Gaia: Love, God & Spirituality in Music, Song and Words !!!! - GOD

Heaven is a place on earth by Belinda Carlisle

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 22:11:59 GMT

Heaven is a place on earth- oh my goddess

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is1lwJLKc88

(R. Nowels/E. Shipley)

When the night falls down
I wait for you
And you come around
And the world's alive
With the sound of kids
On the street outside

When you walk into the room
You pull me close and we start to move
And we're spinning with the stars above
And you lift me up in a wave of love...

Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
They say in heaven love comes first
We'll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh heaven is a place on earth

When I feel alone
I reach for you
And you bring me home
When I'm lost at sea
I hear your voice
And it carries me

In this world we're just beginning
To understand the miracle of living
Baby I was afraid before
But I'm not afraid anymore

Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
They say in heaven love comes first
We'll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh heaven is a place on earth

Mother Mary

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 01:45:43 GMT

Our Most Blessed Mother
02:39

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWxWL0p6Tdg

Mother of God
03:55
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7XfWecz0CI

The dark night of the soul ~ Loreena McKennitt

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 15:12:54 GMT

The dark night of the soul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEZnm30nhlc

Loreena McKennitt - The dark night of the soul

Upon a darkened night
the flame of love was burning in my breast
And by a lantern bright
I fled my house while all in quiet rest

Shrouded by the night
and by the secret stair I quickly fled
The veil concealed my eyes
while all within lay quiet as the dead

Chorus
Oh night thou was my guide
oh night more loving than the rising sun
Oh night that joined the lover
to the beloved one
transforming each of them into the other

Upon that misty night
in secrecy, beyond such mortal sight
Without a guide or light
than that which burned so deeply in my heart

That fire t'was led me on
and shone more bright than of the midday sun
To where he waited still
it was a place where no one else could come

Chorus

Within my pounding heart
which kept itself entirely for him
He fell into his sleep
beneath the cedars all my love I gave
And by the fortress walls
the wind would brush his hair against his brow
And with its smoothest hand
caressed my every sense it would allow

Chorus

I lost myself to him
and laid my face upon my lovers breast
And care and grief grew dim
as in the mornings mist became the light
There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair
There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair
There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair

Loreena writes in the CD booklet about this song:

May, 1993 - Stratford ... have been reading through the poetry of 15th century Spain, and I find myself drawn to one by the mystic writer and visionary St. John of the Cross; the untitled work is an exquisite, richly metaphoric love poem between himself and his god. It could pass as a love poem between any two at any time ... His approach seems more akin to early Islamic or Judaic works in its more direct route to communication to his god ... I have gone over three different translations of the poem, and am struck by how much a translation can alter our interpretation. Am reminded that most holy scriptures come to us in translation, resulting in a diversity of views.

Music by Loreena McKennitt
Lyrics by St. John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz), arr. and adapted by Loreena McKennitt
From: The mask and mirror (1994).

===> Original Spanish poem, translation and notes

Two notes on the lyrics printed in the CD-booklet:
=: The 2nd stanza haa a misprint in the CD-booklet: the 2nd line reads "and by the secret star I quickly fled" but Loreena sings "... secret stair I ...".
See below for some remarks on this 'secret stair'.
=: Also the 5th line of the 6th stanza has a misprint: the CD-booklet says "From o'er the fortress walls" whereas Loreena sings "And by the fortress walls", but this is only a minor difference.

The secret stair

In a monastery, and St. John of the Cross probably lived in one, there is generally a night staircase, used by the monks to go to church at night from where they sleep (the dormitory), and in this way a monk could easily get out of the monastery at night. My first guess was that the poem refers to this night staircase and doorway with "secret stair". But fra. Emiel Abalahin, a Carmelite like John of the Cross, explained that the meaning is deeper:

      "Dark Night of the Soul," like much of John's poetry, is based on "Song of Songs" from the Biblical Old Testament, and also on much of the romantic poetry and lyrics of Spanish popular balladry of that time, i.e., 16th century. The "secret stair" has less to do with a staircase in a monastery, and more to do with the popular theme of lovers meeting for a late night romantic tryst. In order for this to be possible, the young maiden of the song or poem would have to sneak out of the house, by the "secret stair."
      John uses this as a metaphor for the soul in prayer who, by means of contemplation, steals away from the world unnoticed, to meet in loving relationship with God. The dark night refers to the soul's search for God, beyond the confines of the human definitions we have put upon God.
      There is much more I could say, but John has written two whole treatises on it in his books Ascent of Mount Carmel and Dark Night of the Soul.

Knock and the door will open

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 02:12:57 GMT

Welcome To My World

Welcome to my world
Won't you come on in
Miracles I guess
Still happen now and then
Step into my heart
Leave your cares behind
Welcome to my world
Built with you in mind
Knock and the door will open
Seek and you will find
Ask and you'll be given
The key to this world of mine
I'll be waiting here
With my arms unfurled
Waiting just for you
Welcome to my world

Knock and the door will open
Seek and you will find
Ask and you'll be given
The key to this world of mine
I'll be waiting here
With my arms unfurled
Waiting just for you
Welcome to my world
Waiting just for you
Welcome to my world

Author unknown
singer: Jim Reeves

Re: Poem by Judah Halevi

http://LuellaMay.gaia.com — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 18:36:51 GMT

Oh! This is most beautiful!

Kindest regards,

Luella May

Re: Poem by Judah Halevi

http://mettakaruna.gaia.com — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 15:43:40 GMT

Thank you so much for posting this!

I love the line: I hoard your name

If we were a group of Sufis sitting around, I would ask you to repeat it over and over... it is wonderful!

Metta

Poem by Judah Halevi

http://toldot.gaia.com — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 07:55:17 GMT

With all my strength and spirit, I adore

You, Truth, aloud and in my secret core.

I hoard your name. And who can rob this spoil?

He is my love. What other could I crave?

He is my light. How could my lamp need oil?

How can I falter, leaned on such a stave?

They mock, and do not know that mockery,

Because I praise your name, is praise to me.

Source of my life, your praise shall sound as long

As I can breathe my fervor into song.

Judah Halevi was a Spanish Hebrew poet and philospherwho lived during the 11th and 12th centuries. Translation by Olga Marx.