Deze week meer daarover ter ere van ‘de dag van de stilte’ dag die in ons blog al zo’n zestien jaar is geworden ‘in de stilte’.

Het riviertje om rustig bij te gaan zitten bieden wij je hieronder graag aan, 3’30”, maar eindeloos te herhalen, met dank aan de BBC. Ogen dicht en je bent er.

KEEPING QUIET
by Pablo Neruda

Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.

For once on the face of the earth,
let’s not speak in any language;
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

Fisherman in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.

If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.

Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.

Een ander beekje om je rijkelijk diep in te baden zijn de mooie Diabelli Variaties opus 120 van Ludwig von Beethoven, een kunstenaar die wist wat stilte was en wellicht mee daardoor zo’n prachtige muziek kon schrijven.