Original song inspired by Dante’s comedy
By: Naomi Kuria
A picture of a an big eye with wings and a bunch of eyes surrounding with 3 small light blue eyes and 3 dark blue eyes. Above the eye there is are four wings which have different color each representing a different sin |
[Verse 1]
Look up to the mountain and I see you
You’re my guardian angel, my sweet little angel oh I need you
Your love is contagious
You make me courageous
So I need you
(Lord my lord )
You're giving me fire, making me go higher closer to you.
(closer to you)
[Chrous]
I'm here to protect from all the harm
No one can come near you with
your eyes upon me
I'm yours all yours Lord
[Verse 2]
Greed my take from the peaceful heart
But with you o’ lord I will overcome
(Lord my lord)
The light you bring through trials I face
Simmers around like flowers on an open field
[Interlude]
[Chrous]
I'm here to protect from all the harm
No one can come near you with
your eyes upon me
I'm yours all yours Lord
[Verse 3]
You’re my guardian angel ( I’m your guardian angel)
Nothing can separate us now
Our lord is what made us
SUMMARY + EXPLANATION
My Manifold Project is an original song encompassing some of Dante's journey throughout the three stages Inferno (hell), Purgatory (the middle), and Paradiso (heaven). The song The first line,“ Look up to the mountain and I see you” is a reference to Inferno 1, where Dante is lost in the forest and finds himself in front of a mountain Dante starts his journey from the mountain where the “you” or I represents Dante. The “Guardian Angel” is a reference to Virgil's since in the reading Virgil acted as a guide or guardian sent down by Beatrice. The line goes on to state I need you referring to Dante telling Virgil he needs him since Virgil is aware of hell and can guide him and protect him. In the last verse of the song I wrote “You’re my guardian angel and I'm your guardian angel” which ties back to canto 30 in Purgatory where Virgil is no longer with Dante and Dante has to continue his journey without him. This song goes from emphasizing the guardian Angel to later emphasizing the Lord and stating that even without the guardian Angel physically present they are still connected. The repeating line “Your eyes upon me” is a direct quotation from the Bible Psalms 121:5 which discusses how the Lord watches over you. In purgatory Dante also mentioned a verse from the same book and the Bible while speaking to the lady in the fields. The picture on top is a hand-drawn song cover that represents the four sins mentioned in various parts of Dante's journey such as pride (Purgatoric 11), greed (inferno 7), violence against others and themselves (inferno 11), and gluttony (Purgatory 22-24). For the song cover, I decided to recreate a biblical interpretation of an angel rather than the mainstream interpretation since Dane’s readings were heavily influenced by Christian literature. Throughout Inferno, Dante incorporated factors of three whether it was from the Holy Spirit Jesus and the Lord, or the three-headed devils chewing on the three sinners. Factors of 3 or present and the reading and I wanted to incorporate that through my drawing by deepening 3 eyes with the color dark blue and contracts with the 3 light blue eyes.
Work cited
“Digital Dante.” The Divine Comedy – Digital Dante, digitaldante.columbia.edu/dante/divine-comedy/. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
BibleStudyTools, www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/121-5.html#:~:text=Psalms%20121%3A5%20in%20Other%20Translations&text=5%20The%20LORD%20is%20thy,you%20as%20your%20protective%20shade. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.