Re: QOTD Fragrant Quotes

[Guest guest]

After discussing Art, Music and perfume, I was wondering what

everyone's favourite " fragrant quote was " ?

I don't feel like writing a poem,

Instead, I will light the incense-burning vessel

Filled with myrrh, jasmine, and frankincense,

And the poem will grow in my heart

Like the flowers in my garden.

- student of Hafis (15th century A.D.)

After writing intensely for five years on metaphysical subjects, and

poetry, I found myself reaching a blank, where I just could not write

anymore, no poetry emerged from me. I virtually stopped writing

altogether and entered a spiritual dark night where I thought I would

never feel another desire again. I found the above quote and " light

the incense-burning vessel " and indeed the poems started to grow in my

heart again " like the flowers in my garden. "

Traditionally the incense invoked the divine presence, and the

anointing oil conferred divine state.

" I invoke Nefertem, in the following of Ptah. Thou art the guardian

and protector of the perfume and oil makers, protector and god of the

sacred lotus. Osiris is the body of the plants, Nefertum is the soul

of the plants, the plants purified. The divine perfume belongs to

Nefertum living forever. "

Hymn to Nefertem, 18th dynasty

Oils can only be extracted through a process of purification, thus

relating to the purified human psyche or the 'quintessence' of the

alchemists - A drop of fragrance waiting to be released by the warmth

of our being.

Sophia

http://verewig.blog-city.com/

[Guest guest]

>After discussing Art, Music and perfume, I was wondering what

everyone's favourite " fragrant quote was " ?

I don't feel like writing a poem,

Instead, I will light the incense-burning vessel

Filled with myrrh, jasmine, and frankincense,

And the poem will grow in my heart

Like the flowers in my garden.

- student of Hafis (15th century A.D.)<

Thank you so much Sophia for those wonderful thoughts!

Really inspiring....

Have you read " Alchemica " by Yeats? rich decadent scented imagery

and alchemy....

Katlyn

Katlyn Breene

Mermade Magickal Arts (since 1984)

katmermade@...

http://www.mermadearts.com/

[Guest guest]

My favorite perfume quote comes by Baudelaire " Correspondances " (Flowers

of

evil)

" All nature is one temple, the living aisles whereof

Murmur in a soft language, half strange, half understood;

Man wanders there as through a cabalistic wood,

Aware of eyes that watch him in the leaves above.

Like voices echoing in his senses from beyond

Life's watery source, and which into one voice unite,

Vast as the turning planet clothed in darkness and light,

So do all sounds and hues and fragrances correspond.

Perfumes there are as sweet as the music of pipes and strings,

As pure as the naked flesh of children, as full of peace

As wide green prairies — and there are others, having the whole

Corrupt proud all-pervasiveness of infinite things,

Like frankincense, and musk, and myrrh, and ambergris,

That cry of the ecstasy of the body and of the soul " .

Therese

[Guest guest]

> My favorite perfume quote comes by

Baudelaire " Correspondances " (Flowers of

> evil)

This is my preferred poem. I learnt it in high-school and wanted to

quote it, but know only the French version. Very sensuous poem.

Bella

from Tel Aviv (but raised in France)

[Guest guest]

I love Baudelaire and Proust on scent and scented memories. Here's

one by Baudelaire that I love for the humor of it, but also for its truth:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Dog and the Perfume Bottle

Good dog, good dog, come here, come smell this excellent perfume from

the best perfumer in town.

And the dog, wagging his tail, which, I believe, is that creature's

way of laughing and smiling, came over and stuck his curious, wet nose

to the uncorked bottle. The he backed up abruptly in alarm and barked

at me reproachfully.

Ah! You miserable dog, if I'd offered you a sack of excrement, you'd

have smelled it with delight and perhaps devoured it. In this regard,

my friend, you're like the public, to whom one should never offer a

delicate perfume. It exasperates them. Give them only carefully

selected garbage.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

And yet, we as natural perfumers continually strive to help the public

overcome their ignorance... And we will and they will!

Cheers!

Andrine

[Guest guest]

> After discussing Art, Music and perfume, I was wondering what

> everyone's favourite " fragrant quote was " ?

Okay -- it took me a while to locate it. Here it is (my most recent

favorite):

Treasure galore—ornate,

Time-glossed—would decorate

Our chamber, where the rarest blooms

Would blend their lavish scent,

Heady and opulent,

With wisps of amber-like perfumes;

Where all the Orient's

Splendid, rich ornaments—

Deep mirrors, ceilings fine—would each,

In confidential tone,

Speak to the soul alone

In its own sweet and secret speech.

Andrine

(Who's currently swooning from her gardenia tincture...)

[Guest guest]

> My favorite perfume quote comes by

Baudelaire " Correspondances " (Flowers of

> evil)

This is my preferred poem. I learnt it in high-school and wanted to

quote it, but know only the French version. Very sensuous poem.

Bella

from Tel Aviv (but raised in France)

Bella-feel free to post it in French-there's probably at least one person in

the group who could translate it into English. Shavua Tov.

[Guest guest]

My favorite perfume quote comes by Baudelaire " Correspondances " (Flowers

of

evil)

" All nature is one temple, the living aisles whereof

Murmur in a soft language, half strange, half understood;

Man wanders there as through a cabalistic wood,

Aware of eyes that watch him in the leaves above.

Like voices echoing in his senses from beyond

Life's watery source, and which into one voice unite,

Vast as the turning planet clothed in darkness and light,

So do all sounds and hues and fragrances correspond.

Perfumes there are as sweet as the music of pipes and strings,

As pure as the naked flesh of children, as full of peace

As wide green prairies — and there are others, having the whole

Corrupt proud all-pervasiveness of infinite things,

Like frankincense, and musk, and myrrh, and ambergris,

That cry of the ecstasy of the body and of the soul " .

Therese

I believe that this is the poem Bella was referring to, if so, Bella-please

disregard my request to post it in French & thanks anyway.

[Guest guest]

another Baudelaire:

WHEN with closed eyes in autumn's eves of gold

I breathe the burning odours of your breast,

Before my eyes the hills of happy rest

Bathed in the sun's monotonous fires, unfold.

Islands of Lethe where exotic boughs

Bend with their burden of strange fruit bowed down,

Where men are upright, maids have never grown

Unkind, but bear a light upon their brows.

Led by that perfume to these lands of ease,

I see a port where many ships have flown

With sails outwearied of the wandering seas;

While the faint odours from green tamarisks blown,

Float to my soul and in my senses throng,

And mingle vaguely with the sailor's song.

and of course.....

What is this, coming up from the desert,

Like a column of smoke,

Laden with myrrh, with frankincense

And with the perfume of every exotic dust?

Your are the orchard that puts forth

Pomegranates,

With all choice fruits;

Spikenard and saffron, calamus and

Cinnamon,

Myrrh and aloes with all the fine spices.

You are fountain enclosed, a well of water,

Flowing fresh from Lebanon.

Arise, north wind! Come, south wind!

Blow upon my garden,

That its perfume may spread abroad.

- The Song of Songs 3:6

Katlyn Breene

Mermade Magickal Arts (since 1984)

katmermade@...

http://www.mermadearts.com/

[Guest guest]

>

> > After discussing Art, Music and perfume, I was wondering what

> > everyone's favourite " fragrant quote was " ?

I *really* like this one:

You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;

you have stolen my heart

with one glance of your eyes,

with one jewel of your necklace.

How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!

How much more pleasing is your love than wine,

and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!

Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;

milk and honey are under your tongue.

The fragrance of your garments is like that of Lebanon.

You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride;

you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.

Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates

with choice fruits,

with henna and nard,

nard and saffron,

calamus and cinnamon,

with every kind of incense tree,

with myrrh and aloes

and all the finest spices.

You are a garden fountain,

a well of flowing water

streaming down from Lebanon.

From the Song of Chapter 4, verses 9-15

Kiler