Joan Brossa

Escala, 1988

Steps on the Scale, 1988

Object, 113 x 41.5 x 71 cm

MUSIC TALKS

I think happiness is a great gift,
sadness leads nowhere,
for if you have no gift in life
you can’t make the cockerel sing.

I think thoughts are fine, but to me
any attitude is valid. What goes round
comes round, so it is only inside me
that I find what I want; nothing else will do.

You must do everything alone.
Take the hook out of your mouth
and let words flow freely.

In every thread there is a knot
and the bait is greed. Either way,
tie a knot between the two, hard, under the sun.

Translator’s note: Each verse ends on a note from the musical scale that has a double meaning in Catalan with no equivalent in English

VARIATION

You should not use words, because – do
it’s better to walk with a stick – re
when talking to wolves. Otherwise – do
be wary of proverbs. They lie. – re

Tree bark never says anything. – do
What is the meaning of words – re
directed against other people? – do
This is like making a stick – re

with the alphabet. Spit on your hands, – sol
chew a few leaves, but – la
make an effort and it’ll be easier – si

to see yourself. A well made nest – la
can become a word. Make one – si
and give it any name you like. – sol

Brossa, Joan: Furgó de cua: 1989–1991. Barcelona: Quaderns Crema, 1993, pp. 91–92

Original title:: Escala
Registration number:: 4954
Artist:: Brossa, Joan
Date created:: 1988
Date acquired:: 2011
Fonds:: MACBA Collection. MACBA Consortium
Object type:: Object
Media:: Vinyl on wood
Dimensions:: 113 x 41.5 x 71 cm (height x width x depth)
Credits:: MACBA Collection. MACBA Consortium. Joan Brossa Fund. Long-term loan of Fundació Joan Brossa
It has accessibility resources:: No

The MACBA Collection features Catalan, Spanish and international art and, although it includes works from the 1920s onwards, its primary focus is on the period between the 1960s and the present.

For more information on the work or the artist, please consult MACBA's Library. To request a loan of the work, please write to colleccio [at] macba.cat.

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Escala, 1988

Technical details

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