THE TYRANNY OF EPITHUMIA/HEDONE

Recently my own flaws have led me down the primrose path that is everything but straight and narrow, picking primroses and chasing flutterbyes in pursuit of Downfall...

So, being a pagan, I looked away from the primrose path to Stoicism, where the positive passions are Epithumia and Hedone: variously translated as Lust, Delight, Hope, or Desire, I recognised it as my own besetting passions!

Sub-passions:

• Lust (epithumia): Lust is an irrational desire, or pursuit of an expected good but in reality bad.
• Delight (hēdonē): Delight is an irrational swelling, or a fresh opinion that something good is present, at which people think it right to be elated.
• Lust: Anger, Rage, Hatred, Enmity, Wrath, Greed, and Longing. (Hope)
• Delight: Malice, Rapture, and Ostentation. (Joy)

An analogy within the animal kingdom would be the anglerfish... With its glow in the dark decoy...

The corresponding trope would be Wanting Is Better Than Having. 

(Oh when will stupid --self-indulgent for a Ravenclaw-- me learn the age-old lesson?). I would have devoured the first marshmallow head first...

“Lifetime regrets are more painful than delayed gratification.” — Dawn Graham

“Be careful not to compromise what you want most for what you want now.” — Zig Ziglar

“Without delayed gratification, there is no power over self.” — Sunday Adelaja

“Never give up what you want most for what you want today.” — Neal A. Maxwell

"And don't forget the presents. How... How full of potential they seem in all that paper, how pregnant with possibilities... and then you open them and basically the wrapping paper was more interesting and you have to say 'How thoughtful, that will come in handy!'"

— Hogfather, Sir Terry Pratchett

After you get what you want, you don't want it
If I gave you the moon,
You'd grow tired of it soon.
You're like a baby
You want what you want when you want it
But after you are presented
With what you want, you're discontented.
You're always wishing and wanting for something
When you get what you want
You don't want what you get
And tho' I sit upon your knee
You'll grow tired of me
'Cause after you get what you want
You don't want what you wanted at all.

— Irving Berlin, "After You Get What You Want, You 

The tree was clearly taking their bait, or they were taking its bait, or both. Either way, here it was, the adventure had arrived. There was a time when this had been his most passionate hope, when it would have ravished him with happiness. Why now, when it was actually happening, did the seductions of Fillory feel so crude and unwanted? Its groping hands so clumsy? He thought he'd left this feeling behind long ago in Brooklyn, or at least at Brakebills. How could it have followed him here, of all places? How far did he have to run? If Fillory failed him he would have nothing left! A wave of frustration and panic surged through him. He had to get rid of it, break the pattern!

— The Magicians

J.D.'s narration: I think that the problem with most people who want what they can't have is that, when they actually get the thing they covet, they don't want it anymore. But not this guy.
Elliot: Well, Dr. Dorian, you have me. You finally have me.
J.D.'s thoughts: Oh, my God! I DON'T WANT HER!

— Scrubs, My Fault

"There are two great tragedies in life. One is not getting what you want... the other is getting it."

— Oscar Wilde

"We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified."

— Aesop

Robin: You're the one who always comes through for me, Ted. The one who's there for me. Maybe I'm making a mistake.
Ted: Wait, what are you saying?
Robin: Maybe I should be marrying you. [...] Ted...I should be with you.
Future Ted: (narrating) There it was. The words that some deep, dark part of me always wanted to hear. But it's funny. Once you actually hear those words out loud...
Ted: (present) I don't want to hear that.
Robin: We should get out of here. You and me, right now. We'll move to Chicago, we'll start a new life, it'll be painful at first, but hell, I can root for the Blackhawks.
Ted: Stop, stop, you're just saying this because you're scared! I am not your future, Barney is.
Robin: Shouldn't I be with a guy that finds me my locket? The guy who steals me the blue French horn? I mean, look me in the eye and tell me why shouldn't I be with that guy?
Ted: Because I'm not that guy anymore.

— How I Met Your Mother, "The End of the Aisle"

Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it — namely, that in order to make (one) covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain."

— The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

"Stonn, she is yours. After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting. It is not logical... but it is often true."

— Spock, Star Trek: The Original Series, "Amok Time"

So when the race is won
And there's nothing left to do
Alone again,
But where are you?

— Graham Gouldman, "Love's Not For Me", Animalympics

"Some things are beautiful because they cannot be obtained."

— Gilgamesh, Fate/stay night

"You really don't understand, do you? I don't want whatever I want. Nobody does. Not really. What kind of fun would it be if I just got everything I ever wanted? Just like that, and it didn't mean anything. What then?"

— Coraline

LA SANDRA DERMARK - Paròdia de LA VACA CEGA

 LA SANDRA DERMARK - (PARÒDIA)

Per Ídem

21 de novembre - MMXVIII

(Els meus humils respectes a en Joan Maragall)

Topant de cap en una i altra moda,

avançant d’esma pel camí dels cultes,

se’n ve la Sandra tota sola. És Dermark.

D’un colp de Nord llançat amb massa traça

el Luter va buidar-li fe, i en l’altra

se li ha posat un tel. La Sandra és Dermark.

Ve a abeurar-se al local com ans solia,

mes no amb el ferm posat d’altres vegades,

ni amb ses companyes: no, ve tota sola.

Ses companyes, pels clubs i per les discos,

fan sonar reggaeton mentre remuguen

el “Sálvame” a l’atzar… Ella cauria.

Topa de morro en l’ampolla de Loki

i recula afrontada… però torna,

i empina el colze a dins, i beu ansiosa.

Beu molt, amb força set. Després aixeca

al cel, amb gel, la copa de cassalla

amb un gran gesto tràgic; tota vessa

a dins la morta gola, i se’n torna,

orfe de Llums sota els ritmes de dembow,

vacil·lant pels camins inoblidables,

brandant llànguidament les llargues cames.

Nihil obstat

Joan Maragall

La vaca cega (1893, hipotext)

Topant de cap en una i altra soca,
avançant d’esma pel camí de l’aigua,
se’n ve la vaca tota sola. És cega.
D’un cop de roc llançat amb massa traça,
el vailet va buidar-li un ull, i en l’altre
se li ha posat un tel. La vaca és cega.
Ve a abeurar-se a la font com ans solia;
mes no amb el ferm posat d’altres vegades
ni amb ses companyes, no: ve tota sola.
Ses companyes, pels cingles, per les comes,
pel silenci dels prats i en la ribera,
fan dringar l’esquellot mentres pasturen
l’herba fresca a l’atzar... Ella cauria.
Topa de morro en l’esmolada pica
i recula afrontada... Però torna
i abaixa el cap a l’aigua i beu calmosa.
Beu poc, sens gaire set... Després aixeca
al cel, enorme, l’embanyada testa
amb un gran gesto tràgic; parpelleja
damunt les mortes nines, i se’n torna
orfe de llum, sota del sol que crema,
vacil·lant pels camins inoblidables,
brandant llànguidament la llarga cua.

Joan Maragall, La vaca cega. 

MY FAVOURITE QUOTES FROM LITERATURE

MY FAVOURITE QUOTES FROM LITERATURE

On reading:

"A reader lives a thousand lives before dying. The one who has never read lives only one."

Jojen Reed (by George R.R. Martin)

On waiting:

"Pleasure and action make the hours seem short."

Iago (by William Shakespeare)

On phobias:

"A phobia is a silliness you can’t control and it is a very frightening thing to have."

Eva Ibbotson

On casuality:

"No one can escape being blown about by the winds of change and chance."

Jethro (High Priest of Midian)

On first impressions:

“I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but first impressions are often entirely wrong.” 

Lemony Snicket

On how to commence a story:

"All right, let us begin; and when we have reached the end of our story, we shall know so much more than we already know!"

H.C. Andersen

On altered states:

"The best of life is but intoxication."

Lord Byron

On translation:

"Without translation, we would inhabit parishes bordering on silence; only in the imperfection of translation can art and thought truly manifest."

George Steiner

ANNOTATIONS: aspectu adulescens et, quantum ingenio, senex

Chapter 26.

... his (a physician's) wise student realizes that she (the comatose queen) is still alive.

1. cum discipulis suis ... and when the physician's clever student arrives (26.7 discipulus medici), he is introduced without a reference to the group mentioned here.

7. supervenit discipulus medici ... Here discipulus "student, apprentice" ... Like his teacher, the pupil is nameless.

aspectu adulescens et, quantum ingenio, senex: prodigious wisdom in ancient literature is often described by means of the puer-senex character, c.f. Virgil's Iulus (or Julus) in Aen. 9.311 ante annos animumque gerens curamque viriles: youth is explicitly compared to old age first in Flavian and Antonine literature: e.g. Sil. 8.464; Plin. epist. 5.162; Apul. flor. 9.38. In Christian literature see the expressions canities animae (Ambrose) or morum (Augustine), or sensuum (Cassian), and polios to noema (Gregory of Nazianzus). Discussion of the topos in Curtius 1953 98-101; Festugière 1960; Gnilka 1972; Carp 1980; Eyben 1993 10-11. For the use of the term adulescens in this context see Gnilka ibid. 50-1. Although the puer-senex character (the discipulus) is held in high esteem, he is not everyone's favourite type; cf. Inc. pall. 95. (=Apul. apol. 85.8) odi puerulos praecoqui sapientia; Quint. inst. 2.4.9.

Et (P, F,) here has slight adversative force (="but at the same time, and yet" OLD s. v. 14) There is no need to change (with Riese, Tsitsikli, Schmeling, and Kortekas) et to sed.

quantum ingenio: this is probably a case of contamination of an ablative of respect (cf. aspectu) and a relative clause of the type quantum ad... (sc. pertinet); cf. Ov. ars. 1.744 quantum ad Pirithoum, Phaedra pudica fuit; Sen. nat. 2.34.2. quantum ad hoc, par est (OLD s.v. quantum 7c). Schmeling emends to quanto ingenio, but also considers either deleting quantum or emending to quantum ad ingenium or <tantum> aspectu ... [sed] quantum ingenio (1994: 147)

8. speciosum corpus ... The same narrative situation occurs in our passage, although the perspective is now the young student's. The use of the adjective may be significant, as our author goes on to describe the young man's interest in the comatose princess/queen by means of an erotically coloured language; ...

1. Quod ut uidit iuuenis: uidere need not suggest perception with the eyes; the physician may notice the dissolving of the congealed blood by e.g. touching the body or taking the pulse; here uidere may also simply mean "to be a witness of an event" (OLD s.v. 11)

ut facilius mihi credas, ... This anounces the student's ensuing treatment of (the comatose princess) ...

Chapter 27

(no mention of the wise student in the summary)

2. tulit puellam in cubiculo, posuit super lectulum: while the encounter of the young physician with the lifeless body ...  and the first treatment take place in the open (the physician's uilla), the second treatment, which results in the resuscitation, occurs in a confined space; the change of setting from "outside" to "inside" is also found in Apul. flor. 19.8. domum rettulit confestimque spiritum recreavit; and, (as Kerényi 1962: 39 points out) in the description of the miraculous revival of a young boy by the prophet Elijah in Vulgate III, Kings, 17.19: .... et portavit in cenaculum ubi (Elias) ipse manebat et posuit super lectulum suum (cf. on 22.11 labia labiis probat). The diminutive lectulus in this context is probably equivalent to lectus (for this use see Lamer in RE XII.1 1103-4; Hanssen 1952:119; Adams 1976: 105); in view of the Old Testament passage cited above, the term may have an intertextual significance. Of course, the term lectulus is also a symbol of love affairs (the diminutive is used this way in elegy and epigram, e.g. Prop.  2.15.2.; Mart. 10.38.7.; Van Mal-Maeder on Apul. met. 2.7.7.); the young physician's touch over the body of the allegedly dead ... is not strictly professional; ...

calefecit oleum, madefecit lanam, effudit super pectus puellae: the physician applies to the girl's chest a piece of wool moistened in tepid oil. Both objects appear in medical treatises in a therapeutic context (e.g. Ruf. Ren. Ves. 1.9.; Sor. Gyn. 3.10.4;  Gal. 10.419,  13.581 Kühn;  Orib. Syn. 7.31.1.), but their application in a case of apparent death is parallelled in a non-medical text, namely Artemidorus' Book of Dreams: Artemidorus reports that a professional wrestler dreamed that he was resuscitated from death by a masseur (aleiptes), this masseur employs the same means and healing process as the young physician in our story. For other healing methods see Apul. flor. 19.8. (Asclepiades) animam in corporis latibulis delitiscentem quibusdam medicamentis prouocauit. Kerényi 1962: 40 argues that our author is inspired from the imagery in Charit 1.1.15 (Calirrhoe).

4, ne me contingas aliter, quam oportet contingere: ... Contingere is rare for a physician's touch (but see 18.7. (medici) tangunt singulas corporis partes) and may specifically refer to the act of anointing the body (c.f. Ov. met. 2.123 suo sacro medicamine nati contigit); it has a sexual nuance at 27.10 ne ab aliquo contingeretur. This suggestive phrase functions as the climax of a series of double-entendres in the description of the treatment of the comatose princess/queen by the student (see above). She expresses reluctance when she is about to be examined by a male physician: this behaviour may reflect real-life attitude; see King 1998:  47-8;  Maraval on Greg. Nys. vit.  Macrin.  31.20 (cf. Greg. Naz. orat. 8.15). Flemming 2000: 76 remarks that visitations by male medici to female patients are in satire represented as opportunities for female sexual misconduct (e.g. Iuv 6.235-7; Mart. 11.17.7) It is justified that the queen immediately begs for the preservation of her chastity, which comes as a priority even under the most adverse conditions.

5. Iuuenis ut uidit, quod in arte uiderat, quod magistro fallebat: an example of the motif of the apprentice who outgrows his master (Kerényi 1962: 38). Schmeling prints ut uidit in arte quod arguing that the repetition of uidere quod is unacceptable (1994: 147) cf. Hamblenne 1993: 248)

6. probo artem, peritiam laudo, miror diligentiam: asyndetic tricolon with double chiasmus (ABBAAB) and P-alliteration. Ars and peritia are found in combination in e.g. Tac. hist. 4.30. Vlp. dig. 7.1.27.2., for peritia combined with diligentia see Aug. civ. deo 22.8 ex eorum (medicorum) diligentia peritiaque. The importance of peritia "experience, expertise" in a medical context has already been observed in our text: see et obstetricem peritissimam. For diligentia as a physician's virtue see e.g. Cels. 3.21 ille enim cum summa diligentia non medici tantummodo ... custodiretur; Plin. nat. 11.227 medica diligentia.

7. nolo te artis beneficium perdidisse: accipe mercedem: te, missing in P, is first added by Riese. One would expect perdere instead of perdidisse (c.f. 28.3. regnum, quod mihi seruabatur, nolo accipere), and Hunt 2009: 226-7 proposes nolo <aestimes> or <putes> .... perdidisse. For the infinitive perdidisse see also 14.10 iuuenis iste ... plura se perdidisse testatur. The idea expressed here squares with a general principle in this story: skill and merit require reward; see on 8.12 accipe ... quia mereris. On merces as a doctor's payment (misthós) see ThLL VIII 793,70 f.

7.2. artis beneficium: the phrase (less direct that merces "fee, payment")  indicates remuneration for the medical services provided by the young physician; cf. Cic. fam. 16.9. honos = merces, timé. Riese explains beneficium as fructus. Seneca (benef. 4.13.3) states that physicians who receive payment for their services do not perform a beneficium, since they act in their own interest. For the ancient debate about the way in which the physician's salary affects the definition of the medical profession as a liberal art see Kudlien 1986 167-81.

8. dedit ei decem sestertia auri: ... clear instruction in the letter is that the sum of 20,000 gold sesterces should cover both the fee of the person who finds ... body and the costs of the funeral: 26.4 Quicumque hoc loculum inuenerit habentem in eo XX sestertia auri, peto X sestertia habeat, X uero funeri impendat. Half of the gold is now the student's fee, since a funeral is no longer necessary. The reader is not explicitly informed as to the whereabouts of the rest of the money, yet it is expected that this sum goes to the person who found the coffin, the physician himself, who is thus shown to be a materialistic character (see Zimmerman on Apul. met. 10.9.1. on avaricious physicians in literature).

Ein junger Schüler - der Jüngling

 Discipulus (ein junger Schüler - der Jüngling) aus der Sammlung Gesta Romanorum. Übersetzung von Johann Georg Theodor Gräße

Alsbald ließ er einen Scheiterhaufen erbauen, allein während man noch damit beschäftigt war, den selben aufzurichten um den Körper darauf zu legen, kam ein junger Schüler des Arztes dazu, der jedoch, was sein Genie anging, ein Greis zu seyn schien. Als dieser den schönen Leichnam auf dem Scheiterhaufen liegen sah, erblickte ihn auch sein Meister und sprach zu ihm: Du kommst zur guten Stunde, denn eben wartete ich auf Dich: nimm diese Flasche mit Salbe und gieße sie, was das Letzte bei dem Begräbniß ist, über den Leichnam. Also trat der Jüngling zu dem Leichnam und zog dessen Gewänder weg, und goß mit seiner Hand die Salbe über den ganzen Körper, fühlte aber dabei Leben am Herzen desselben. Der Jüngling erstaunte, fühlte den Puls, und entdeckte Lebenszeichen; prüfte hierauf die Nasenlöcher und legte seine Lippen auf den Mund des Leichnams und entdeckte Leben, welches noch mit dem Tode rang; hierauf sprach er also zu den Dienern: stecket langsam Fackeln an diese vier Enden, nehmt Euch aber in Acht. Als hierauf das Blut, welches erstarrt war, flüssig ward, und dieses der Jüngling gewahr wurde, sprach er zu seinem Meister: das Frauenzimmer, welches Du für todt hältst, lebt, und ich will, damit Du mir Glauben beimissest, Dir solches durch einen Versuch beweisen. Als er so gesprochen hatte, hob er die Prinzessin auf und trug sie in sein Schlafzimmer, und legte ihr heißes Oel auf die Brust; hierauf feuchtete er Wolle an und legte sie auf ihren Körper, so daß das Blut, welches innerlich erstarrt war, durch die Wärme wieder zum Fließen kam und der Athem anfing durch ihr Mark zu ziehen; hierauf öffnete er ihr die Adern, sie schlug die Augen auf, holte Athem und sprach, indem sie wieder zu sich kam: wer bist Du? berühre mich nicht anders, als es sich geziemt, denn ich bin Gemahlin eines Königs. Als das der Jüngling hörte, ward er voller Freude, begab sich in das Zimmer seines Meisters und sprach zu ihm: siehe, Meister, das Frauenzimmer lebt. Der aber sprach: ich bin mit Deiner Erfahrung zufrieden, lobe Deine Kunst, bewundere Deine Klugheit. Höre von jetzt an sorgfältig auf meinen Rath: sey nie undankbar gegen Deine Kunst. Empfange hier Deinen Lohn, denn dieses Frauenzimmer hat eine große Summe Geldes bei sich gehabt; hierauf befahl er sie mit frischen Kleidern, gesunden Speisen und den besten Stärkungsmitteln zu laben, und nach wenigen Tagen, als er erfahren hatte, daß sie aus königlichem Blute entsprossen sey, rief er seine Freunde zu sich und nahm sie an Kindesstatt an. 

PLATA POR NADA (traducción revisada)

 PLATA POR NADA

Una traducción cantable de Dire Straits (Money for Nothing)

por Sandra Dermark – 22 de enero, MMXX

Revisada el 29 de abril, MMXXIII

Yo quiero, yo quiero,

yo quiero MTV…

NANANANANANANANANA

NANANANANANANANANA

Mira a esos chavales,

así es como se hace…

toca la guitarra en la MTV:

eso no es “tajo”, es como se hace,

plata por nada y chicas gratis; ¡oh sí!

Eso no es “tajo”, es como se hace,

Te digo, ninguno de ellos es vulgar:

tal vez te salga una ampolla en el meñique,

tal vez te salga una ampolla en el pulgar…

Hay que instalar hornos microondas,

entrega de electrodomésticos al por mayor…

Hay que mover un poco ese frigo,

hay que mover esa tele en color…

El mariquita del pendiente y maquillado,

del mariquita es su propio peinao…

El mariquita tiene avión privado,

el mariquita ese está forrao…

Hay que instalar hornos microondas,

entrega de electrodomésticos al por mayor…

Hay que mover un poco ese frigo,

hay que mover esa tele en color…

Tendría que aprender a tocar guitarra,

tendría que aprender de percusión…

Mira cómo ella se hace con la cámara,

podríamos tener algo más de diversión…

Y allí arriba esta él con sus ritmos tribales,

tocando los bongos como un chimpancé del Congo…

eso no es “tajo”, es como se hace,

plata por nada y chicas gratis; ¡oh sí!

Hay que instalar hornos microondas,

entrega de electrodomésticos al por mayor…

Hay que mover un poco ese frigo,

hay que mover esa tele en color…

Mira a esos chavales,

así es como se hace…

toca la guitarra en la MTV:

eso no es “tajo”, es como se hace,

plata por nada y chicas gratis; ¡oh sí!

Hay que instalar hornos microondas,

entrega de electrodomésticos al por mayor…

Hay que mover un poco ese frigo,

hay que mover esa tele en color…

plata por nada

y chicas gratis; ¡oh sí!

plata por nada

y chicas gratis; ¡oh sí!