccnti at about i P.M., 
where we found Mr. Baird in charge. This young Scotsman, 
who had been a fellow - passenger of ours on board the 
Courland, had shortly before our arrival been shamefully 
assaulted and ill-used by a Portuguese officer, backed by a 
rabble, for complaining of the theft of some of the African 
Lakes Company's property by black soldiers. Had there 
been a few Britishers about there would assuredly have been a 
row on the spot. It was very evident from many things that 
Mr. Baird told us that relations between the British and Portu- 
guese were now getting very strained in South-East Africa. 

 


 on the Quaqua, 
where wE were hospitably entertained 

by Mr. and Mrs. 
Henderson. Mr. Henderson was managing 

an opium plantation, 

which I think has since been abandoned. 

On 8th November wE started for Quillimani in two small 
boats belonging to the African Lakes Company, but as the 
river was very low, and the boats had to be continually pulled 
over shoals, our progress was very slow. 

Knowing that the steamer for Cape Town was due in 
Quillimani from Mozambique on  3th November, and that .she 
was advertised to leave on the 15th, wc dropped down to the 
anchorage on the 14th, and ran our boat alongside of the 
Courlaiid ; and although the Portuguese guard on the gangway 
made some demur, I went on board and deposited all my papers, 
diaries, and map with the purser, as I thought I Might have to 
undergo another inquisition at Quillimani. Then we went on 
.shore, but no one asked us any questions. That evening we 
spent very jjleasantly with Mr. and Mrs. Ross, and the next 
morning, after settling off with Rebecca and Rocky, went on 
board tlie Conrland again, and getting away with the afternoon's 
tide, reached Cape Town 

DA ARTE DE CHULAR - O QUE DEVEM FAZER É PUXAR PARA OS PINOCAS...SE CALHA UM JARRETA DE MASSA É UMA GÓSMA ...AQUELA TIPA ERA UMA LÊSMA NÃO RENDIA CHÊTA ....GASTÃO FILHO DA SILVEIRINHA DA LABITA ( POR ANDAR DE FRAQUE) HERDEIRA DE 2:000 CONTOS VAE SALVAR A ESGRAÇADINHA

CALÇA ABUZINADA CASACO CURTO

JILANTES DE PÉ PESADO

RAMBOSAS DE METRO E MEIO

MALHARES DE TIRO CERTO

RIPANÇO DE QUATRO CÓS

QUADRILHA DE NOVE FOLES

MANGUÇO DE SETE TIRAS

TODO O LIVRO É UMA ILHA PARA QUEM O LÊ ....UM TEMPLO CHEIO DE SIGNOS E SINAIS E POR VEZES ATÉ DE SINOS E SONS E VISLUMBRES DE SABEDORIA QUE SÓ O LEITOR E O E-LEITOR SABEM LER NOS VOTOS MORTOS

Monday, 30 June 2014

Poem: "Under Two Moons"

UNDER TWO MOONS / 

 “BANDITS OF THE STARWAYS” 

(from ‘INCREDIBLE SCIENCE FANTASIES’) 

cornering the night TOO FAST 
thru the crash-barrier
4 wheels to the wind

constellations spray like shingle

read this comic-book once
where a man takes a cab
that’s REALLY a disguised
space-craft piloted by a
green Martian
hunting experimental humans,
central-locking slams down caging him
& they launch from the highest loop
of the cloverleaf like a sudden red
insect soaring against the moon’s disc,
the dupe scrabbling at the glass
as the M-way shrinks to a relief map
& continents recede beneath him,
the blackness of deep space
folding in around them as they
motor to the vivisection labs
of Mars Central…

for one long second it’s like
I too have made it up thru
the stratos-fear…

then the windshield shatters

and worlds
white
out


Published in:
‘THE MENTOR no.62’ (January 1989 - Australia)
‘AH POOK IS HERE no.3’ (August 1994 - UK)
and the collection:
‘EUROSHIMA MON AMOUR’ Hilltop Press (UK-Oct 2000)

NA ESCADARIA AGRUPAVAM-SE ALGUNS MEMBROS DA ACADEMIA DISFARÇADOS DE ARTISTAS ....ASSASSINO EIS O QUE A QUIROMANTE LHE DISSERA ...ELABOROU UMA LISTA E DEPOIS DE CUIDADOSO EXAME DECIDIU-SE POR LADY CLEMENTINA BEAUCHAMP DECIDIR-SE-IA PELO VENENO ERA UM MEIO SEGURO E DISCRETO ACTUAVA SEM CENAS PENOSAS

MR PESTLE ESTRANHOU O SEU PEDIDO E MURMUROU SOBRE

A CONVENIÊNCIA DE UMA RECEITA

QUANDO LHE EXPLICOU QUE ERA PARA MATAR UM MOLOSSO NORUEGUÊS

EXPLOSIVOS.....

PRETENDE ENTÃO SERIAMENTE OCUPAR-SE DE POLÍTICA SENHOR GAMA?

AH SE A BOSSA REMEMBRANÇA - EI VIER - DIZEI EGAS COM FOLGANÇA HU XIQUER....DA POESIA MACARRÓNICA AO MACARRÃO DE LETRAS PRETAS DOS PATETAS -FINCAREDES BOS EMBORA E BEM SATISFEITA FICADES - LIBRA SIGNUS QUE U SOLIS ESCREVE NO OUTOMNO NO MEZ QUE EST SEPTE DI SEPTEMBRIS FIQUE AQUIS SE OU TE VI NON TE VIS

Miscellanea do sitio da Nossa Senhora da Luz do Pedrogão
grande (…), Lisboa, Matheus Pinheiro, 1629.
Dois anos após a saída da Musa nueva, Miguel Leitão de Andrada
publica na íntegra a Trova dos Figuereidos, as Oitavas na lingoagem antiga
quando se perdeo Hespanha, e as duas Cartas de Egas Moniz
 (Fincaredes bos embora 
 Fincaredes bos embora 

Taom coitada 

Que ei boi-me (EMBORA )por hi fora 

De longada. 

Bai-se o bulto do mei corpo.

 Mas ei nom. 

Que os Çocos  bos finca morto.

O CORAÇOM 

SE PENSADES QUE EI VOM

NON NO PENSEDES

QUE CHANTANDO EM BOS ESTOM

E NOM ME VEDES

 


e Bem satisfeita ficades

AH SE A BOSSA REMEMBRANÇA 

EI VIER (VOS VIER)

DIZEI EGAS COM FOLGANÇA 

HU XIQUER.... Bem satisfeita ficades.
Corpo doiro,. 
Alegrade a quem amades,. 
Que ei já moiro
 Que el 'Ja morro
. Ey bos rogo bos lembredes,. 
Que bos quíge,.

 A que dolos nom abedes
QUE BOS FIGE


Mossén Jordi Poeta

Lemosino, o Valenciano, o, para mejor dezir, le trasladava. Assí lo afirma

Pedro Antón Beuter en su Dedicatoria de su Corónica General, y trae de

aquel Autor estos versos:

E no he pau, e no tinch quim guarreig.

Vol sobrel cel, e non movi de terra.

E no estrench res, e tot lo mon abrás.

Hoy he de mi, e vull altri gran bé.

Si no Amor, donç aço que sem.

Y essos cinco versos son en Petrarca, por su orden, estos:

Pace non trovo, e non ho da far guerra.

E volo sopra il cielo, e ghiacio in terra.

E nulla stringo, e tutto ’l mondo abraccio.

Et ho in odio me stesso, & amo altrui.

S’amor non è, che dunque è quel ch’io sento