word of the day: baldachin

word of the day: baldachin

from “The Seventh Angel” by Zbigniew Herbert:

The seventh angel 

is completely different

even his name is different

Shemkel

he is no Gabriel

the aureate

upholder of the throne

and baldachin

and he’s no Raphael

tuner of choirs

…

Shemkel

is black and nervous

and has been fined many times

for illegal import of sinners

definition (Merriam-Webster): a cloth canopy fixed or carried over an important person or a sacred object

bonus definition from Merriam-Webster — aureate: of a golden color or brilliance

source: 

Zbigniew Herbert: Selected Poems

translations by Czeslaw Milosz and Peter Dale Scott

1968. Penguin Books, Baltimore MD