A Thousand Ways of Seeing a Forest

[@JacobGeller]

For background details on the video, including choosing translations, voice actors, and cover songs, there'll be a full director's commentary on my patreon! www.patreon.com/JacobGeller

[@ShidaDu]

Jacob I'm not a patron but a mere fan of your videos. I did find the Chinese reading of Wang Wei's poem deeply confusing, in that its pronunciation is nothing like standardized Mandarin that I was raised in. Would love to know more why such a strange reading was selected. Thank you.

[@a.z.foreman74]

​@@ShidaDu Hey, the recording is not meant to be modern standard Mandarin. It's a reconstruction of how Chinese was pronounced in the dialect of Chang'an during Wang Wei's lifetime. Attempts to understand Chinese historical phonology by modern linguists are now over a hundred years old, and great progress has been made since Karlgren first published his "Studies on Chinese Phonology" in 1915 (though really there had been people within China outside the European linguistics tradition much earlier who had insights about the fact that medieval and ancient Chinese must have sounded very different than present-day Chinese dialects). The reconstruction you hear in this video (it's my voice, by the way) is largely based on the work of W.S. Coblin, who IMO made a marked improvement over the work of his predecessors for...various reasons. Anyway, if you're curious, his book is well worth getting your hands on, albeit a bit mercilessly technical for non-linguists www.amazon.com/compendium-phonetics-Northwest-Chinese-Linguistics/dp/B0006PC7AU

[@linkboynine9814]

Things I did not expect to find today: Vaati doing a reading of ancient asian poetry translations in a Jacob Geller video.

[@BBWahoo]

Jewcy boi

[@weirdofromhalo]

I did not expect to hear reconstructed Middle Chinese.

[@kalyxo_tb]

I love the dedication in having the poem spoken in Middle Chinese, I was honestly not expecting that! As a native Cantonese speaker who's recently been translating Cantonese and Mandarin songs into English and vice versa, I decided to have a stab at the poem before seeing the published translations: Empty mountains, not a person to be seen Yet hearing human speech ring out. The light returns to enter the dark forest Shining once more upon the fresh green moss.

[@DeyaViews]

Thank you for your take on the translation!

[@KoNekoNoUta]

awesome translation, though I understood its meaning, but I cannot translate the poem with such elegance.

[@vreaum]

i really like this translation

[@zeliqueue]

yours seems to be the best translation tbh

[@wombatpandaa9774]

I honestly like your translation more than most of the ones highlighted in the video

[@no.7893]

its pretty easy to translate the poem if you dont overthink it "forests, Innit"

[@hayk3000]

"ay mate there's some bloody Chinese forests"

[@JeevesAnthrozaurUS]

"In China, There are trees" -My translation

[@harrisonfackrell]

You joke, but I genuinely think the Laconic interpretation has value.

[@no.7893]

@@harrisonfackrell Well there is certainly meaning to be found in the reduction of the otherwise complex structures of existence. It says something about the over-complication of life, and how we so often find ourselves so caught up in the tangle of the menial day to day that we forget the bigger picture. There is plenty to appreciate in life as a whole. but most of all i just like to make fun of the english :)

[@97Multiphantom]

“I’m alone in the forest, but I hear voices. Send help.”

[@Philipoko]

I honestly don't know how he does it. A video about forests and their translations while linking in different variations of the same Tang Dynasty poem to back his ideas. I never thought a video about forests in videogames and their link with real-life would be so intriguing. This man is a genius.

[@joaquinvigil6568]

Exactly, this man can make anything a good video

[@burtwonk]

It’s no trick. He reads a lot and thinks a lot. He is an actual intellectual. I wish more content creators weren’t afraid to be this way.

[@princessthyemis]

It IS! Are all his videos this good!? This is absolutely astounding.

[@JaydevRaol]

Yeah

[@HauntedHarmonics]

The structure of this video was super ambitious and he stuck the landing 100%. id expect nothing less from the great Jacob Geller lol. Pushing KZbin video essays to new heights

[@ParanormalAndroid]

i'm a specialist in the translation of old english poetry and i have to say this is both a fantastic treatment of certain problems that can arise in the processes of interpretation, translation and reproduction, and also- as always- a masterpiece of game criticism. jacob geller u are an absolute gift. think i'm gonna have to cite this in my thesis

[@ParanormalAndroid]

i did indeed cite this in my thesis!! hope the examiners are fans of the channel

[@jeremymontel6010]

@@ParanormalAndroid very cute to see you came back to the comment :) good luck

[@thefabulouskitten7204]

Been studying old english for a class this semester. We were discussing the same thing with the poem Deor

[@cjwalsh1617]

as a museum educator I so appreciate you mentioned the hudson river school's agenda to glamorize the destructive ideology of manifest destiny. but how could I even think Jacob Geller might miss that?! you never cease to amaze.

[@narkxis5691]

As a museum educator AND accomplished artist.* Attentively, An admirer.

[@kozlorog]

What's so destructive about it?

[@rumham8124]

@@narkxis5691 simp

[@narkxis5691]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@theznayx808]

@@kozlorog That has to be a joke

[@hayi8957]

Just a Cantonese speaker here with my own attempt at translating the poem into English. No one can be seen on the empty/vast mountain, Yet the reverberation of speech is heard. The light of dusk enters the deep woods (forest), Reflecting on the moss. Feel free to ask any questions!

[@hmmmooops]

How come you had to write "empty/vast"?

[@hayi8957]

@@hmmmooops the character 空 has a few meanings. It can describe something which is empty like an empty glass, or it can describe a place which is spacious!

[@angus9874]

I love cultural exchange so so much lol

[@Judgement915]

I'm gonna translate this forest, Wang Wei or another.

[@shaneowings6242]

You stop that, right now!

[@LolLol-ok4lr]

I hate this joke, but i hate myself even more for laughing

[@hayk3000]

I will fight anyone who doesn't chuckle at this joke.

[@maxleonard3857]

Just like that, a hero was born

[@sjoerdev]

​@@hayk3000 I did not get the joke, please explain it to me.

[@Bluecho4]

The bit about Ghost of Tsushima having always-active wind reminds me about a theme Every Frame A Painting observed about Akira Kurosawa's films: the frame always depicts something in motion. There is no stillness in his films, not completely.

[@prideferret-sb7hi]

That’s why he’s one of the best filmmakers imo

[@brazilianchristmas]

Recognized VaatiVidya's voice instantly, he's a perfect fit for these vids.

[@ReplicA63]

Yes! I heard his first segment, looked up and said out loud, "Is that Vaati? That's gotta be Vaati."

[@emrekulac3207]

I instantly looked for this comment

[@GenTVR]

Well here I am looking for the same comment!

[@shaneowings6242]

@@GenTVR i, also came here looking for this comment.

[@Flo-rj8tz]

my first thought as well, was looking for this comment

[@glass-yuzu]

The best thing is that as a chinese speaker, the poem makes perfect sense (it's pretty simple, especially for a Tang poem, which are often quite tricky and need to be translated into modern mandarin) Even one person could translate it many different ways, like my favourite poem "Shabby house/low class shack/run down homestead" which starts with 山不在高有仙則名 水不在深有龍則靈 which ive tried to translate to share with people, and i think every time ive done so ive done it differently "a mountain doesn't need to be tall, if it has a deity atop it it will be notable; water doesn't need to be deep, if it has a dragon in its depths it will be abundant spiritually" or "a short mountain is well-known if there's a deity on top; shallow water will be spiritual if a dragon resides there" or "a mountain needn't be tall, with a deity it will be famous; waters needn't be deep, with a dragon they will be magical/spiritual" they're all pretty similar, but the wordplay is never quite the same as the original, and all of this is to translate it without the rest of the poem, because in context the lines of the poem are analogies for "even if i live in a shabby house, as long as I (a worthy man) am inside, how can you call it 'shabby'?" I love studying classical poetry, not only chinese, but there is something especially fantastic about studying calligraphy and writing these poems that have covered generations, with such beauty and expert wordplay.

[@razbuten]

I am about to talk about some Outer Wilds spoilers, so for anyone who hasn't finished it, please don't read this. Go play it yourself. Seriously, honestly, truthfully. If you're lucky enough to have not played it yet, don't ruin a special experience by reading a youtube comment. Aight, everyone who hasn't played it gone? Sweet. So the forest at the very end of Outer Wilds--once you reach the eye of the universe--does a lot of interesting things. Throughout the game, players draw an association with trees and foliage to home and safety. If you were to describe Timber Hearth by its defining feature, you'd probably call it a forest planet, as most of the places of interest are filled with trees and structures that fit into the aesthetic of forest life. As you travel to other planets, any place with trees or bushes replenishes your 02 which both in and out of game gives you a moment to breathe. At least for a little while, that is one less way you can die. So along with any associations people have with forests before playing the game, Mobius Digital creates a connection between trees and familiarity. So when you transition from the quantic thunderstorm landscape of the eye to the quiet and star-filled forest, there is this sense of relief that replaces the tension of all of the moments leading up to where you are now. However, while this forest visually is similar to others and even mechanically similar to the one in the quantum grove, there is a mystery to it that is paired with the familiarity of it that the others didn't have. Why is it here? How did these elements of the other planets get here? Where did these instruments come from? Wait, the signalscope has a zoom feature? What is going to happen after we all sit around this fire and play the song we've been playing on our own for so long, but this time do it together? It takes the forests we had started to understand and even in some ways rely on, and flips them in a way where that positive association is still there, but we see it differently than any of the ones before.

[@nascentspace]

I wish I didn’t already spoil the entire game on KZbin for myself

[@NinjaPiggy34]

@@nascentspace Don't worry, the entire game isn't spoiled. Outer Wilds is a game built around discovery, and there's so much more to see than just the ending. Go play it, you'll probably enjoy it.

[@scryfish7615]

Tangentially related, but when I first heard the Timber Hearth theme it felt like a welcoming home song, like the happy introduction to a place both new and familiar. But everytime I returned it sounded more and more sadly sweet and now that I've finished the game it sounds like a farewell and I can't hear whatever I first heard in it anymore. more than anything I felt like that showed how playing the game changed my understanding of its worlds and atmospheres.

[@PippaPasses]

Bruh I thought you were talking about Outer Worlds and I ran right into a spoiler lmao

[@TheCivildecay]

The creator(s) of Outer wilds said in a interview that he wanted to approach space travel as if it was a hiking trip in nature. That's why you find camps where you can roast marshmellows, and the other heartheans play some music for you at their camps when you find them

[@euterpe757]

as a one-time professional translator and general enthusiast of languages and literature, this is the best video about translation I've ever seen

[@nctwl]

I would literally camp out in areas in Red Dead 2 just to wait for the perfect time of day to take photos.

[@cowmilker2973]

How u watch 19 hours ago

[@olseaweedbeardye8622]

Red dead is such a perfect game for taking pictures, it’s beyond beautiful sometimes.

[@lysokiel]

Same

[@DumpThump]

@@cowmilker2973 Patreon maybe

[@antomanifesto]

@@DumpThump yeah, it was put up on Patreon yesterday :-)

[@tychoazrephet3794]

Growing up in north Texas, I've never been out in the woods much, there's green belts here and there, but no forests. Just an endless sprawl of suburbia and empty fields. Once, when I was a kid, my dad took me and my brother coyote hunting with some coworkers of his, up in Oklahoma. Being out there in those thick woods, in the dead of night, pitch black with barely any starlight listening to dozen's of coyote's bark and howl in the darkness surrounding me was a terrifying experience. More recently I visited France, and went walking in the forests of Fontainebleau with my partner and a friend. I couldn't stop marveling at how tall the trees were, and the stillness and serenity of the environment, we even stumbled across little cavern dwellings made and abandoned beneath the massive rock formations deep in the forest. That was the first time in my life I think I ever felt a true sense of exploration, a more intimate engagement with nature than I'd ever really had before.

[@WhatTheFuckMonkey]

Damn this made me want to go exploring

[@zoutewand]

You should come to de alde feanen and travel by canoe here. You'd like it.

[@glenngriffon8032]

I grew up in the Galveston area, there's patches of trees that can get kind of thick and feel like a massive forest but only if you don't go too far. I spent 15 years in the arklatex region and there's plenty of trees there but by then i was already a. Adult and had too many responsibilities to go out and explore. I explore forests in my imagination. And they are deep and vast and eerie and wonderful

[@couchman-sw6jy]

Isn’t it amazing. One of the best experiences of being a human

[@twinphalanx4465]

I wouldn't spurn those large areas of emptiness provided. Those are actual desert that is forest, which is not the kind that you think you'd like. While we have ruined our planes and mases with cities, garbage, etc. You can still walk out onto those mases and sit and be don't ever let anyone take that from you

[@Hahahahaaahaahaa]

Geller is the only person who I'm still excited to watch when he's doing the sponsor plug.

[@maybelikealittlebit]

You’re not wrong. I adamantly skip all sponsorships, except his and one other person who I can’t remember right now does great skits incorporating his sponsor. Quite a creative feat and I’m glad I can watch!!

[@PaulRudd1941]

you should check out Jay Foreman. british comedian and historian. Amazing bloke, funny adds too!

[@sanitarymailbox-8023]

You gotta watch my boy big money salvia

[@PaulRudd1941]

@@sanitarymailbox-8023 I love that guy

[@quidam_surprise]

Ryan George is up there too

[@parisquintero2195]

I’m studying to be a translator. When this video first showed up on my recommendations, I was having a rough time with my classes. In the eight months since, some things have gotten a lot better, and some worse. But when I’m feeling down, or losing my motivation, I like to watch this video again. I feel you’ve captured the fascinating and magical reality of translation, and speaking multiple languages, and the ways those intersect with history and politics (both personal and more wide spread). I had a rough day today, and it will not be the last before I get my degree, but your video brings me some comfort, and reminds me of what impulses drove me to where I am. So, I wanted to thank you for that.

[@thescatologistcopromancer3936]

This reminds me of trying to get an English copy of Dante's Divine Comedy but WITHOUT some englishman forcing the translation to rhyme. It took me a while but I got a nice copy translated by Henry Longfellow.

[@h.smitty105]

Ay bro can I get a link to where I can get it or a name?

[@spitgorge2021]

@@h.smitty105 i mean you have all the information there. henry longfellow, dante's divine comedy.

[@PiBoi314]

I mean, most English translations don't rhyme. I spent ages trying to find one that does lol

[@kamiezau9354]

This video made me incredibly sad. The state park I live by, the state park I grew up in, recently was burned to the ground by a wildfire. That forest I knew will never be the same, but I can't wait to explore the forest that will grow out of the damage.

[@solsystem1342]

If it makes you feel any better. The idea of forests growing over time and staying almost locked in time as old growths is basically made up. Forests burn down all the time unless people are specifically there to stop them. In fact, (last I heard at least) the consensus is that forests are healthier when they burn regularly and even safer for humans (since the wildfires tend to be more intense the longer it's been since the last one).

[@legonenen]

@@solsystem1342 Though a controlled burn like the native Americans did might be a safer system for the livelihoods of everybody around them.

[@15BubblesOrigami]

@@solsystem1342 Forests are meant to burn, but not to burn down to the ground. There's meant to be a little bit of something left each time, and that really is typically the older growth trees. The littler ones and the underbrush are scoured through, which makes room for the next batch of short-lived plants to come up and be burned again. Having a forest completely gone really isn't normal and is something to be mourned for. Not only for the loss of what you once knew, but ecologically, it's a big loss in variety of biodiversity (number of plant species in the area) and diversity in tree ages. Biodiversity in plants is a big deal because, generally speaking, the more species you have of plants, the more species of animals/fungi/other organisms you'll also be able to support as well. Having one type of growing condition (open land with disturbed soil and lots of ash) means that only plants that like that type of condition will benefit. All the plants that enjoyed shade or moist loamy soil that would still be present in a partially-burned forest won't be able to grow there until those conditions are back. And that will take longer in a completely burned forest than in one that's only partially burned. Tree ages might be a bit surprising, but trees of different ages have different sizes and features that make them appealing to other forest inhabitants. Smaller trees growing densely provide places for small critters to hide, and tender branches within easy reach for some large grazing animals. Big, mature trees provide fruits and seeds as well as nesting spots for birds or other animals that spend their lives higher up. Old, old trees are typically very craggy. They might be hollowed out on the inside, which provides dens and hiding places for yet more animals. You are right in that forests aren't meant to be "locked in" as old growth trees exclusively. We have examples of old woods in Europe that used be be coppiced (cut down to stumps so that many small shoots would spring up from the stumps) because the thin, supple shoots were a valuable resource at the time. But once the practice of coppicing stopped, all the trees grew into old growth trees. But they were all of the same age. So despite how beautiful those woods may look with their large and majestic trees, they actually have lower animal biodiversity compared to other woods that have a variety of tree ages, because the animals that benefit from having small trees around aren't present. Looping back, having a fire that does actually burn a forest to the ground means that for quite some time, all of the oldest trees will all have sprung up around the same time--right after that catastrophic fire. And it will take a long time for those trees to grow mature enough again that you can have that variety of tree ages, and therefore biodiversity as well.

[@_-8980]

As a hobbyist game dev who's projects start by trying to describe feelings, not necessarily emotions but also feelings of speed and movement, by game mechanics the metaphor of creation as a translation made me tear up a little

[@papasscooperiaworker3649]

wait whats the difference between feelings and emotions?

[@THELAZERGUNSTUDIOS1]

@@papasscooperiaworker3649 I guess they're meaning feelings more as being hot or cold, or like the examples they give, moving fast. Sensations could be a good way of putting it. This is in contrast to emotions which would be happy, mournful, unsure, etc. You totally can feel emotions though so I think it might be a case of emotions being a subset of feelings.

[@papasscooperiaworker3649]

@@THELAZERGUNSTUDIOS1 Ooh, thank you.

[@cherryscarlett]

what games have you developed?

[@2b-coeur]

if you're into metaphor you m u s t start down the rabbit trail that begins with Hofstadter's Surfaces & Essences (Metaphors We Live By, More Than Cool Reason, & the field of semantics)

[@NautilusGuitars]

I fell asleep with this video on a few days ago, and woke up the the song at the end. Before I finish the video, I just want to say that whoever sang Ole Shoshone did a wonderful job. It seems he's not a "singer" singer, but his performance is so charming and enthusiastic that it makes it even better than if it were a "disciplined" singer. He has great pitch, and his vocal inflection is reminiscent of a friend joyfully singing at a campfire at night. It fits the video so well, and it's been stuck in my head for days. So, excellent job, whoever you are.

[@Gloria_Cook]

Watched this over my birthday dinner. A nice little present. I remember when Jacob had 20 videos and they were all amazing and there seemed no way he'd keep it up, but over a year later, and he's releasing videos this good. Wild.

[@HeadsetRuler]

Happy birthday!

[@smirky-shrugs]

that's awesome, (late) Happy Bday. I was recently dying for a game that did the forest like "The Backrooms" did their theme... the closest thing I found was Blair witch. Following the dog through the forest was beautiful. Now I expect this video to clue me into some new games and the realm of vidya forestry.

[@RaeIsGaee]

@@smirky-shrugs It may sound weird, but booting up an older version of minecraft and generating the entire world as a forest, with dense fog to cover it all in peaceful, has that sort of eerie, infinite vibe that the backrooms has.

[@eduardorivera3502]

Watching this during my birthday meal!

[@smirky-shrugs]

@@RaeIsGaee interesting, really never thought of that. I'll at least look for a video of someone else doing that, to sorta see what it looks like, thx

[@foragegrasspause2gotoloop961]

I was watching a British spy series and saw the most BEAUTIFUL forest covered in these little blue flowers. I found out they're called "bluebells". Made me laugh to think that some people would look on such a scene as mundane, but coming from the desert southwestern US, this mass of blue and green was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. It's on my bucket list to see such a sight in person.

[@thebottlecaps5155]

Reminds me of some argument I heard on twitter where someone was decrying a poor music review he was given. He said that music is something that can't hit you in the right way every time you listen to it. The cold context of listening for a review means that you won't appreciate what it's trying to do unless you're being lead through the song on purpose, or experiencing exactly what the author is talking about right in that moment. It really changed my thinking when I experience any art and how context dependent it is. There is a song, Nïer - Lou, that I heard at complete random but I really fell in love with it. It helped push home the idea that art isn't delivering emotions on demand. Some structures play into similar human rhythms but there is something exceptionally beautiful about being caught off guard in a really special place, at a very specific time in your life. It's like you're being spoken to directly.

[@weakamna]

I've had this but for story reviews, where the reviews just hammer the story, but I find it perfectly fitting for my current mood (though tbf, it's often a very specific mood, and most of the time the general quality _is_ low.)

[@spaceowl5957]

I wanna frame this comment and hang it on a wall

[@friedrice4015]

There's this song called "I Hope I Dream of Bike Riding When I'm Dying" by Neat Beats and it isn't a particularly stunning song in any way, but the first time I heard it I was 17 years old, lying on my bed, dressed in my McDonald's uniform before work and I just started... sobbing. Not because I was sad, but because I felt the song so deeply, like something being ripped out of my skull and shown to me. Flat out sobbing. Listening to it later, it is fine, but not life changing- but in that moment it was the most deep connection I had ever felt to a song.

[@Sm0k3turt]

Ghost Of Tsushimas wind makes me feel like when I was a kid in the woods around my grandparents house. In this little treehouse. It was beautiful

[@ColtonBCasey]

My home state is Utah and my goodness there's so much forest here in between the long plains/deserts and towns. The feeling of a forest that goes on forever can easily be recreated here. I've played almost all of the games mentioned in this video and I think it's wild how they all have different takes on the world and all of them seem to connect, that beauty in Ghost and RDR2 during certain hours where the lighting comes in is so perfect and accurate to a real life forest

[@Connor_Sherlock]

I was worried when I was making my forest it would be too hard to get truly lost in, or that it wasn't a big enough space. Very stoked to hear otherwise >:)

[@notnullnotvoid]

yo I was traipsing around some of your walking simulators literally today, small world innit

[@Maurrokh]

I never felt the true fear of being lost in a video game before I played Sanctuary. And that game wasn't nearly as vast as your later projects... I always get the feeling with your games that the player is almost an afterthought. The game world exists independently from the player, it doesn't accommodate them and doesn't care if they find every interesting place in it. That's what I find really beautiful about them.

[@keelyparker8466]

Goddammit dude you’ve done it again

[@casacara]

As a primarily STEM kind of student, I've really appreciated how this channel helps me see the other side of things in a way that makes me understand their importance.

[@mushroomc0re]

This is a intensely personal experience but forests inspire such a deep melancholy in me. The 1st semester of my freshman year of college, the professor of my botany class showed us a picture of the oldest tree in NA. It was magnificent and beauty and so big. Then he showed us older pictures of trees like that being cut down by colonists and I just want to cry when I see forests now. I know what was the lost. I know what was destroyed. It's such a profound loss I feel

[@sabikikasuko6636]

Man, this… I found this video in my recommendations. I only had a title and an image, and by sheer act of luck, of chance, I clicked it. This took me to a journey. How you exposed your ideas, how you've been connecting them, one after another so organically. How each section of the forest entrails you into discovery. I discovered ideas I never thought I'd have, a poem with a thousand translations, and a forest of emotions that made each second a chaotic fluctuation of experiences. What you made me feel kept changing with every word, every time you gave a new point to your forest analysis, a new aspect of it kept appearing, never the same. Much like entering a different forest in a game constantly kept giving a different side to what could've as well as been the same forest, or that it is, but still changes like in RDR2 or Tsushima. This was a journey, a journey of discovery, I discovered pieces of myself that I didn't know I had, by exploring this. This video is, to me, also a translation of a forest.

[@maxmad7641]

“In 2020” IM IN THE FUTURE BABY

[@JacobGeller]

HELP I'M STUCK IN THE PAST THE YEAR ISN'T ENDING FOR ME

[@jamesrandall9489]

@@JacobGeller make more videos and I’ll let you out

[@TheVibes101]

@@JacobGeller Oh god oh no someone help this guy, where my time travellers at??

[@staltheclown6352]

@@JacobGeller OMG SAME DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO FIX

[@Rotem_S]

@@staltheclown6352 I heard a sacrifice of one (1) pure hearted virgin to the plague gods helps, but don't quote me on that

[@GroundDwellerCam]

A wonderful video as always. While watching, I was reminded of a fear or paranoia I've experienced in another game. I've always played Minecraft on the console. The maps were once limited and forgiving. Although procedural, they had edges that I could follow to find my way home. With a single update, that changed. These procedural maps are unending and terrifying. My once fearless and exploritory side is replaced with one of terror. What if I get lost and can't find my home? Why does it matter? My starting location is relative to me, not the map. I've become familiar with an area only because a piece of code started me there, and yet, I'm afraid to lose it.

[@joringedamke5597]

There are other Minecraft-style games out there, some of them free.

[@RazzleTheRed1]

You know it's a good day when not only does Jacob Geller come out with a new video, but also it contains surprise Vaati narrations

[@watt0455]

One of my favourite games when it comes to individual experiences (and readings) of an environment (often forests) is minecraft. The player freedom and procedural generation combined with the haunting and randomly appearing soundtrack create some touching and unique moments that noone else will ever experience apart from you in that moment

[@ShowerSkeleton]

This was just lovely. I really appreciate how you manage to pack so much insight and emotion into these videos on the different worlds games put us in, regardless of if they're man-made, natural, or supernatural. I've been playing Ghost of Tsushima and honestly think many parts of it are crummy, but hot damn just seeing a few seconds of those trees swaying in the wind make me want to boot it up.

[@Yesnomu]

I beat it and enjoyed it, but the actual gameplay doesn't do the artstyle and technical aspects justice, for sure. The haiku are emblematic of how the beauty of the game turns mechanical and clumsy when you get the gameplay involved.

[@DetectiveOlivaw]

The writing and narrative of that game is often rote or mediocre, but the environment itself is so absolutely, bafflingly beautiful, it made me want to see every little nook and cranny of that world. I got the platinum trophy and don't regret a moment of it!

[@SilvrRazorFeather]

Sometimes I genuinely worry that I'm leaning too much on video games for escapism, starting up open world games like Botw or HZD just to wander, when I could be spending that time actually outside. But I do get healthy doses of irl hiking and exploring, just not as much as I used to. And when I go out in nature I see these perspectives I've gained from these games, the translations of these places hone my focus on new aspects of my surroundings. In short, I needed this video more than I knew. Thank you.

[@BlueJay_55]

I am always in awe of how well written and cohesive these videos are. I would expect one of these every 6 months or so if I judged it just based on how much effort seems to go into these.

[@samuel3807]

Thanks Jacob, Your video was great and showed me different perspectives. I'm a very logical person, so this kind of seeing the world and different media doesn't come naturally to me, but i love to see how other person's perspective can be totally different to mine. It's just beautiful. Just like you quoted, that everybody has different translations of the same poem, that it touches different emotions, memories and thoughts, I think that the same applies to experience of life. Every little part of it is different to every person. Every major part is even more distinct. This can make our little worlds pretty isolated, but there are ways to somewhat connect them. We can experience each other via translation. It won't be perfect as translations are, but they may be enough. I'm a very static person, yet you urged me to stand up early, and go watch the sunrise on the mound near me. After that, i will walk through the forest thinking and reflecting. Thank you Jacob.

[@MrPokefan124]

This video reminds me of the first time I went hiking after playing Breath of the Wild and just being so struck by the world around me. Crazy how an interpretation of nature can make you fall in love with the very nature it interprets. Excellent video!

[@draculacat5616]

I love the fact that, mid-way through this essay, while I'm lost in the pace and flow of the video, I hear one of the many Genshin Impact theme songs that have filled my waking hours for the past months. How odd, to hear the theme that I myself have explored forests to, being used to help you explain how exploring a forest feels?. How momentous, to feel that I have experienced a translation that you are using to translate another translation. How I love the details in your video Geller, always keep me guessing.

[@mitchellharder7670]

Jacob: "Its a game called Proteus" Me: "Hell yeah I love Prodeus" Video: *Shows trees* Me: "Wait what"

[@vagabundorkchaosmagick-use2898]

My reaction exactly! I have been waiting for Jacob (or Dan Olson) to talk about Prodeus, Amid Evil, Dusk or the new hottie HROT.

[@RAFMnBgaming]

Ah the american T.

[@Hope9151]

@@RAFMnBgaming I'm gonna keep T-flapping, and y'all can'd s'dop me!

[@Smidgenism]

Never again will I feel bad for going outside and saying "this is just like Minecraft!" (Jokes aside I've been thinking about the whole thing of drawing something as a means of translation/interpretation lately & this video meant a lot to me thanks)

[@tristanrow4951]

My favorite scenery moment is looking up at the night sky in Sea Of Thieves, free of any light pollution that would otherwise obstruct the stars and nebulas.

[@sickonshimmer]

Exactly how I feel! Living in the city, it's a feeling of finally being able to see what I never have.

[@YOEL_44]

8:50 Talking about Prodius and Zelda while listening to Genshin Impact music, great

[@kevinthefox]

There's a great understanding of life that can be seen in art.

[@River_StGrey]

As a New Mexican, I gotta say, the interplay of light you can get from the sun setting off the mountains, in a forest adjacent to a wildfire-- the possible variance is staggering, and it's one of the only times I've felt consciously enveloped in a world that is much older, and much larger than me.

[@TheStarksRegards]

“The sound of the rain needs no translation” -Alan Watts, quoting a Zen master

[@DetectiveOlivaw]

Himself translating a translation of a feeling. Damn, this video's got me spiraling...

[@natewozniak6171]

It’s confirmed. I can listen to this man talk about trees for 30 minutes.

[@f2p122]

When I was a little child, my dad brought me to a mountain nearby for hiking almost every week for several years. We simply go hiking with some other fellow, sit down watching those adults drinking tea chatting in the temple yard. Into the same forest on the mountain, same route, most of the time. One day, I didn't know why, I just thought a lot on the way to the mountain, and I asked my dad:" I don't know, but I feel the mountain we were on years ago isn't the same mountain we are going to today even it has the same name, at the exact same location, and the exact same route we are going. It just feels it's not the same mountain anymore..." My dad replied: " It's the same mountain. Perhaps, it's you the one that has changed, not the mountain." I feel this video brings back many echoes into my mind and explained a lot of those doubts I had, really. For me, It's not an easy thing to even describe. You are really amazing, Mr. Geller. Thank you.

[@dooberoni7495]

I don't really know why, I honestly can't describe it, but this video essay is so comforting for me to listen to or watch or whatever. Something about it just makes me forget what I'm stressed about, thank you so much for writing it

[@TheMaskedPikmin]

As someone who has made a habit of wandering the forests of my home state, Washington, I must say I'm overwhelmed by the sheer number of interpretations that even just me, as one person, has had of them. The ones near my home, despite their damp and cold, are comforting and familiar. Those hours away in places I've hiked frequently, feel like an old friend that's always worth visiting, and whose company I still enjoy. The Olympic National Forest, which I've only visited twice, is an ancient and mysterious moss riddled wood, the closest thing to a sacred ground I felt I've walked. This video has helped me articulate something that I have done in these woods my whole life: I have loved bringing people to them. I want to feel and understand their translations of the forests I love. Thank you for this Jacob.

[@ColtonBCasey]

Jacob you're a talented man. I want you to know that. These videos are amazing, very well written, A++ speaking and beautiful scene/music choices in the videos. I always look forward to every couple of weeks when we get another video and I never fail to watch the full thing.

[@taxevader5386]

I absolutely love forests, I strongly reccomend anyone who hasn't hiked through one to do so. It's an experience, often I'll walk deep into the woods, climb a tree and play my Ocarina for hours on end for others and myself to hear.

[@astralura]

The forests in Kingdom Come: Deliverance were so gorgeous. I constantly found myself just going off the beaten path and wandering.

[@gangreen1872]

Glad you talked about Proteus, its a great little thing. I've been playing it since it came out, and whenever I'm stressed out I play it, it never fails to calm me down.

[@ButchBirdie]

Damn, dude. Another hit. I grew up running around a forest behind my house that was run through by the brazos. Some of my best memories sitting there on the banks listening to the nature.

[@SleepyMatt-zzz]

This really hits home for me. My wife and I used to go on a lot of walks together in the woods and the beach before Covid started. We looked for interesting things to take pictures of, for photography, documentation, and for photoscans. A lot of the sentiments talked about in this video are how I feel when I create 3d rocks and foliage for personal projects. While it seems a bit pointless to replicate something that already exists, especially something as complicated as an entire ecosystem, I think of it more as a reminder of what is worth preserving. Least to say, we've been finding excuses to get back into the bush lately.

[@helenad8308]

One of the best translations of the “spirit of a forest” I have ever seen is playing the game ‘Among Trees’. I highly recommend it to anyone viewing this comment as it is both easy on the wallet and reflective of being small standing next to the natural world around you. There is also an aspect of embracing becoming part of the world around you instead of playing the game as the main character that is very therapeutic and slightly bittersweet. The music and visuals are great as well and I can’t recommend it enough!

[@Oneriwien]

As short as that game is currenly, I spent so much time just staring at the trees. The feeling of being in a forest both being completely safe but always in danger. Man. So beautiful.

[@7willymak]

I have been a fan of yours starting with Cane and Rinse. Thank you so much for the work that you do. I identify so much with the way that you play games and the things that you take from them. I am always so excited whenever I see that you have released a new video. Please keep doing these. You are a wonderful, unique, and refreshing voice. You remind everyone that, yes, these are games, but they are also art; in much the same way that a book is a story, but so much more as well. I am so thankful for the time that you spend on these. Thank you Jacob.

[@Serros1234]

There's only Wang Wei to translate this poem

[@jackpollard550]

You’ve won the Comments Section for today, friend.

[@mr1dul460]

BWAHAHAHAHHA

[@rafaelalodio5116]

I was wondering how any of the translators were a Chinese that knew English, instead of the contrary

[@EggBastion]

Quite the contrary, there is in fact _no_ Wang Wei

[@MoosedUp]

Oh god

[@thatmoorefella4625]

I spent a couple of years living in New Mexico and the way you talked about hiking there made me so homesick. It's truly a part of the world where the landscape feels like it's constantly shifting and ephemeral but also like it's existed forever - especially when you get out into the mountains and parks. I miss it like hell

[@Mae_forrest]

A beautiful meditation on the malleability, the fickleness, of language and experience, of beauty and appreciation of said beauty. Not only have you hit upon my fascination with language and translation, but my burgeoning appreciation of aesthetic philosophy. Thank you.

[@WrathOfArmagaddon]

This was a video essay about poetry and many interpretations that each poem possesses. Translation comes from within, each person is destined to catch the moment that cannot be experienced another way. That is the way beauty captures us. As I colored with neon marker my simple color scheme came to life. Merged with the words and simple elegance in the background Jacob Geller did more then enhance my evening, he transformed it. I will be listening to this video again tomorrow. He states what is needed in any video essay, an opinion shaped by one's own experience. The forest is rich and full of life. Discovered by the light, the wind and the shadows, each forest speaks to us different for a time. Whenever we enjoy, whenever we experience the sharpness that it has to offer. If there is a voice to be found, this is certainly a step finished on the staircase that leads to the summit. Thank you Jacob, I am glad you followed your goal to reading more poetry. I will follow your footsteps and put myself forward into the forest by posting this comment.

[@valeerie6423]

To me, it's mostly the feel of the forests. Just close your eyes and listen to the forest, its beating heart... And then you get murdered because you didn't pick up on the footsteps coming toward you. Great video, btw! Always anticipating new content from you

[@stanislavjira6713]

I still consider this video as one of the most beautiful things I have seen on KZbin. Love coming back to it... Thank you Jacob!

[@nUrnxvmhTEuU]

"Old Shoshone" at the end hit me real hard. A phenomenal video about an awesome topic. Thank you, Jacob!

[@TheFleshPrevails]

I never get tired of these videos. Always so well thought out and really make you appreciate it all. Always quite emotional too, and inspires me like crazy.

[@froginatub]

I often find myself tearing up or almost tearing up at random times watching these video essays & I have no idea why

[@sosasees]

26:18 "The same poem cannot be read twice" I barely know anything about poems, but this reminds me of how I cannot make the same music twice. Every time, the melody and rhythm changes either unplanned and subtly or intentionally dramatically. Every time, the instruments sound different, even in DAWs because even if I use the same instruments I never use them in the same way twice. This also applies to character designs: Every time I draw them they look incrementally different. No matter what type of art I'm making: Changing from an old style to a new style and then back is impossible, but I don't think it should be possible because the new version of the old style is better as long as you organically let the good changes slip in.

[@PixelaGames2000]

There’s this forest in my backyard that I would often explore as a child And I can confirm that exploring a forest is a fun experience

[@cloudbroken]

I miss hiking so much. Somehow, despite knowing that most of my favorite hikes were by myself, I haven't had the confidence to get out and drive to distant parks and hike in my own. Maybe I should try to change that this year.

[@dollsmithy2736]

did you change that?

[@cloudbroken]

@@dollsmithy2736 Great question! I don't know if I knew about it when I made this post a year ago, but I ended up spending the last year in an extremely remote location, which did in fact lead to a few pretty great solo hikes! Now I'm back (for about a week now) closer to society again and haven't gone out on my own. But I have this weekend free and a nearby mountain I could summit, so that's my plan for tomorrow morning!

[@Separator_zoi]

Never thought I'd hear a cover of Ol' Shoshone. XD The Long Dark have given me some amazingly lifelike nature moments. But there it's more the feeling of lonelyness and winter.

[@ratonellewah6058]

Seeing Jacob talk about Proteus out of nowhere was such a blast from a past that I literally bolted up in my seat. Amazing.

[@neverhave]

Proteus is such a special game, I'm really glad you mentioned it! Ever since it came out I find myself playing a few times a year to relax when things are really stressful. Far more than the visuals, I feel like the soundscape is the most effective part of Proteus. Walking around and really focusing on how the sound changes in reaction to you gives me the same vibes as going on a walk and trying to pay attention to all the little movements of the forest around you. You can just walk without paying attention and really enjoy yourself, but if you try to be more present there's a lot more going on than you would originally realize! My favorite is probably how the music changes as rain passes through, or the hum of the sun when you look directly at it. They did a great job mapping sounds to evoke certain feelings!

[@comfortingpersonorginal]

This video makes me feel good, I don't really know how to explain it better than that honestly. I just feel nice right now

[@Naiuhz]

Ah~, I love the Genshin Impact music used.

[@matthiaswinther5395]

I thought I recognized that first track. Genshin OST is top tier man

[@raioh4747]

for sure, the exploration, setting and visuals had me sold on the game, but I fell in love with that ost, especially in Liyue

[@Raaaah__]

I got so excited when i heard it, I could spend hours just running around the pretty landscapes :)

[@AnimeeNoa]

i love it too, it make so much atmossphere in the game, while traveling around

[@johncargille7722]

A a poet constantly fascinated with the varied interpretations of my own works, this video really hit home for me. The analogy I always come back to with poetry is the opposite of a coloring book; the poetry splashes all sorts of shades and vague shapes onto a canvas, and each person, each time they read and consider it, draws their own lines. When I do my job well, the basic ideas, emotions, themes carry through--but the exact way that applies to and is interpreted by any given reader is a secret for them alone to truly know.

[@angus9874]

That's so cool!! I love writing music like this, too. Ideas are kept vague, because it allows the person to connect it to what matters to them in their own way.

[@stadbab]

as linear as the forest in tlou2 might have been, i can tell you as someone who grew up on the west coast in a temperate rainforest that they absolutely nailed it. that section of the game made me feel like a kid on a hike in the woods again.

[@yung_naerdowell]

I don’t think there is any other KZbin channel that even compares to Jacob’s. It’s been said over and over but I care so much about every single topic almost for the sole reason that Jacob cares so much about every single topic

[@xAc3DoGx]

This year I've made the resolution to write more poetry, I especially love writing about nature. This video gave me the inspiration to write this poem, it'd also be awesome to see others do something similar on this thread. The First Excursion: The overarching doorways scrape the sky And the pathway continues beyond our perception. Its nonexistent sentience captures the adventure Of a child's first time, witnessing rivers bullying its rocks And finding its inhabitants greeting them. The sound of life encompasses their ears like nothing they've ever heard before And the brightest rays of light refract through Past the green, wealthy fauna Directly into the eyes of unexplainable wonder

[@rishabhmalhotra7017]

You are KZbin's true hidden gem. I cannot binge watch your videos in my free time, and i mean that as an absolute compliment. Each of your videos requires a lot of careful listening, re-listening, thinking, and more post-video thinking from me that I watch your videos only when I am fully focussed. Because I never want to 'waste' your videos when my ears are not ready for it yet. I hope that makes sense. Also, these videos need to shown in schools or something, your channel is brilliant. I was born in India, and growing up there, poetry in school textbooks was not considered something to 'stimulate' your minds, instead, all the children were made to read the poem in the textbook, and we all were given a pre-decided interpretation by a teacher so that we could memorise it and write it down in exams. Now that I think about it, I (and other fellow students) missed out so much on the true potential of poetry and understanding literature as a whole. Your video makes me think how delightful it would have been if the teachers would have let us create our own unique interpretations, without worrying about grades or memorising! I moved out of India a few years ago, and it was a pleasant surprise when I realised that people outside could study for the sake of knowledge itself. What a video, loved it!

[@a.dmccormack9097]

God, these videos must take so long to edit and write. It's so good to see a genuinely earnest interpretation of art.

[@carolinehammer4034]

This is legit my favorite video on this website.

[@jbgeller]

The note about imagining how different people might interpret the same vista reminded me of Elegy for a Dead World. This video is already so replete that I wouldn't be surprised if you thought of it too but couldn't fit the mention. But if not, you may enjoy a game that simply allows the player to wander through a set of vistas and share their thoughts with others who have each experienced the same thing in a different way.

[@levilukeskytrekker]

Been bedridden since before there was a pandemic, and a lot of my vision's slowly gone over that time. It's been a long time since I've seen the woods, and not just bits of trees, and a long, long time since I've gotten to walk in them. Thanks for reminding me why I love them so much. Maybe someday I'll get to see the woods again, and maybe someday I'll even get to walk in them. But, if it comes to it, I personally think that's all that Heaven really will be. Finally getting to see things, not just through one pair of eyes, but as they are, in every translation, in every story, all finally in symphony. All of art passing the event horizon of entropy. Thanks for making this video, it was a good one.

[@demirdzaferovic2990]

When is "lady Maria - prepare to cry" comming, Vati?

[@semyonyentsov3656]

A typical Jacob Geller essay: understand nothing until the final words come with a delightful feeling of meaning, gluing everything said before into a piece that is felt by heart yet not verbalized by the mind. It's mindblowing, yet it is rather about heart than mind. It's gorgeous -- that's I wanna say. And I'm not fluent in English. Thank you, Jacob.

[@SGustafsson]

I'd forgotten how much I loved Proteus when I first played 8 years ago, such a delightful experience.

[@kaioxys]

Not a soul seen on these empty hills And yet can be heard ambient mutterings Of castings breaching the vast canopy To again flicker across the moss

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

I fully embrace criticisms of Ghost of Tsushima's haikus as examples of the form, but to me they still succeed at the most important thing they are striving for. They get the player to to stop, pause, take in the landscape and think about how they feel. This is a VERY rare thing for a game of any stripe to manage, let alone a triple A title.

[@PhiltheMean]

I find it weird how often Ghosts of Tsushima got flack for 'historical accuracy' or things such as how their haikus are composed without appreciated the intent. It's kind of like media wanted to pull a "gotcha" on anything that didn't appear to 100 percent authentic at first blush. If you really do look into how Sucker Punch approached Japanese culture you can see how much they cared about portraying culture accurately but also translating it for a wider audience. I think that's important to think about especially concerning the thesis of the video is about translation. I don't think Sucker Punch had any ill intent and I am glad you commented on what haikus brought to the game experience, if they were authentic or not.

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

@@PhiltheMean To be fair, Ghost IS leaning hard into the history part. The whole "Mongol Artifacts" thing is basically a history education feature. And when you do things like that, you open yourself up to critique of your other history. I really liked Ghost oT, but I wonder if it would have been better served by leaning a little harder into the ART and less of the HISTORY. It's already a beautiful, thoughtful game. Maybe it could have taken a couple extra steps into being impressionist.

[@PhiltheMean]

@@pavarottiaardvark3431 It's fair to address history when looking at media in general, yes. My issue is when broad strokes are interpreted as disinterest in the subject matter where as you say, Sucker Punch shows appreciation and interest in almost every facet of the game. GoT is earnest in its approach and made creative decisions no different from any other historical fiction in western media. I would argue those decisions were made with more intent and appreciation than what we are used to but because it depicts events solely belonging to another country and culture of its creators it faces unfair scrutiny. There are many takes online that it is romantic of the samurai when it is actually deeply critical. It also addresses the ethnic make up of the invading Mongols to avoid tensions between Korea and Japan. Tsushima would have been invaded by Koreans 'recruited' by the Mongol armies. The game sidesteps this by using Korean military technology but having the invading force in game made solely of Mongols. You could see why a creative approach is needed in such circumstances. GoT is flawed, I can't argue against that, but I find the amount of scrutiny it faced in early discourse disingenuous concerning the realities of interpreting something in a historical setting from another culture.

[@Donagalthegamer]

I can never thank you enough for the way your channel has helped me identify the feelings that things make me feel, and the way things make me act. Sometimes they're the same ways you describe how you feel, and sometimes they're not, and that's okay.

[@georgep633]

I said it on my Twitter but I’ll say it again, Jacobs videos always make me feel some sort of way. I feel a little lost after each episode, 20/30 minutes of my brain being exposed to such fascinating perceptions to just sat alone thinking about how much I look forward to the next segment of thinking when he produces another banger. Great video man! You’re an inspiration

[@unicornunicorn8272]

sir you have knocked ur out of the park again. i’m always so excited when you post a new video. thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@Grasshopper567]

They actually reconstructed Tang dynasty chinese, now that's attention to detail!

[@a.z.foreman74]

Heh yes. There's been a shitton of work on reconstructing the Chinese of this period actually. And yes he did actually make the effort to track down someone who could pronounce the Chinese of over a millennium ago. (It's my voice you hear in the video. I used essentially Weldon S. Coblin's reconstruction of how Chinese was pronounced in the city of Chang'an during Wang Wei's life.)

[@WhatTheFuckMonkey]

@@a.z.foreman74 holy fucking shit that's cool

[@Bl1tzkn1ght]

I live in a forest and when I see these games perfect the vibe of the woods I honestly always feel at peace in these places, even when I'm being chased by a monster in said forest. The forest for some is terrifying but I feel calmed by it all.

[@jonesjones6279]

Glad to hear Vaati hasn’t gone Hollow waiting for Elden Ring yet!

[@pessimisticinsomniac2724]

Have you gone hollow yet?

[@jonesjones6279]

@@pessimisticinsomniac2724 Not yet, E3 gives a hope that will surely sustain me. Be safe, friend. Don't you dare go Hollow.

[@crazydragy4233]

What a beautiful video! I sit here an hour later still in awe (though not as much because of the video itself but what it reminded me). Really enjoying the harmonious comment section. Saw a lot of interesting comments. Glad there is a conversation going on.

[@ohhaithere2010]

HOLY SHIT I almost screamed when Sword and Sworcery ost started playing

[@williamstevens8177]

i uh. almost started crying watching this. its been a while since ive been out into the woods, and i didn't realize how much i missed it