Sterrenag.

Een van die bekendste ballades van ons tyd is Don Maclean se “Vincent”. Dit was hoog op trefferparades in 1971. Dit is ook bekend deur die openingswoorde: “Starry Starry Night.” 

Die woorde is gebaseer op Vincent van Gogh se skildery “Sterrenag” – een van die beroemdste skilderye ooit. Die lirieke van MacLean se ballade bevat ook verwysings na baie ander van Van Gogh se skilderye.

MacLean het die ballade geskryf nadat hy diep geïnspireer is deur ‘n boek oor Vincent van Gogh se lewe.


Wat ‘n skildery is die sterrenag tog. Ek wil iets daaroor skryf. Veral in die Adventstyd en in voorbereiding van my Kerspreek...


Maar voor enige verdere woorde, is dit die moeite werd om na hierdie ballade te luister. Kuns inspireer altyd, onvermydelik. Don Maclean se weergawe is ‘n moderne reaksie – tydloos in eie reg – op van Gogh se werk. En die baie ander opnames van MacLean se ballade (o.a. deur Josh Grogan) wys dat dit 'n klassieke teks in eie reg geword het.


Hier is die lirieke van sy ballade:

Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.




Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze, Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.


For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.


Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.


Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will...

En toe, terwyl ek hieroor nalees, loop ek die volgende video van Maclean se liedjie raak, gekombineer met die werke van Van Gogh. In die video word die werke die een na die ander gewys in ‘n fees vir die oog. Geniet: