June 16, 1904 is the day in which the events of James Joyce’s “Ulysses” take place, the 24 hours in which the events of Leopold Bloom, protagonist of “Ulysses”, are condensed.
Every year in Ireland, June 16 is the day dedicated to celebrations in honor of James Joyce and his modernist masterpiece. It is Bloomsday, a term that originated from the surname of the protagonist of “Ulysses”, Leopold Bloom. For the occasion, we share with you “Notturno”, a beautiful poem contained in the collection of short poems “Pomes Penyeach”, published in 1927, in which James Joyce describes a nocturnal scene expressing with his unique and distinctive style all the charm that comes from darkness.
Night by James Joyce
Smite in the darkness
I enter shrouds, pale stars
their torches flutter.
Fatuous lights from the most distant waking skies,
arches upon soaring arches,
the nave of the night black with sin.
Seraphim,
the lost hosts wake up
to serve until
in a dark moon each one falls, dull,
raised that he has and agitated
its censer.
And long and high,
for the nocturnal nave that extends
the beating of stars tolls,
while squalid incense swells, cloud upon cloud,
to the empty spaces from the worshiper
desert of souls.
Nightpiece
Gaunt in gloom
The pale stars their torches,
Enshrouded, wave.
Ghostfires from heaven’s far verges faint illume,
Arches on soaring arches,
Night’s sindark ship.
Seraphim,
The lost hosts awaken
To service till
In moonless gloom each lapses muted, dim,
Raised when she has and shaken
Her thurible.
And long and loud,
To night’s nave upsoaring,
A starknell tolls
As the bleak incense surges, cloud on cloud,
Voidward from the adoring
Waste of souls.
The charm of the night
You know, reading James Joyce is not a walk in the park. The experiments adopted by the modernist writer, at times, make the comprehension of the texts more complicated, from which a particular energy springs. It will be the innovation in the use of new vocabulary, or the obvious reference to spirituality, or the references to the great poets of the past… What is certain is that reading Joyce’s works always excites, whatever it is.
“Notturno”, for example, is a short composition in which a series of intense meanings are condensed, all represented by the charm of the night, a night that from the very first verses presents itself as extremely mysterious, dark like the sins that are hidden in our heart. Superb, in this regard, that neologism inserted in v.6, “night’s sindark nave”, capable of summarizing a very profound concept with only 3 words.
What makes this poem special is also the set of references that James Joyce inserts in memory of his Catholic education: the Seraphim and the censer that is shaken to spread the incense stand out. But, although there is an aura of positivity, the night painted by the author in this poem is a dark night, in which heaven and earth seem unable to join harmoniously, in which spirituality is not enough to reach inspirations and feelings. positive. A wonderful poem, which offers clear visions and strong and contrasting emotions.
Bloomsday
Bloomsday is one of the most heartfelt secular holidays in Ireland. James Joyce is regarded as one of the greatest Irish writers of all time. Furthermore, June 16 is not only the anniversary of the events that take place in “Ulysses”, but it is also the day when Joyce and Nora Barnacle, his life partner, met for the first time to make a walk to the village of Ringsend. A fundamental date, therefore, in the life of the great author.
On the occasion of Bloomsday, countless initiatives have been organized in Ireland. The first celebrations were celebrated in 1950, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of “Ulysses”. In particular, some Irish writers had the idea of celebrating Joyce by retracing the itinerary traced by the literary masterpiece and stopping to read excerpts from the text in the places of “Ulysses”.
Starting from the first year of celebrations, Bloomsday has become a real national anniversary, celebrated with dedicated readings, music and food on the streets offered by pubs, conferences, screenings and traveling theatrical performances. An opportunity not to be missed, for all literature lovers who go on holiday to Ireland.
James Joyce and the fascination of darkness in the poem “Nocturne”