Ode To My Little Love

Ode to my little love

I love to sing and I’ve been singing songs to my son at bedtime ever since he was born. Sadly though, I can see the day coming soon when he is going to be too old to want me to sing to him anymore 😭 

I can already feel some of my favorite songs fading from memory, as I stumble over lines because I don’t recite them as often as I once did. Before I forget any more, I’d like to put these words down somewhere so that I can find them easily when I want to refresh my memory.

This song is one of my favorites. It’s an adaptation of John Dryden’s translation of a poem by the Roman lyric poet Horace (finally, my bachelor’s degree in classical studies has come in handy! lol). I’ve taken some liberties with the words to make it flow better as a song, in my opinion, and because the language in Dryden’s version is dated and a bit sexist and I didn’t really like that. 

So, for better or worse, here is my version of the Ninth Ode of the First Book of Horace, adapted from the English translation by John Dryden:

Behold yon mountain’s hoary height

Made higher with new mounds of snow

Again behold the winter’s weight

Oppress the laboring woods below

And streams like ice fetters bound

Benumbed and cramped to solid ground

With well-heaped logs dissolve the cold

And feed the genial hearth with firs

Produce the wine that makes us bold

Of sprightly wit and love inspires

For hereafter shall betide

Love, tis worth her care provide

Let she alone, with what she made

To toss and turn the world below

At her command the storms invade

The winds by her commission blow

Till with a nod she bids them cease

And calm returns, and all is peace

Tomorrow and her works defy

Lay hold upon this present hour

And snatch the pleasures passing by

To put them out of fortune’s power

Nor love nor love’s delights disdain

Whatever thou get today is gain

Secure those early morning joys

That youth un-soured with sorrow bears

Ere withering time thy taste destroys

With sickness and unwieldy years

For active sports and pleasant rest

This is the time to be possessed

The best is but this season’s test

The pointed hour of promised bliss

A pleasant whisper in the dark

A half unwanted stolen kiss

The laugh that guides thee to the mark

When the kind nymph would coyness feign

And hides but to be found again

These are the joys the gods for youth ordain

This is my rat, his name is Wagner. He’s pretty fat, and has gross tumours. Despite all that, he’s in good humour. I hope he sees another New Year ♥

Been reading a lot of chapter books with my son, often during meal times now since the chai tea incident after which my laptop no longer turns on. That was a blessing in disguise!

The is a recent favorite - “The Wild Robot” by Peter Brown. The story is about a cute robot named Roz who gets stuck on an island and makes friend with animals by being kind and helpful. It’s sooo cute, and there are lots of opportunities to do funny voices which I love.

Also, the book deals with a lot of great themes like parenting and diversity, and there is a darker dystopian setting in the background to give it some adult appeal without ruining the lighthearted and upbeat nature of the story.

Overall, a super fun read and both my son and I enjoyed it immensely! I’m excited to have found out there’s a sequel, so that’s something to look forward to, and a great idea for a Christmas present to us both in a few months :)

My son and I were a pretty funny-looking pair at school drop-off this morning.

Holding hands at sunset

Another one of my crude felt drawings using up my son’s old art supplies. This time of a colorful sunset. He actually made the suggestion to add some people, so I put in the stick figures of us holding hands. He liked it so much, he wanted me to put it up on the wall of his room ❤️❤️❤️

I’ve been having fun using up the almost-dry felts in my son’s art supplies and practicing my (very) limited artistic skills in some super quick drawings. I tell my son he has to give every drawing/painting a title so he gets a bit of extra writing practice at art time, and now I’ve gotten into the habit too and find it fun to come up with silly names for the pictures. This one is called - ‘As Things Used To Be’