Group project proposal

Sources:
Gong mu do ha ga (don’t cross over the river), traditional corean poem
Gong mu do ha ga
공무도하가(公無渡河歌)

Gong mu do ha 公無渡河 (공무도하)
-Dear don’t cross over the river
Gong kyong do ha 公竟渡河 (공경도하)
-Crossing over the river

Ta ha yi sa 墮河而死 (타하이사)
-you are drowning with the flow, died at last

Dang ne gong ha 當奈公何 (당내공하)
-What can I do for you

Background
It is known as the oldest Korean lyric poem. It is situated in transition period from public folk to personal poetry. In the background of this poem, there was a man who let down his white hair and walked through the river in the madness or ecstasy, holding a bottle of alcohol and his wife was trying to detain him. But he just died under the water, she sadly sang a song and died after her husband. Another man watched this on his way by chance, he said what he saw and listen to his wife. His wife was moved by that story and song, so she played Gonghooin(an ancient instrument similar with harp), singing that song. There is no one who didn’t feel sad and be impressed by that song because it was very sorrowful and beautiful.
There is an interpretation of this poem. One is about it’s periodical situation. The madman could be seen as a priest, and his madness and action which through the water could be understood that he is possessed by a spirit. This was in transition period from the unity of church and state to the separation of that. He might be loosing his power and there is no place for him, so he tried to transcend through death. In his point of view, that space ‘water’ could be explained as a place which surpasses life and death. Another interesting ides of this poem is interpretation in relation to western myth. In this case, Prof. Ahn(a scholar of Korean literature) explained that a mad man have a reference to Dionysus and his wife to a nymph.

Stabat Nuda Aestas, Gabriele D’Annunzio

STABAT NUDA AESTAS

Primamente intravidi il suo piè stretto
scorrere su per gli aghi arsi dei pin
iove estuava l'aere con grande
tremito, quasi bianca vampa effusa.
Le cicale si tacquero. Più rochi
si fecero i ruscelli. Copiosa
la resina gemette giù pe' fusti.
Riconobbi il colùbro dal sentore.

Nel bosco degli ulivi la raggiunsi.
Scorsi l'ombre cerulee dei rami
su la schiena falcata, e i capei fulvi
nell'argento pallàdio trasvolare
senza suono. Più lunghi nella stoppia,
l'allodola balzò dal solco raso,
la chiamò, la chiamò per nome in cielo.
Allora anch'io per nome la chiamai.

Tra i leandri la vidi che si volse.
Come in bronzea mèsse nel falasco
entrò, che richiudeasi strepitoso.
Più lungi, verso il lido, tra la paglia
marina il piede le si tolse in fallo.
Distesa cadde tra le sabbie e l'acque.
Il ponente schiumò nei sui capegli.
Immensa apparve , immensa nudità.






STABAT NUDA AESTAS (NAKED REMAINED THE SUMMER - ENGLISH VERSION)

At first I had a glimpse of her narrow foot
Streaming on the burning pine needles
Where the air was floating, trembling
Greatly, as a white diffused warmth.
Cicadas turned into silence. Hoarser
Turned the rivers. Copious
Resin moaned down the trunks.
I recognized … from the scent

In the olive wood I reached her.
I could see the cerulean shadows of the branches.
On her folded back, and her red hair
Flying silently in the palladium silver.
Later on, in the stubble ground
The skylark jumped out the furrow,
Calling her out, calling her name out again in the sky.
Then, as well, I called out her name.

Among the trees I saw her turning.
Like a bronze-coloured crop she sank in the grass,
Which awesomely closed.
Further, towards the beach, among the marine straw,
Her foot cheated on her.
Laid, she fell down between the sand and the water.
The western wind foamed through her hair.
Immense, she appeared, immense nudity.

Aim:
These sources are going to be the starting point of our 20-minutes devise performance. The main theme are the Life and Death rituals connected to the element of water under the perspective of both Eastern and Western culture.
Water has always been regarded as an element of great importance and human beings have therefore always attributed it multiple meanings and connotations. This is the reason why not only has water always been used by humanity for many different kind of rituals, but also we find water in very important moments in life.

Procedure:
In the next few days each one of us is going to research texts, videos, materials and rituals connected with the element of water. In particular, each member of the group will contribute with a research based on its own cultural background.
This procedure is going to provide us with a wide range of information that will allow us to create a visual imaginary. After that we will be able to start applying all those ideas in a practical way.