My grandma, who I have already told you about, used to say a Spanish idiom which is complicated to translate into English; it was something like: ?I compare you to the moon in January because it is the brightest moon of the year?. She has no knowledge of astronomy and had probably never heard that the moon is sometimes closer to Earth than at other times, dependent upon its orbit. This and other astronomical aspects have been explained on TV several times during the last week due to the Super Blue Blood Moon; however beyond scientific explanations, the moon is an inspiration for human beings and their artistic expressions.

Upon seeing a picture uploaded by a friend on Instagram, the same one he generously offered to publish in this post, the poem by Garc?a Lorca came to mind:

La luna vino a la fragua

Con su polis?n de nardos.

El ni?o la mira mira.

El ni?o la est? mirando.

This poem, as well as others I have learnt in my childhood, is hidden somewhere in the back of my brain; so, I can only ever remember some random verses .

The moon has not only just inspired poems, but also songs or even paintings. Without making an internet search, I easily remembered a list of songs: Hijo de la Luna by Mecano; Audrey Hepburn singing Moon River while sitting by a window in Breakfast at Tiffany?s; the story of a vampire told on the Moon over Bourbon Street, sang by Sting and his unforgettable Walking on the Moon with The Police. The voice of Ana Belen singing Mira Luna resounded in my mind alongside the image of ?Starry Night? by Van Gogh which her voice had evoked. The list was completed by Michael Jackson who was doing his patented dance move, ?the moonwalk?.

These are my poems, songs and images related to the moon; beyond astronomical explanations that I have listened to over the last week. My wise grandma had another idiom related to the moon, ?There is neither a moon brighter than the one in January, nor love better than the first?. I hope you have enjoyed the beautiful view of the moon; has it suggested you any piece of art? I am looking forward to hearing about it here.

 

This page is also available in: Espa?ol