L’ombra com a única companyia feliç quan hom està sol ha estat cantada per Li Bai i per Su Donpo. I curiosament, la mateixa idea és expressada en la cançó de 1927 d’Al Johnson “Me and my shadow”. Tot i que la lletra potser suggereix solitud, almenys en la meravellosa versió de Peggy Lee té un aire d’independència i felicitat, de sentir-se bé tot sol, acompanyat només de la pròpia ombra. Similar és el tema “We three, my echo, my shadow and me”.
És un sentiment que tinc i que en alguns moments ha estat molt intens.
Li Bai, 701-762
PETITA FESTA
Prenc un flascó de vi
i entre les flors bevia.
Som tres: la lluna, jo
i l’ombra que em seguia.
No sap beure, per sort,
la lluna, bona amiga,
i a la meva ombra mai
la set no l’angunia.
Quan canto, veus ací
la lluna que s’ho mira;
quan em poso a dansar,
l’ombra em fa companyia.
Quan s’acaba el festí,
els convidats no em fugen:
veus ací una tristor
que mai no l’he tinguda.
Si me’n torno al casal,
em segueix l’ombra muda,
i una mica més lluny
m’acompanya la lluna.
Su Dongpo (Su Shi). 1036-1101
To the Tune of “Prelude to the Water Song”
“When will there be a luminous moon?”
I lift my wine and ask the black sky.
I don’t know which year it is tonight in the sky palace.
I wish I could ride the wind and go there,
but I’d be afraid in heaven’s jade towers.
It is too cold to be that high.
So I start to dance with my own shadow.
Nothing is better than the human world!
The moon circles a red pavilion
settling to the carved doors
and shines light on my insomnia.
I don’t think it feels malice,
yet why is the moon so round when lovers separate?
We have sad and happy partings and reunions.
The moon has bright and dark fullness and waning.
Since ancient times nothing has been perfect
but love may last without end
since even a thousand miles apart we can share this full moon.
Me and my shadow
[no confondre amb “My Shadow and me” on l’ombra és metàfora d’un amic inseparable].
Shades of night are falling and I’m lonely
Standing on the corner feeling blue
Sweethearts out for fun
Pass me one by one
Guess I’ll wind up like I always do
With only
Me and my shadow
Strolling down the avenue
Me and my shadow
Not a soul to tell our troubles to
And when it’s twelve o’clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
For nobody’s there
Just me and my shadow
All alone and feeling blue
When the sun sets on the far horizon
And the parlor lamps begin to glow
Jim and Jack and John
Put their slippers on
They’re all set but we’restill on the go
So lonely
Me and my shadow
Strolling down the avenue
Me and my shadow
Not a soul to tell our troubles to
And when it’s twelve o’clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
For nobody’s there
Just me and my shadow
All alone and feeling blue.
We Three, my echo my shadow and me
The Ink Spots
We three, we’re all alone
Living in a memory,
My echo, my shadow and me
We three, we’re not a crowd
We’re not even company,
My echo, my shadow and me
What good is the moonlight,
The silvery moonlight,
That shines above?
I walk with my shadow,
I talk with my echo
But where is the one I love?
We three, we’ll wait for you
Even ’til eternity
My echo, my shadow and me
We three, we’re all alone
Seem like we’re livin’ in a memory
That’s my echo, my shadow and me
We three, we ain’t no crowd
Fact is, we ain’t even company
That’s my echo, my shadow and me
Y’know, I’ve been wonderin’
What good is the moonlight,
That silvery moonlight,
That shines way, way up above?
Yeah, I walk with my shadow,
I talk with my echo,
But where is that gal that I love?
We three, we’ll wait for you,
Even ’til eternity
My echo, my shadow and me.
Moments de caminar sol i content
2006 Platja de Santander, Fats Domino it Keeps raining
2016 Ushuia, després s’haver deixat el grup i la connexió amb la Maddie, Solomon Burke, Cry to me, Down in the Valley.
2022 Tornant D’Uzbekistan, pressentint que jo veuria més la Míriam, Chuck Berry, You came along way from St.Louis.
Altres
La història de Peter Schlemil
Teatre d’ombres