There is sweet music here - Alfred Tennyson & Clements

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 7 April 2006, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

EXPLANATION OF THE GLOSSING SYSTEM
(to understand how I describe the signs in this translation).

HERE HAVE MUSIC SWEET. LIGHT-WEIGHT LIKE ROSE
BLOOM~'blow on bloom'~PETALS-DRIFT-DOWN GRASS.
#OR OVERNIGHT WATER SURFACE-QUIET.
BETWEEN MOUNTAIN WALLS, MOON SHINE-DOWN REFLECT SHINY.
MUSIC MAKE SPIRIT (2h)PEACE-SIGN.
DROWSY, EYELIDS-CLOSE LIGHT-WEIGHT COVER EYES READY SLEEP.
SWEET SLEEP, MUSIC BRING-DOWN FROM NIGHT SKY.
HERE COOL M-O-S-S ON ROCK DEEP.
BETWEEN ROCK, I-V-Y CREEP-UP.
IN RIVER, FLOWER LEAF DROOP, IDEA~LIKE CRY.
RED FLOWER IN STONE HANG-HEAD TOO, FAMOUS OFFER SLEEP.


Notes: LIGHT-WEIGHT - I could have just written LIGHT, here it means not heavy, and I didn't want it to be confused with LIGHT as in "bright".

BLOOM~'blow on bloom'~PETALS-DRIFT-DOWN - (2h)[A] are held together but the hands are twisted like the beginning of CHANGE. Hands twist back while opening to (2h)[5:] with the hands still held together. While the hands are still in this position, blow on the fingers as if the wind came along and then (2h)[5], POs down, FOs away, descend with wg.

OVERNIGHT - Hands are held like NIGHT and then the DH FT move down and under the NDH while the Dh remains in contact.

SURFACE-QUIET - (2h)[5], POs down, FOs away, move like the surface of a lake where there are gentle waves.

WALLS - (2h)[B], POs ><, FOs up, move away together indicating walls on each side.

MOON - [bC], PO > NDS, FO up, surrounds the eye and touches, then moves upwards and > DS.

SHINE-DOWN - [O^] is held high PO > signer; hands open to [5^] while moving > signer.

REFLECT - [O^], PO away, FOs up, is brought to [B], PO away, FO up, and reflects off it while opening to [5].

SHINY - (2h)[open 8], POs down, FOs away, twist rapidly at wrists while rising. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Shine.

(2h)PEACE-SIGN - (2h)[V], POs away, FOs up, are held at shoulder level.

DROWSY - (2h)[B^], PO down, FOs ><, are held at eye level and alt. twist so that PO > signer as if eyelids were drooping.

EYELIDS-CLOSE - (2h)[B^], PO down, FOs ><, are held at eye level and twist together so that PO > signer as if eyelids had closed.

COVER - (2h)[B^], POs down, FOs away, DH is over NDH and brushes over it as it moves closer to the signer, almost like the first half of COMFORTABLE.

BRING-DOWN - (2h)[B], POs up, FOs away, moves from a high level down to and moves > signer.

CREEP-UP - (2h)[5:], POs away, FOs up, wg while ascending in a curvy pattern like an ivy plant would make.

LEAF - NDH [1] is held against wrist closest to thumb of [5] with DH wg.

DROOP - (2h)[5] are held up with very limp wrists and then descend like they are too heavy to hold up.

IDEA~LIKE - a blending where IDEA has a [Y] instead of an [I] in anticipation of LIKE which is signed smoothly right afterwards.

HANG-HEAD - [S] is held up as if it were going to sign YES and then droops down with the head.

Lyrics:

There is sweet music here that softer falls
Than petals from blown roses on the grass,
Or night-dews on still waters between walls
Of shadowy granite, in a gleaming pass;
Music that gentlier on the spirit lies,
Than tired eyelids upon tired eyes;
Music that brings sweet sleep down from the blissful skies.
Here are cool mosses deep,
And thro' the moss the ivies creep,
And in the stream the long-leaved flowers weep,
And from the craggy ledge the poppy hangs in sleep.

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