Cult of Tarot Forum

As someone who has written a few sonnets over the years, and has translated Folengo's sonnet of 1527 incorporating all the majors, I thought it would be worth a try to follow Folengo with a modern sonnet (long sentence!). The sonnet would be in Shakespearean form-- 3 quatrains and a couplet, rhyming ABABCDCDEFEFGG, in iambic pentameter per line. This form is the Ideal-- the poem might not be so particular. It might be more of a free verse in twenty lines or less. Vocabulary would be modern. Maybe someone else will give this a try. If this gets anywhere, it will be posted in here. If it does not quite make it, then the effort will make me appreciate Folengo much more, and maybe someone else will succeed. Upward and on!

Wow! I'm definitely not going to take up your challenge. The last time I wrote poetry was in high school! But I'm here to support your efforts!

And where can I get a look at your translation?

Good luck and thanks for sharing!

I can post it here in a few days, after looking it over. Not the best translation ever--it's a difficult poem in its diction. You might find it elsewhere: "Sonnet by Theofilo Folengo," Venice, 1527. My translation starts: "Love, under your sway many /Great deeds have conquered Time and Fate, yet / Surely you have seen monstrous , / Shadowy Death in her Chariot..." I have not carried over rhyme and meter from the Italian. It's a paraphrase.

Here is my experimental sonnet: "Temperance Answers The Devil"
The rhyme and meter are not perfect. A few lines may be awry due to copy and paste.
The Devil speaking, then Temperance seemed to work. Maybe I'll try another pair of archetypes.


The Devil speaks to the Human Soul:
“Be blind to Star,Moon,Sun
Shining down on everyone,
Reject the Strength of Love,
Fool, do whatever you want done!
Listen well to the Hierophant
Preaching Heaven or Hell,
Let Judgement of your neighbor
Be your only incantation.
Fall with the serpentine red snake
Down Wheel of Fortune’s left side,
Fall with Hanged Man who has died,
And fall with those who are cast
Down from high Tower forsaken,
And, most of all, let fear of Death
Occupy all your thought and
Cogitation.”
Temperance answers the Devil:
”O Human Soul, keep your eyes
Open to the unseen World,
Keep your heart open
To the Empress’ concrete Love.
Temper the Emperor’s fierce
Determination
With the Hermit’s gentle meditation.
And temper
The Magician’s resourceful fruition
With the High Priestess’ intuition.
Let the balance scales of Justice
Be your mindfulness,
And, beside you in your Chariot,
Temperance will guide and bless.”

[*]

Wow! Incredible poem. This should be published.

Especially as a Libra, I am inspired by the line "Let the balance scales of Justice
Be your mindfulness." The imagery and metaphor at the end of the poem are especially vivid. "And, beside you in your Chariot,
Temperance will guide and bless." It is powerful to realize that Temperance is traveling alongside us as we move forward while riding the Chariot of our lives.

I love it! I'm going to go back and read it more carefully, but I'm so happy you made Temperance your heroine! It's my favorite card, and so few people get it right. I think you really got it right!

The sonnet form is great, too. The rhymes just sort of jump in there right when we need them!

I added one more Major arcana name that I accidentally left out of a line. Now all 22 are in there, I think. Thanks to anyone who read the poem. I hope you liked the attempt to get all the names into a sonnet. Now I am going to try a poem that has two major arcana cards dialogue with each other, seeking common ground. Maybe the Fool and the World. Anyone may have a hand at this.

Here is another experimental poem which has two major arcana tell how they see reality., Fool and World. Justice jumps in at the end. This gets into a flow that keeps on going!

Fool Speaks With World

Fool: “Wake up with beginner’s
Sky-open mind,
Keep away from metaphysical
Mazes. Don’t think at all about
The Truth-- it’s impossible
To find. Truth crazes!
Bathe in the dawn’s rosy hazes,
Look into the sunflower field,
Brown after brown revealed
In flaming golden blazes!
Nothing more needs to be told,
Nothing more needs to unfold.
See the Now. This World Amazes!”
World: “Yet know:
Four elements encircle your Soul,
Seek and find their center,
Develop your Destiny,
Become free and whole,
Grow wise, create your own
World-vast Identity,
Let your Spirit-Soul-Body unfold.
Turn your life’s lead into gold!”
Fool: “And yet to be
So advanced and purified
Really isn’t necessary:
Let be! -- realize you’re free
Already. Be a Master of haiku
Like Buson or Issa or Basho
Hiking over distant mountains,
Lost without destination
Yet on the way, no complication,
Just see! Openness, simplicity
Perfectly fulfill, felicity is complete
Without ambition.
This living moment thrills:
Hear a lark’s joyful trills
As daybreak into light fulfills!”
World: “Still, you will be
Purified in the blast furnace’s
White heat, life after life,
To become a complete:
Quintessential, selfless Adept.
Accept who you are to be!
Ultimately, You will come home,
Fulfillment’s eventuality: see?
Society evolves and evolves,
From tribal clan to theocratic plan
To democratic Man
To Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
Realized in local, global Community,
On to planet with sister
Planets in the enfolding galaxy--
Achieve perfected humanity,
Come to see totality,
Pioneer your own onward
Ascension (life after life’s intention).
Then let ring the trumpet’s call!
Hallelujah! -- Selfhood’s
Complete in the cosmic All.”
Fool: “Look! Here is full reality:
Past and future are fantasy.”
Justice: “I hold up the scales
And tell what is true.
One side only fails.
Welcome, both of you.”