“Helen's Last Sustained Note “ - A Poem

By: Joey Zhou

Author's Note: On New Year's Day 2017, nine years ago, I was inspired by the piece "Sun" by the 80s-born Norwegian composer Thomas Bergersen. I wrote this poem based on the song called "Helen's Last Sustained Note." In ancient Greek mythology, Helen is the goddess of beauty whose singing often led passing ships into danger. To better understand the poem, please listen to the music first. It is best to start reading the poem after the first pause in the music which is at the beginning of the chorus. Link to music: https://share.google/RAptbbbKeQ0Fh65Xe

To understand the entire poem, let's first look at how Homer's epic describes Helen:

"Helen (Hallen, Helen is an alternative spelling), the beautiful woman in Greek mythology, was the daughter of Zeus, born from a swan's egg. At the age of 16, she was forced to marry Menelaus, the King of Sparta, becoming the Queen of Sparta. Later, Hector and Paris, the princes of Troy, visited Sparta, and Paris abducted her and took her back to Troy. The King of Sparta was furious and sought help from his brother, Agamemnon, the King of Mycenae. The Greek allied forces organized a thousand ships to launch an expedition, which led to the famous Trojan War. Later generations described this war as "the face that launched a thousand ships," Helen's beauty triggered the Trojan War. Helen felt deeply guilty for the war she caused. She walked to the top of the city of Troy and looked down at the soldiers of both armies. When tens of thousands of soldiers looked at her, they were all stunned. Helen was so beautiful that the soldiers of both armies didn't even want to fight, so both sides ceased hostilities for a day. Ten years later, Troy fell, and the Greek army emerged from inside the giant wooden horse. The men were all slaughtered, and the women and children all became slaves. Menelaus wanted to take Helen's life, but his hand holding the sword couldn't bear to strike. Helen returned to Menelaus's side. And the city of Troy disappeared forever." Herodotus called her the most beautiful woman in the Greek world, and the ancient Greek blind poet Homer, in the *Iliad*, described Helen with "fair arms," ​​"flowing robes," and a "shimmering veil."

Thomas Jacob Bergersen (born July 4, 1980) is a Norwegian composer and co-founder of the music production company Two Steps from Hell. Bergersen's work has appeared in many film trailers, such as *Avatar*, *Pirates of the Caribbean*, *Twilight*, *The Chronicles of Narnia*, *Harry Potter*, *The Da Vinci Code*, *The Mummy*, *The Dark Knight*, *Tron: Legacy*, and many others. Bergersen has composed over a thousand soundtracks and film trailers.

Okay, listen to the music first, and it's best to start reading the poem after the first pause, when the piano keys, drums, and chorus begin.

Come

Open 

Window after window

Hand in hand, let's run towards the boundless sea... 

Come

Raise your hands 

Cheer and rejoice 

To welcome the magnificent dawn... 

Come

Run

And embrace the returning heroes!

A thousand sails have passed

Farewell, Sparta; 

Ready to set sail

Towards Troy... 

Who struck the fatal chord? 

The singing begins... 

Who awakened the Trojan horse? 

The crowd roars...

Look, the devout men and women on

the shore

Are waving to us...!

Look, two armies face each other, 

thousands of ships ready to depart 

Are they preparing for a bloody battle? 

Suddenly, Homer plays the most

unbearable tremolo: 

"Oh, Helen"

Sobbing Sobbing... 

Finally,

Helen's last lingering note drifts

across the sea... 

Come, come, 

Open

Window after window, 

Hand in hand, let's run towards the

boundless ocean.

Come, come,

Raise your hands, 

Cheer and rejoice, 

Welcoming the magnificent dawn... 

Come, come,

Run,

Embrace the heroes returning in

triumph. 

May I ask,

Who struck the chords of memory?

The singing begins! 

May I ask, Who awakened the Trojan Horse?

A clamor of voices! 

Looking afar, devout men and

women on the shore

Are waving to us... 

Looking afar, two armies face off, 

thousands of ships setting sail,

Sailing through the waves... 

A momentary pause,

The music slows,

Near and far, 

Suddenly, the drums thunder...

Finally achieving the most beautiful harmony... 

Who is announcing the moment of

awakening?

Who is singing a final, boundless

lament...?

It turns out

Under the most brilliant sunset,

The rhythm continues... 

Under the brightest blue sky, 

Thousands of sails set forth… 

The harmony remains, 

Layer upon layer, 

Returning again and again to a

chorus of countless voices... 

It turns out

In the most joyful cheers, 

The singing begins, 

In the clearest seawater, 

Azure waves ripple; 

The harmony rises and falls, 

Again and again riding the wind and waves,

The climax constantly building... 

Suddenly, Homer recites the most magnificent epic: 

"The Iliad" 

Who

Is playing

The melodious music on the clearest keys?

Who

Has enchanted the strings, 

Bringing back to life those heart-

wrenching tremolos?

Finally,

Helena's last lingering note drifts

across the sea... 

Written in Los Angeles on 01/01/2017, revised 01/02/2017, and further revised 01/08/2026

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