Light show “Shadows of Time”

The permanent light artwork ‘Dawn and Dusk’ will be illuminated after the show, bathing the cathedral with light every day from sunset. Tonight, for this one special occasion, you will see an accelerated version of the light artwork, which is normally spread over 6 to 10 hours.

The texts in the light show are as follows:

Ene Mihkelson’s poem “Tartu is a quiet city” 
(free verse translation by Luisa Translation Agency)

Tartu is a quiet city where 
science flourishes and students grow 
like mushrooms in autumn in winter’s blue- 
and white stripes haze Town Hall 
bell sounds colourless however

Silence falls 
Layers of time grow in the ruins of Toome  

Artur Alliksaar’s poem “Time” 
Translated by Hilary Bird

There are no good times, there are no bad. 
The present is all there is to be had. 
What starts will never come to a stop. 
Neither beauty nor ugliness is part of the plot.  

There are no gloomy or laughing days.  
Our moments the same – equal our days.  
Life breeds life, it’s all the same. 
Chronos must have toys for his game.  

There is no future, there is no past,  
There is only now: this too will pass.  
Live in the moment before its done. 
In the blink of an eye it will be gone.

No one ever lives in vain. 
Even if reasons are seldom plain.  
more or less, there’s no certainty 
Life usually demands a fee.  

There are no losses, there’s no decay. 
Just each moment of every day. 
Time past won’t fade, it will always remain, 
In a mind’s eye all will stay the same.  

1224

With the decision to build a cathedral in Tartu came a decision – Tartu must become a city.

Now you can come and see the light artwork ‘Dawn and Dusk’.  For the full experience, we recommend you take a stroll around the cathedral. The viewing platforms of the cathedral and the exhibition ‘Art or Science’ in the University of Tartu Museum are open today until 23:00.