Hendrick ter Brugghen, Dutch
Can You Solve Today’s “Priceless Puzzle?” We’re Looking For a Common Phrase (ANSWER BELOW), 1629
Oil on panel
(ANSWER: “A Good Night’s Sleep”)
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Info, or perhaps links that point to more info, about this artist can be found here, here (archived if necessary), here, here, here, here (can be read in full for free on Fridays), here, here (archived if necessary), here, here, here, and here, perhaps in addition to what’s in his Wikipedia page (Google translated French Wikipedia page has more).
/// Here’s the fierce god of war, Mars, asleep.
He’d been counting blood-soaked slaughtered sheep.
As he dozes, wars cease
for a brief, fitful peace,
but the widows and orphans still weep.
/// Mars is armored just down to his waist,
but don’t think that he got dressed in haste.
He’s been waiting— got bored
and slept, fondling his sword,
while god Vulcan, his old greaves replaced.
/// Ancient Romans made great use of war
to expand their lands more than before.
Mars was thus, in their eyes,
one with talents to prize,
not, as we moderns think— to abhor.
/// Mars was known for his volatile temper.
Too bad Flora did not grow him hemp, or
a calm lavender tea.
His ire’s always set free,
or, as they would say: iratus semper.
/// The Dutch artist made this to explain
winding down of their fight against Spain.
Eighty Years War will stop
with the Dutch state on top;
(in the South, though, the Spanish remain).
/// A Great Empire was briefly defeated,
when the new Dutch Republic was seated.
The Dutch (Habsburg) Revolt
was a strong seismic jolt,
proving justice (for now) could be meted.
/// If he’d had any clue in advance,
then he’d never have taken the chance
to fall into a sleep
so profound and so deep
that some thieves could have taken his pants.