bridge over troubled water
lyrics
When you're weary, feeling small,
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all
I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Sail on, silvergirl
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Meaning
It means a place of safety, comfort and security. When waters are troubled (turbulent, fast-flowing and possibly dangerous) a bridge provides a place away from the drama and confusion.
The classic 1970 song of that name, by Simon and Garfunkel, is about providing comfort to a friend: being that bridge over troubled water when the other person needs to be lifted up, away from their troubles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
※Sail on, sail on by, silver girl?
Explanation:
(1)"The line "Sail on, silver girl" is often reputed to refer to a needle (meaning the song is about heroin) but it actually refers to Simon's girlfriend (and later wife) Peggy Harper who found a few gray hairs and was upset. The lyric was meant as a joke - Simon calling her "Silver Girl" because of her hair."
(2)silver girl might also mean the moon.if you listen to the lyrics with this context in mind , all the paragraph makes sense
--------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking up a dictionary~~
having the simplicity, charm, serenity, or other characteristics generally attributed to rural areas:
pastoral scenery; the pastoral life.<----->
rustic:of, relating to, or living in the country, as distinguished from towns or cities; rural.
※rural and rustic---What's the difference?
＊As adjectives the difference between rural and rustic is that rural is pertaining to less-populated, non-urban areas while rustic is country-styled or pastoral; rural.
＊As a noun rustic is a (sometimes unsophisticated) person from a rural area.
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※The words that i like and want to learn:
deleterious<----->delegate
obliterate:to remove from existence; destroy utterly all trace, indication, or significance of
ferment : cause to undergo fermentation
virile :
having the nature, properties, or qualities of an adult male; specifically : capable of functioning as a male in copulation
congenial(<--->congenital)
existing or associated together harmoniously
abstemious:
marked by restraint especially in the consumption of food or alcohol; also : reflecting such restraint <an abstemious diet>
※Talking about "the person you hate":
foe:an enemy in war
enemy :one that takes an opposite position (as in a debate, contest, or conflict)
rival: one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess
nemesis:a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent
※The difference between "fable","parable","allegory"
＊explanation 1
Allegory: A story in which ideas are symbolized as people.
Parable: A short story designed to teach a moral or religious lesson.
Fable: A short story in which animals or objects speaks a story, to teach a moral or religious lesson.(anthropomorph: a stylized human figure (as in prehistoric art))
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Scarborough Fair
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Remember me to the one who lives there,
For once she was a true love of mine.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Without any seam or needlework,
Then she shall be a true love of mine.
Tell her to wash it in yonder well,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Where never sprung water or rain ever fell,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.
Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Which never bore blossom since Adam was born,
Then she shall be a true lover of mine.
※cambric: a cotton fabric that resembles cambric
※yonder: at or in that indicated more or less distant place usually within sight
※parsley:
a European biennial herb of the carrot family widely grown for its finely dissected curly or flat leaves which are used as an herb or garnish; also : the leaves
※rosemary:
a fragrant shrubby Mediterranean mint having grayish-green needlelike leaves used as a seasoning
※thyme: any of a genus of Eurasian mints with small pungent aromatic leaves; especially a Mediterranean garden herb.
※sage: European perennial mint with grayish-green aromatic leaves used especially in flavoring meats.
※garnish:to add decorative or savory touches to (food or drink)
※perennial: present at all seasons of the year
※shrubby :consisting of or covered with shrubs
The History and Romance Behind Scarborough Fair
“Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine.” ~Scarborough Fair / Canticle by Simon & Garfunkel, based on an old English ballad, possibly based on an even older Scottish one. (Image source and link given below)
*I always wondered about this song and after much research have discovered that the meaning of the song and refrain has been much debated. One theory from this herb lore site:
“The herbs parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, recurring in the second line of each stanza, make up for a key motive in the song. Although meaningless to most people today, these herbs spoke to the imagination of medieval people as much as red roses do to us today. Without any connotation necessary, they symbolize virtues the singer wishes his true love and himself to have, in order to make it possible for her to come back again.”
A theory from this site: “The four herbs highlighted in the song symbolize a complex love riddle compiled by a spurned lover. The “one who lives there” was supposed to figure it out. In the days of Scarborough Fair, herbs were prized primarily for medicinal value as well as their ability to ward off foul odors and dye cloth. Many herbs were assigned multiple meanings related to the various ills or problems they were supposed to cure. The love riddle in this case was designed to woo the lady back through the hidden meanings of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.”
I have no personal theory but found all of this interesting. According to Wikipedia: The ballad tells the tale of a young man, who tells the listener to ask his former lover to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she completes these tasks he will take her back. Often the song is sung as a duet, with the woman then giving her lover a series of equally impossible tasks, promising to give him his seamless shirt once he has finished.
As the versions of the ballad known under the title “Scarborough Fair” are usually limited to the exchange of these impossible tasks, many suggestions concerning the plot have been proposed, including the hypothesis that it is a song about the Plague. In fact, “Scarborough Fair” appears to derive from an older (and now obscure) Scottish ballad, The Elfin Knight (Child Ballad #2) which has been traced at least as far back as 1670 and may well be earlier. In this ballad, an elf threatens to abduct a young woman to be his lover unless she can perform an impossible task .
As the song spread, it was adapted, modified, and rewritten to the point that dozens of versions existed by the end of the 18th century, although only a few are typically sung nowadays. The references to “Scarborough Fair” and the refrain “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” date to nineteenth century versions, and the refrain may have been borrowed from the ballad Riddles Wisely Expounded, (Child Ballad ), which has a similar plot.
MEANING OF THE REFRAIN:
Much thought has gone into attempts to explain the refrain “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme“, although, as this is found only in relatively recent versions, there may not be much to explain. The oldest versions of “The Elfin Knight” (circa 1650) contain the refrain “my plaid away, my plaid away, the wind shall not blow my plaid away” (or variations thereof), which may reflect the original emphasis on the lady’s chastity. Slightly younger versions often contain one of a group of related refrains:
Sober and grave grows merry in time
Every rose grows merry with time
There’s never a rose grows fairer with time
These are usually paired with “Once she was a true love of mine” or some variant.
“Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” may simply be an alternate rhyming refrain to the original. Folksong scholar Märta Ramsten states that folksong refrains containing enumerations of herbs — spices and medical herbs — occur in many languages. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme may also refer to the pagan belief, that when together, can be a love charm.
Scarborough is a small town on the coast of England. “Scarborough Fair” was a popular gathering in Medieval times, attracting traders and entertainers from all over the country. The fair lasted 45 days and started every August 15th. In the 1600s, mineral waters were found in Scarborough and it became a resort town. Today, Scarborough is a quiet town with a rich history.
In Medieval England, this became a popular folk song as Bards would sing it when they traveled from town to town. The author of the song is unknown, and many different versions exist. The traditional version has many more lyrics.
The lyrics are about a man trying to attain his true love. In Medieval times, the herbs mentioned in the song represented virtues that were important to the lyrics.
★ Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage.
※seam: the stitching used in such a joining
※hypothesis:an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument
※connotation:
the suggesting of a meaning by a word apart from the thing it explicitly names or describes
※ ward off:to avoid being hit by (something)
※enumerations :to ascertain the number of
※pagan :one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods ; an irreligious or hedonistic person
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
☆discreet =prudent=cautious
☆rustic =pastoral
innocuous=innocent
gaudy=showy
=splashy
=ostentatious
=garish(excessively or disturbingly vivid <garish colors>)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
specious:having a false look of truth or genuineness
attitude:a mental position with regard to a fact or state
aptitude:a natural ability
altitude:a high level (as of quality or feeling)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi abandoned a life of luxury for a life devoted to Christianity after reportedly hearing the voice of God, who commanded him to rebuild the Christian church and live in poverty. He is the patron saint for ecologists.
Synopsis
Born in Italy circa 1181, St. Francis of Assisi was renowned for drinking and partying in his youth. After fighting in a battle between Assisi and Perugia, Francis was captured and imprisoned for ransom. He spent nearly a year in prison—awaiting his father's payment—and, according to legend, began receiving visions from God. After his release from prison, Francis heard the voice of Christ, who told him to repair the Christian Church and live a life of poverty. Consequently, he abandoned his life of luxury and became a devotee of the faith, his reputation spreading all over the Christian world. Later in life, Francis reportedly received a vision that left him with the stigmata of Christ—marks resembling the wounds Jesus Christ suffered when he was crucified—making Francis the first person to receive such holy wounds. He was canonized as a saint on July 16, 1228. Today, St. Francis of Assisi has had a lasting resonance with millions of followers across the globe.
Early Life of Luxury
Born circa 1181, in Assisi, duchy of Spoleto, Italy, St. Francis of Assisi, though revered today, began his life as a confirmed sinner. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant who owned farmland around Assisi, and his mother was a beautiful Frenchwoman. Francis was not in want during his youth; he was spoiled, indulging himself with fine food, wine, and wild celebrations. By age 14, he had left school and become known as a rebellious teenager who frequently drank, partied and broke the city curfew. He was also known for his charm and vanity.
In these privileged surroundings, Francis of Assisi learned the skills of archery, wrestling and horsemanship. He was expected to follow his fat her into the family textile business but was bored by the prospect of life in the cloth trade. Instead of planning a future as a merchant, he began daydreaming of a future as a knight; knights were Medieval action heroes, and if Francis had any ambition, it was to be a war hero like them. It wouldn't be long before the opportunity for warfare beckoned.
In 1202, war broke between Assisi and Perugia, and Francis eagerly took his place with the cavalry. Little did he know at the time, his experience with war would change him forever.
War and Imprisonment
Francis and the men of Assisi came under heavy attack, and in the face of superior numbers, they took flight. The whole battlefield was soon covered with the bodies of butchered, mutilated men, screaming in agony. Most of the surviving Assisi troops were immediately put to death.
Unskilled and with no combat experience, Francis was quickly captured by enemy soldiers. Dressed like an aristocrat and wearing expensive new armor, he was considered worthy of a decent ransom, and the soldiers decided to spare his life. He and the other wealthy troops were taken as prisoners, led off to a dank underground cell. Francis would spend nearly a year in such miserable conditions—awaiting his father's payment—during which time he may well have contracted a serious disease. Also during this time, he would later report, he began to receive visions from God.()
After the War
After a year of negotiations, Francis's ransom was accepted, and he was released from prison in 1203. When he came back to Assisi, however, Francis was a very different man. Upon his return, he was dangerously sick in both mind and body—a battle-fatigued casualty of war.
One day, as legend has it, while riding on a horse in the local countryside, Francis encountered a leper. Prior to the war, Francis would have run from the leper, but on this occasion, his behavior was very different. Viewing the leper as a symbol of moral conscience—or as Jesus incognito, according to some religious scholars—he embraced and kissed him, later describing the experience as a feeling of sweetness in his mouth. After this incident, Francis felt an indescribable freedom. His earlier lifestyle had lost all of its appeal.
Subsequently, Francis, now in his early 20s, began turning his focus toward God. Instead of working, he spent an ever-increasing amount of time at a remote mountain hideaway as well as in old, quiet churches around Assisi, praying, looking for answers, and helping nurse lepers. During this time, while praying before an old Byzantine crucifix at the church of San Damiano, Francis reportedly heard the voice of Christ, who told him to rebuild the Christian Church and to live a life of extreme poverty. Francis obeyed and devoted himself to Christianity. He began preaching around Assisi and was soon joined by 12 loyal followers.
Some regarded Francis as a madman or a fool, but others viewed him as one of the greatest examples of how to live the Christian ideal since Jesus Christ himself. Whether he was really touched by God, or simply a man misinterpreting hallucinations brought on by mental illness and/or poor health, Francis of Assisi quickly became well-known throughout the Christian world.
Devotion to Christianity
After his epiphany at the church of San Damiano, Francis experienced another defining moment in his life. In order to raise money to rebuild the Christian church, he sold a bolt of cloth from his father's shop, along with his horse. His father became furious upon learning of his son's actions and subsequently dragged Francis before the local bishop. The bishop told Francis to return his father's money, to which his reaction was extraordinary: He stripped off his clothes, and along with them, returned the money back to his father, declaring that God was now the only father he recognized. This event is credited as Francis's final conversion, and there is no indication that Francis and his father ever spoke again thereafter.
The bishop gave Francis a rough tunic, and dressed in these new humble clothes, Francis left Assisi. Unluckily for him, the first people he met on the road were a group of dangerous thieves, who beat him badly. Despite his wounds, Francis was elated. From now on, he would live according to the Gospel.
Francis's embrace of Christ-like poverty was a radical notion at the time. The Christian church was tremendously rich, much like the people heading it, which concerned Francis and many others, who felt that the long-held apostolic ideals had eroded. Francis set out on a mission to restore Jesus Christ's own, original values to the now-decadent church. With his incredible charisma, he drew thousands of followers to him. They listened to Francis's sermons and joined in his way of life; his followers became known as Franciscan friars.
Continuously pushing himself in the quest for spiritual perfection, Francis was soon preaching in up to five villages per day, teaching a new kind of emotional and personal Christian religion that everyday people could understand. He even went so far as to preach to animals, which garnered criticism from some and earned him the nickname "God's fool." But Francis's message was spread far and wide, and thousands of people were captivated by what they heard.
In 1224, Francis reportedly received a vision that left him with the stigmata of Christ—marks resembling the wounds Jesus Christ suffered when he was crucified, through his hands and the gaping lance wound in his side. This made Francis the first person to receive the holy wounds of the stigmata. They would remain visible for the rest of his life. Because of his earlier work treating lepers, some believe that the wounds were actually symptoms of leprosy.
Death and Legacy
As Francis approached his death, many predicted that he was a saint in the making. When his health began to decline more rapidly, Francis went home. Knights were sent from Assisi to guard him and to make sure that no one from neighboring towns would carry him off (the body of a saint was viewed, at the time, as an extremely valuable relic that would bring, among many things, glory to the town where it rested).
Francis of Assisi died on October 3, 1226, at the age of 44, in Assisi, Italy. Today, Francis has a lasting resonance with millions of followers across the globe. He was canonized as a saint just two years after his death, on July 16, 1228, by his former protector, Pope Gregory IX. Today, St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint for ecologists—a title honoring his boundless love for animals and nature.
※archery:the art, practice, or skill of shooting with bow and arrow
※vanity:When you are too interested in your appearance or achievement.
※Calvary: an open-air representation of the crucifixion of Jesus
※prospect:(1) : an extensive view (2) : a mental consideration
※butcher(verb.):one that kills ruthlessly or brutally
※mutilate: to cause severe damage to (the body of a person or animal)
※hallucination:an unfounded or mistaken impression or notion
※duchy:the area of land owned or ruled by a duke pr duchess.
※leprosy:an infectious disease that damages a person's nerves and skin
↑leper:(1)a person who has leprosy
(2)a person who is strongly disliked and avoided by other people because of something bad that he or she has done.
※stigmata:marks that appear on a person's body in the same places as those made on Jesus Christ's body when he was fastened to a cross with nails.
※incognito:avoiding being recognized ,by changing your name or appearance
※aristocrat :a person of high social rank;a member of the aristocracy
※textile :a cloth made by hand or machine
※curfew:a rule that everyone must stay at home between particular time,usually at night ,especially during a war or a period of political trouble.
Meaning
It means a place of safety, comfort and security. When waters are troubled (turbulent, fast-flowing and possibly dangerous) a bridge provides a place away from the drama and confusion.
The classic 1970 song of that name, by Simon and Garfunkel, is about providing comfort to a friend: being that bridge over troubled water when the other person needs to be lifted up, away from their troubles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
※Sail on, sail on by, silver girl?
 |
| silver girl |
Explanation:
(1)"The line "Sail on, silver girl" is often reputed to refer to a needle (meaning the song is about heroin) but it actually refers to Simon's girlfriend (and later wife) Peggy Harper who found a few gray hairs and was upset. The lyric was meant as a joke - Simon calling her "Silver Girl" because of her hair."
(2)silver girl might also mean the moon.if you listen to the lyrics with this context in mind , all the paragraph makes sense
--------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking up a dictionary~~
having the simplicity, charm, serenity, or other characteristics generally attributed to rural areas:
pastoral scenery; the pastoral life.<----->
rustic:of, relating to, or living in the country, as distinguished from towns or cities; rural.
※rural and rustic---What's the difference?
＊As adjectives the difference between rural and rustic is that rural is pertaining to less-populated, non-urban areas while rustic is country-styled or pastoral; rural.
＊As a noun rustic is a (sometimes unsophisticated) person from a rural area.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
※The words that i like and want to learn:
deleterious<----->delegate
obliterate:to remove from existence; destroy utterly all trace, indication, or significance of
ferment : cause to undergo fermentation
virile :
 .jpg) |
| virile Having or exhibiting masculine energy, forcefulness, or strength in a marked degree. |
congenial(<--->congenital)
existing or associated together harmoniously
abstemious:
marked by restraint especially in the consumption of food or alcohol; also : reflecting such restraint <an abstemious diet>
※Talking about "the person you hate":
foe:an enemy in war
enemy :one that takes an opposite position (as in a debate, contest, or conflict)
rival: one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess
nemesis:a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent
※The difference between "fable","parable","allegory"
＊explanation 1
Allegory: A story in which ideas are symbolized as people.
Parable: A short story designed to teach a moral or religious lesson.
Fable: A short story in which animals or objects speaks a story, to teach a moral or religious lesson.(anthropomorph: a stylized human figure (as in prehistoric art))
 |
| anthropomorphic:described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes |
Scarborough Fair
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Remember me to the one who lives there,
For once she was a true love of mine.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Without any seam or needlework,
Then she shall be a true love of mine.
Tell her to wash it in yonder well,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Where never sprung water or rain ever fell,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.
Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Which never bore blossom since Adam was born,
Then she shall be a true lover of mine.
※cambric: a cotton fabric that resembles cambric
 |
| cambric shirt |
※yonder: at or in that indicated more or less distant place usually within sight
 |
| yonder mountain--a Cherokee legend(one illustrated book) |
 |
| parsley(comfort) |
a European biennial herb of the carrot family widely grown for its finely dissected curly or flat leaves which are used as an herb or garnish; also : the leaves
※rosemary:
a fragrant shrubby Mediterranean mint having grayish-green needlelike leaves used as a seasoning
 |
| rosemary(love) |
 |
| thyme(courage) |
 |
| sage(strength) |
※perennial: present at all seasons of the year
※shrubby :consisting of or covered with shrubs
 |
| shrubby |
The History and Romance Behind Scarborough Fair
“Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine.” ~Scarborough Fair / Canticle by Simon & Garfunkel, based on an old English ballad, possibly based on an even older Scottish one. (Image source and link given below)
*I always wondered about this song and after much research have discovered that the meaning of the song and refrain has been much debated. One theory from this herb lore site:
“The herbs parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, recurring in the second line of each stanza, make up for a key motive in the song. Although meaningless to most people today, these herbs spoke to the imagination of medieval people as much as red roses do to us today. Without any connotation necessary, they symbolize virtues the singer wishes his true love and himself to have, in order to make it possible for her to come back again.”
A theory from this site: “The four herbs highlighted in the song symbolize a complex love riddle compiled by a spurned lover. The “one who lives there” was supposed to figure it out. In the days of Scarborough Fair, herbs were prized primarily for medicinal value as well as their ability to ward off foul odors and dye cloth. Many herbs were assigned multiple meanings related to the various ills or problems they were supposed to cure. The love riddle in this case was designed to woo the lady back through the hidden meanings of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.”
I have no personal theory but found all of this interesting. According to Wikipedia: The ballad tells the tale of a young man, who tells the listener to ask his former lover to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she completes these tasks he will take her back. Often the song is sung as a duet, with the woman then giving her lover a series of equally impossible tasks, promising to give him his seamless shirt once he has finished.
As the versions of the ballad known under the title “Scarborough Fair” are usually limited to the exchange of these impossible tasks, many suggestions concerning the plot have been proposed, including the hypothesis that it is a song about the Plague. In fact, “Scarborough Fair” appears to derive from an older (and now obscure) Scottish ballad, The Elfin Knight (Child Ballad #2) which has been traced at least as far back as 1670 and may well be earlier. In this ballad, an elf threatens to abduct a young woman to be his lover unless she can perform an impossible task .
As the song spread, it was adapted, modified, and rewritten to the point that dozens of versions existed by the end of the 18th century, although only a few are typically sung nowadays. The references to “Scarborough Fair” and the refrain “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” date to nineteenth century versions, and the refrain may have been borrowed from the ballad Riddles Wisely Expounded, (Child Ballad ), which has a similar plot.
MEANING OF THE REFRAIN:
Much thought has gone into attempts to explain the refrain “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme“, although, as this is found only in relatively recent versions, there may not be much to explain. The oldest versions of “The Elfin Knight” (circa 1650) contain the refrain “my plaid away, my plaid away, the wind shall not blow my plaid away” (or variations thereof), which may reflect the original emphasis on the lady’s chastity. Slightly younger versions often contain one of a group of related refrains:
Sober and grave grows merry in time
Every rose grows merry with time
There’s never a rose grows fairer with time
These are usually paired with “Once she was a true love of mine” or some variant.
“Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” may simply be an alternate rhyming refrain to the original. Folksong scholar Märta Ramsten states that folksong refrains containing enumerations of herbs — spices and medical herbs — occur in many languages. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme may also refer to the pagan belief, that when together, can be a love charm.
Scarborough is a small town on the coast of England. “Scarborough Fair” was a popular gathering in Medieval times, attracting traders and entertainers from all over the country. The fair lasted 45 days and started every August 15th. In the 1600s, mineral waters were found in Scarborough and it became a resort town. Today, Scarborough is a quiet town with a rich history.
In Medieval England, this became a popular folk song as Bards would sing it when they traveled from town to town. The author of the song is unknown, and many different versions exist. The traditional version has many more lyrics.
The lyrics are about a man trying to attain his true love. In Medieval times, the herbs mentioned in the song represented virtues that were important to the lyrics.
★ Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage.
※seam: the stitching used in such a joining
※hypothesis:an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument
※connotation:
the suggesting of a meaning by a word apart from the thing it explicitly names or describes
※ ward off:to avoid being hit by (something)
※enumerations :to ascertain the number of
※pagan :one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods ; an irreligious or hedonistic person
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
☆discreet =prudent=cautious
☆rustic =pastoral
innocuous=innocent
gaudy=showy
=splashy
 |
| learn ostentatious from this sentence↑ |
=garish(excessively or disturbingly vivid <garish colors>)
 |
| gaudy |
specious:having a false look of truth or genuineness
 |
| learn "specious" from this↑ dialogue |
 |
| attitude aptitude altitude |
aptitude:a natural ability
altitude:a high level (as of quality or feeling)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi abandoned a life of luxury for a life devoted to Christianity after reportedly hearing the voice of God, who commanded him to rebuild the Christian church and live in poverty. He is the patron saint for ecologists.
Synopsis
Born in Italy circa 1181, St. Francis of Assisi was renowned for drinking and partying in his youth. After fighting in a battle between Assisi and Perugia, Francis was captured and imprisoned for ransom. He spent nearly a year in prison—awaiting his father's payment—and, according to legend, began receiving visions from God. After his release from prison, Francis heard the voice of Christ, who told him to repair the Christian Church and live a life of poverty. Consequently, he abandoned his life of luxury and became a devotee of the faith, his reputation spreading all over the Christian world. Later in life, Francis reportedly received a vision that left him with the stigmata of Christ—marks resembling the wounds Jesus Christ suffered when he was crucified—making Francis the first person to receive such holy wounds. He was canonized as a saint on July 16, 1228. Today, St. Francis of Assisi has had a lasting resonance with millions of followers across the globe.
Early Life of Luxury
Born circa 1181, in Assisi, duchy of Spoleto, Italy, St. Francis of Assisi, though revered today, began his life as a confirmed sinner. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant who owned farmland around Assisi, and his mother was a beautiful Frenchwoman. Francis was not in want during his youth; he was spoiled, indulging himself with fine food, wine, and wild celebrations. By age 14, he had left school and become known as a rebellious teenager who frequently drank, partied and broke the city curfew. He was also known for his charm and vanity.
In these privileged surroundings, Francis of Assisi learned the skills of archery, wrestling and horsemanship. He was expected to follow his fat her into the family textile business but was bored by the prospect of life in the cloth trade. Instead of planning a future as a merchant, he began daydreaming of a future as a knight; knights were Medieval action heroes, and if Francis had any ambition, it was to be a war hero like them. It wouldn't be long before the opportunity for warfare beckoned.
In 1202, war broke between Assisi and Perugia, and Francis eagerly took his place with the cavalry. Little did he know at the time, his experience with war would change him forever.
War and Imprisonment
Francis and the men of Assisi came under heavy attack, and in the face of superior numbers, they took flight. The whole battlefield was soon covered with the bodies of butchered, mutilated men, screaming in agony. Most of the surviving Assisi troops were immediately put to death.
Unskilled and with no combat experience, Francis was quickly captured by enemy soldiers. Dressed like an aristocrat and wearing expensive new armor, he was considered worthy of a decent ransom, and the soldiers decided to spare his life. He and the other wealthy troops were taken as prisoners, led off to a dank underground cell. Francis would spend nearly a year in such miserable conditions—awaiting his father's payment—during which time he may well have contracted a serious disease. Also during this time, he would later report, he began to receive visions from God.()
After the War
After a year of negotiations, Francis's ransom was accepted, and he was released from prison in 1203. When he came back to Assisi, however, Francis was a very different man. Upon his return, he was dangerously sick in both mind and body—a battle-fatigued casualty of war.
One day, as legend has it, while riding on a horse in the local countryside, Francis encountered a leper. Prior to the war, Francis would have run from the leper, but on this occasion, his behavior was very different. Viewing the leper as a symbol of moral conscience—or as Jesus incognito, according to some religious scholars—he embraced and kissed him, later describing the experience as a feeling of sweetness in his mouth. After this incident, Francis felt an indescribable freedom. His earlier lifestyle had lost all of its appeal.
Subsequently, Francis, now in his early 20s, began turning his focus toward God. Instead of working, he spent an ever-increasing amount of time at a remote mountain hideaway as well as in old, quiet churches around Assisi, praying, looking for answers, and helping nurse lepers. During this time, while praying before an old Byzantine crucifix at the church of San Damiano, Francis reportedly heard the voice of Christ, who told him to rebuild the Christian Church and to live a life of extreme poverty. Francis obeyed and devoted himself to Christianity. He began preaching around Assisi and was soon joined by 12 loyal followers.
Some regarded Francis as a madman or a fool, but others viewed him as one of the greatest examples of how to live the Christian ideal since Jesus Christ himself. Whether he was really touched by God, or simply a man misinterpreting hallucinations brought on by mental illness and/or poor health, Francis of Assisi quickly became well-known throughout the Christian world.
Devotion to Christianity
After his epiphany at the church of San Damiano, Francis experienced another defining moment in his life. In order to raise money to rebuild the Christian church, he sold a bolt of cloth from his father's shop, along with his horse. His father became furious upon learning of his son's actions and subsequently dragged Francis before the local bishop. The bishop told Francis to return his father's money, to which his reaction was extraordinary: He stripped off his clothes, and along with them, returned the money back to his father, declaring that God was now the only father he recognized. This event is credited as Francis's final conversion, and there is no indication that Francis and his father ever spoke again thereafter.
The bishop gave Francis a rough tunic, and dressed in these new humble clothes, Francis left Assisi. Unluckily for him, the first people he met on the road were a group of dangerous thieves, who beat him badly. Despite his wounds, Francis was elated. From now on, he would live according to the Gospel.
Francis's embrace of Christ-like poverty was a radical notion at the time. The Christian church was tremendously rich, much like the people heading it, which concerned Francis and many others, who felt that the long-held apostolic ideals had eroded. Francis set out on a mission to restore Jesus Christ's own, original values to the now-decadent church. With his incredible charisma, he drew thousands of followers to him. They listened to Francis's sermons and joined in his way of life; his followers became known as Franciscan friars.
Continuously pushing himself in the quest for spiritual perfection, Francis was soon preaching in up to five villages per day, teaching a new kind of emotional and personal Christian religion that everyday people could understand. He even went so far as to preach to animals, which garnered criticism from some and earned him the nickname "God's fool." But Francis's message was spread far and wide, and thousands of people were captivated by what they heard.
In 1224, Francis reportedly received a vision that left him with the stigmata of Christ—marks resembling the wounds Jesus Christ suffered when he was crucified, through his hands and the gaping lance wound in his side. This made Francis the first person to receive the holy wounds of the stigmata. They would remain visible for the rest of his life. Because of his earlier work treating lepers, some believe that the wounds were actually symptoms of leprosy.
Death and Legacy
As Francis approached his death, many predicted that he was a saint in the making. When his health began to decline more rapidly, Francis went home. Knights were sent from Assisi to guard him and to make sure that no one from neighboring towns would carry him off (the body of a saint was viewed, at the time, as an extremely valuable relic that would bring, among many things, glory to the town where it rested).
Francis of Assisi died on October 3, 1226, at the age of 44, in Assisi, Italy. Today, Francis has a lasting resonance with millions of followers across the globe. He was canonized as a saint just two years after his death, on July 16, 1228, by his former protector, Pope Gregory IX. Today, St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint for ecologists—a title honoring his boundless love for animals and nature.
※archery:the art, practice, or skill of shooting with bow and arrow
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| archery |
※Calvary: an open-air representation of the crucifixion of Jesus
※prospect:(1) : an extensive view (2) : a mental consideration
※butcher(verb.):one that kills ruthlessly or brutally
※mutilate: to cause severe damage to (the body of a person or animal)
※hallucination:an unfounded or mistaken impression or notion
※duchy:the area of land owned or ruled by a duke pr duchess.
※leprosy:an infectious disease that damages a person's nerves and skin
↑leper:(1)a person who has leprosy
(2)a person who is strongly disliked and avoided by other people because of something bad that he or she has done.
※stigmata:marks that appear on a person's body in the same places as those made on Jesus Christ's body when he was fastened to a cross with nails.
※incognito:avoiding being recognized ,by changing your name or appearance
※aristocrat :a person of high social rank;a member of the aristocracy
※textile :a cloth made by hand or machine
※curfew:a rule that everyone must stay at home between particular time,usually at night ,especially during a war or a period of political trouble.
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