COMPLETE [Fortnightly Poem]Ye Goatherd Gods by Sir Philip Sidney - dl

[KevinS]

Ye Goat-herd Gods
by Sir Philip Sidney (1590)

Strephon.
Ye Goatherd gods, that love the grassy mountains,
Ye nymphs which haunt the springs in pleasant valleys,
Ye satyrs joyed with free and quiet forests,
Vouchsafe your silent ears to plaining music,
Which to my woes gives still an early morning,
And draws the dolor on till weary evening.

Klaius.
O Mercury, foregoer to the evening,
O heavenly huntress of the savage mountains,
O lovely star, entitled of the morning
While that my voice doth fill these woeful valleys,
Vouchsafe your silent ears to plaining music,
Which oft hath Echo tired in secret forests.

Strephon.
I that was once free burgess of the forests,
Where shade from Sun, and sport I sought in evening,
I, that was once esteemed for pleasant music,
Am banished now among the monstrous mountains
Of huge despair, and foul affliction’s valleys,
Am grown a screech-owl to myself each morning.

Klaius.
I that was once delighted every morning
Hunting the wild inhabiters of forests,
I, that was once the music of these valleys
So darkened am, that all my day is evening,
Heart-broken so, that molehills seem high mountains,
And fill the vales with cries instead of music.

Strephon.
Long since alas, my deadly swannish music
Hath made itself a crier of the morning
And hath with wailing strength climbed highest mountains;
Long since my thoughts more desert be than forests,
Long since I see my joys come to their evening,
And state thrown down to over-trodden valleys.

Klaius.
Long since the happy dwellers of these valleys
Have prayed me leave my strange exclaiming music,
Which troubles their day’s work, and joys of evening;
Long since I hate the night, more hate the morning;
Long since my thoughts chase me like beasts in forests,
And make me wish myself laid under mountains.

Strephon.
Meseems I see the high and stately mountains
Transform themselves to low dejected valleys;
Meseems I hear in these ill-changed forests
The nightingales do learn of owls their music;
Meseems I feel the comfort of the morning
Turned to the mortal serene of an evening.

Klaius.
Meseems I see a filthy cloudy evening
As soon as sun begins to climb the mountains;
Meseems I feel a noisome scent, the morning
When I do smell the flowers of these valleys;
Meseems I hear, when I do hear sweet music,
The dreadful cries of murdered men in forests.

Strephon.
I wish to fire the trees of all these forests;
I give the sun a last farewell each evening;
I curse the fiddling finders-out of music;
With envy I do hate the lofty mountains
And with despite despise the humble valleys;
I do detest night, evening, day, and morning.

Klaius.
Curse to myself my prayer is, the morning;
My fire is more than can be made with forests,
My state more base than are the basest valleys;
I wish no evenings more to see, each evening;
Shamed, I hate myself in sight of mountains
And stop mine ears, lest I grow mad with music.

Strephon.
For she, whose parts maintained a perfect music,
Whose beauties shined more than the blushing morning,
Who much did pass in state the stately mountains,
In straightness passed the cedars of the forests,
Hath cast me, wretch, into eternal evening
By taking her two suns from these dark valleys.

Klaius.
For she, with whom compared, the Alps are valleys,
She, whose least word brings from the spheres their music,
At whose approach the sun rose in the evening,
Who, where she went, bare in her forehead morning,
Is gone, is gone from these our spoiled forests,
Turning to deserts our best pastured mountains.

Strephon.
These mountains witness shall, so shall these valleys,

Klaius.
These forests eke, made wretched by our music,

Strephon.
Our morning hymn this is,

Klaius.
and song at evening.

[lymiewithpurpose]

Ok, I have the duo ready.

https://librivox.org/uploads/aradlaw/sestina_sidney_cs_ks_128kb.mp3
4:53

[williamjones]

Uploaded my self-duet version:
https://librivox.org/uploads/aradlaw/sestina_sidney_wj_128kb.mp3 5:09

I have slightly altered (digitally) the Strephon and Klaius sections so as to simulate two persons "Doing the Dozens" while complaining of their sorrow over losing The Girl. "The Dozens" is a game of spoken words between two contestants, common in black communities of the United States.

I am not entirely satisfied with the way I have differentiated the two voices. If any of you have some advice on how better to do this, please share it with me.

[williamjones]

Ok, I have the duo ready.

https://librivox.org/uploads/aradlaw/sestina_sidney_cs_ks_128kb.mp3
4:53

Very nice, Campbell and Bruce!
Thank you for taking the time and trouble to stitch together this ... Dialogue? I'm not sure what to call it.
Your file is PL OK !

[lymiewithpurpose]

Very nice, Campbell and Bruce!

Kevin S was the other reader. And I would call it a dialogue.

[williamjones]

Sorry, for the name screw up Bruce, Kevin, Campbell !

[dirkx]

https://librivox.org/uploads/aradlaw/sestina_sidney_bd_128kb.mp3

Time 6:36

Thanks!

Brian

[williamjones]

https://librivox.org/uploads/aradlaw/sestina_sidney_bd_128kb.mp3

Time 6:36

Thanks!

Brian

Still another very fine rendering of this odd poem!
Thank you Brian.
Your recitation was warm and sensitive throughout.
And, it is PL OK !

[williamjones]

Campbell, Kevin,
Just a note: your two-person rendition is what I was aiming for (and missed, I'm afraid) with my self-duet with a digitally augmented 2nd voice.
Thank you for taking the time to do all the editing involved.

[lymiewithpurpose]

your two-person rendition is what I was aiming for (and missed, I'm afraid) with my self-duet with a digitally augmented 2nd voice.

It is easier with two real voices . Glad you liked it.

[dirkx]

https://librivox.org/uploads/aradlaw/sestina_sidney_bd_128kb.mp3

Time 6:36

Thanks!

Brian

Still another very fine rendering of this odd poem!
Thank you Brian.
Your recitation was warm and sensitive throughout.
And, it is PL OK !

Thanks Bill!

I really liked the opportunity to work on a little voice characterization with this poem, this was a great choice.

Brian

[aradlaw]

Uploaded my self-duet version:
https://librivox.org/uploads/aradlaw/sestina_sidney_wj_128kb.mp3 5:09

William., your reading is PL OK.
Interesting experiment, a shame not more readers participated.

[aradlaw]

Thank you to all readers for this project and to Bill for BCing.

This project is now complete!
All audio files can be found on our catalog page: https://librivox.org/double-sestina-ye-goatherd-gods-by-sir-philip-sidney/

[williamjones]

Uploaded my self-duet version:
https://librivox.org/uploads/aradlaw/sestina_sidney_wj_128kb.mp3 5:09

William., your reading is PL OK.
Interesting experiment, a shame not more readers participated.

And, thank YOU, David, for all your counsel and advice.
It was a terrible choice for a Fortnightly Poem -- well not "terrible" but certainly unattractive!
Should I have another opportunity to do this, I'll be a "more pithy" selection.