Hello dear Love Is In Da Bloggers, how are you? Can you believe it that we are nearly one week into this years challenge? Time flies even in these strange times.

Today, we are going into the mythical realm and to Turkey/Greece. The prompt is

Paris & Helen ~ Find a love song of war and/or write an ode to Helen & Paris

This is, of course, the story of the Trojan war. Troy lies in today’s Turkey but used to belong to the Greek states. That is why I used both countries in the introduction. The Greeks have given us Drama, Poetry and a lot of words in our languages that no one understands ;-). One of the poetry forms that the Greeks invented was the ode which comes in different forms. You can find out more about it here at the Poetry Foundation.

This was one of the forms that I struggled the most with so let’s start with the music part. A “love song of war”. Well, I think I might have expressed this a bit confusingly and I hope no one understood it as “A love Song for War” but as “A Love Song From The War”. Whichever war that is anyway. So what do we have here?

War Love Song “Lili Marlene”

I have chosen the German Version of Lili Marlene which is slightly different than the English ones. For me, it had to be Marlene Dietrich as her version is iconic and the lyrics fit the music much better in my opinion. I am going to add an unofficial translation to give you an idea of the differences. But here first of all the song:

LILI MARLEN ~ Lyrics

Bee’s unofficial translation

Bei der Kaserne, vor dem gro(ss)en Tor/ Close to the baracks, in front of the big gate
steht ‘ne Laterne und steht sie nach davor/stands a lantern and does it still stand there?
da wollen wir uns wiedersehen/ That is where we want to meet
bei der Laterne wollen wir stehen/We want to stand at the latern
wie einst Lili Marlen/like Lili Marlen once did.

Unsere beiden Schatten sah’n wie einer aus/Our two shadows look like one
da(ss) wir lieb uns hatten/That we loved is other
da(ss) sah man gleich daraus/was obvious from this
und alle Leute sollen es sehen,/And everybody should see it
wenn wir bei der Laterne steh’n/when we stand at the lantern
wie einst Lili Marlen/Like Lili Marlen once did

Deine Schritte kennt sie, deinen schoenen Gang/It knows your steps, your lovely way of walking
alle abend brennt sie, doch mich verga(ss) sie lang/it burns all evening long, but forgot me a long time ago
und sollte mir ein leid geschehen/And should something happen to me
wer wird bei der Laterne stehen/Who will stand at the lantern?
mit dir Lili Marlen?/With you Lili Marlen?

Aus dem tiefen Raume,aus der Erde Grund/Out of the deep universe, down from the earth
hebt sich wie im Traume/rises like in a dream
dein verliebter Mund/your lovelorn mouth
wenn sich die spaeten Nebel dreh’n/When the late mists turn
wer wird bei der Laterne stehen/ who will stand at the lantern
mit dir Lili Marlen/With you Lili Marlen?

I agree with Marlene Dietrich, that the German version of Lili Marlene is much sadder than the English one. Even though there seem to be many versions. I also never knew that it was made from a poem from a German WW1 soldier. How fitting.

It is an ode to love in a way with all its sad implications in war times so now let us see what Ode I could do for Paris & Helen. I chose the version without formalities just to praise and even that didn’t really work. It was a challenge for me because I absolutely prefer short poetry like the Haiku. So here we go and feel free to laugh. Or cry. I did a couple of times 😉 and its good for our mood 🙂

So many Questions but little answers

Oh Helen,

Beautiful Queen

of Menelaus.

Did you go willingly?

Were you Kidnapped?

Deceived?

Did you love the one

Who gave

A French city its name?

So many questions.

But little answers.

Not that it matters

now

that the war is fought

and Troy gone.

But

I still wonder:

Were you happy with him?

So many questions

but little answers.

When all is

said and done,

It does not matter.

Time goes by

Erasing all reasons

But the myth

stays.

So many questions

but little answers.

That’s that and now to tomorrows prompt:

Bonnie & Clyde ~ Find a Blues love song and/or write a Nonet about doomed love

Now dear Love Is In Da Bloggers

go, find music, write poetry

and have lots of fun!!!!

“Love Is In Da Blog” Rules/suggestions

1. Join in! No matter where, when and with what. You missed the first day or week? Don’t worry. Just jump in when it suits you.
2. Send us the link! The ping-back option does not always work so please leave a link in the comments of the post on the day you take part.
3. Tag your post either with “Love Is In Da Blog” or “LoIsInDaBl” or “Love Is In Da Blog 21” or #LoIsInDaBl21. You can also use these as hashtags for Twitter and other Social Networks to give your post more exposure.
4. No matter which music the prompt favours you create with it whatever you please, and whatever length you please (no pun intended 😉 ) as long as it is about “LOVE.”
5. I post the prompt post the day before which is connected with the music for that day so you have some time to make up your mind and create your post. There won’t be two different posts and I hope it’s not too confusing.
6. If you like, use this picture for your readers to find the posts.

Prompt List for Love Is In Da Blog 2021 “Great Love Stories”

1. Choose your own
2. Romeo & Juliet ~ Find a love song and/or write a Madrigal about them.
3. Casablanca ~ Find an unusual version of “As Time Goes By” and/or write an Acrostic with this song title
4. Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal (Taj Mahal) ~ Find a Bollywood song and/or write an Epitaph for lovers
5. Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo ~ Find a Jazz love-song and/or write a Contrapuntal poem about Rivera & Kahlo
6. Paris & Helen ~ Find a love song of war and/or write an ode to Helen & Paris
7. Bonnie & Clyde ~ Find a Blues love song and/or write a Nonet about doomed love
8. Choose your own
9. The Butterfly Lovers ~ Find a pop love song with a butterfly in it and/or write a Gu Ti poem (second form in the article)
10. Johnny Cash & June Carter ~ Find a country love song and/or write a Senryu about love
11. Tristan & Iseult ~ Find a love folk song and/or write an Ae Freislighe about love
12. Dr Zhivago & Lara ~ Find a “revolutionary” love song and/or write an Onegin Stanza about Zhivago and Lara
13. Orpheus & Eurydice ~ Find a singer/songwriter song about love and/or write an Ovillejo poem about love
14. Niulang and Zhinu (Cowherd and Weaver Girl) ~ Find a Valentine’s song and/or write a Sijo poem about love.
15. Choose your own
16. Pretty Woman ~ Find a great opera love song and/or write a Bop poem about Edwards & Vivienne’s love
17. Cleopatra & Mark Antony ~ Find a 50’s love song and/or write a Descord Poem about love
18. Elizabeth Bennett & Mr. Darcy ~ Find a love themed piece of music from the romantic era and/or write a romantic poem.
19. Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas ~ Find a chanson about love and/or write a Lai poem about Gertrude & Alice
20. Sisi & Franz ~ Find an acapella Love song and/or write a Sestina poem about Sisi & Franz
21. Lancelot & Guinevere ~ Find a love rock song and/or write a Hir a Thoddaid poem about love
22. Choose your own
23. Aragorn and Arwen ~ Find a classical love piece and/or write a poem in your own invented language (With translation please )
24. Jackie Kennedy & Aristotle Onassis ~ Find a love song from 1968 and/or write a free verse poem about love
25. Hadrian & Antinous ~ Find a metal ballad about love and/or write a Rispetto poem about their love
26. Katniss & Peeta ~ Find a love song from the “Hunger Games” films and/or write a Tricubes poem about love
27. Dante & Beatrice ~ Find an Italian love song and/or write a Palindrome poem about love
28. Clara & Esteban (House of Spirits) ~ Find an exotic love song and/or write a Katauta poem

Just one more thing before you go: The hospital that is treating me is fundraising for a dedicated breast cancer unit which would allow some same-day diagnosis and better premises for patients and staff.

Please, if you can spare a little money hop over to their Just Giving Page and give as little or much as you can. Or share the page on your social media. So far the campaign has raised about half the amount needed: £421,666 of £800,000 (January 2021).

Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much.

Thanks, my dears, for staying with me until the end.

I appreciate your presence.

Please stay safe, stay kind and remember that you rock!