Poetry in Leiden

[Yao]

I had a really great evening tonight (and more importantly, an extremely relaxing one in these ?berbusy times) and took the evening to walk around this beautiful city I live in and explore it a bit more culturally. It has about 125 poems painted on houses all around, and it's quite fun to go around and spot them, which we decided to do with a small group of people with whom we also regularly hold poetry evenings in our favourite lounge-bar.

Here's a few pics taken with my very first and new cam (so excuse the quality since I've been playing with it to find out what works and what doesn't) of some of the poems we've spotted...






(Tungsten colour mode...weird blue shit!)

[beanzncheez]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

I love the one about the brother and sister fucking.

[Yao]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

Barbarians. All of you. Except Beanz, at least he had te nerve to comment

[KinKyJ]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

That looks like a pretty cool initiative bro, but the only remark I have is: how are Dutchies gonna understand poetry in French (not to mention the other languages)?

[geoffgulley]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

Thanks for that Yao...

Little tidbit on the Paul Marie Verlaine poem 'Chanson d'automne' you have pictured above. Did you know that poem was used by the allies in world war 2 as a code message? Verlaine's life is an interesting read as well.... (I'll leave the jokes about French men and little boys to someone else )

[Yao]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

Hahaa, I didn't know that about Verlaine, but it's interesting to mention that to the others - we hope to continue this within 2 weeks. Nothing as relaxing as taking your time and sniffing up some culture

@ Kinky: I speak french, but if you read a poem in a different language you shouldn't try to translate it: I've seen a few very bad ones on the plaquettes below the poems. IMO you can only grasp the feeling when reading it in it's original language, although with the Japanese ones I can't help but read the translation

[thesightless]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

Thanks for that Yao...

Little tidbit on the Paul Marie Verlaine poem 'Chanson d'automne' you have pictured above. Did you know that poem was used by the allies in world war 2 as a code message? Verlaine's life is an interesting read as well.... (I'll leave the jokes about French men and little boys to someone else )

just the like 98 yanks... ill pick up for you here.



everyone, and i mean everyone outside of the french, hate the french. kinda like fisherspooner and DJ Sammy.

[KinKyJ]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

Hahaa, I didn't know that about Verlaine, but it's interesting to mention that to the others - we hope to continue this within 2 weeks. Nothing as relaxing as taking your time and sniffing up some culture

@ Kinky: I speak french, but if you read a poem in a different language you shouldn't try to translate it: I've seen a few very bad ones on the plaquettes below the poems. IMO you can only grasp the feeling when reading it in it's original language, although with the Japanese ones I can't help but read the translation

Idde ize u spique the Frenche monsijeuj? Lemme guess: croissant... Perrier... soixanteneuf

But you're right...

Either way, pitty there aren't any poems in Zulu or something. Me thinks that would be a blast for ya

[hulkhuss]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

I love the one about the brother and sister fucking the same dog.

[Yao]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

Idde ize u spique the Frenche monsijeuj? Lemme guess: croissant... Perrier... soixanteneuf

But you're right...

Either way, pitty there aren't any poems in Zulu or something. Me thinks that would be a blast for ya

I got a pic of a Setswana (Botswana) translation of one of the poems, but you can't read it well...And there are many African poets, probably Zulu as well. Should try and find some that I like

[feather]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

Those are fucking sweet. I remember there was an alley in Melbourne's Chinatown that had Chinese proverbs on the walls. They were printed in neon signs and on plates to look like street signs.

[Yao]

Re: Poetry in Leiden

I've taken more with my phone cam, and will snap any that I encounter as of today. Will post some more later on...no neon sign poems here though feather - they should do that though.