GR translation: milky panes beam beneficently down

[Mark Kohut]

Sunshine, however milky, is a good.... 
----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
To: Pynchon Mailing List <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Cc: 
Sent: Thursday, December 8, 2011 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: GR translation: milky panes beam beneficently down

I assume "beam" is used as a verb here?  As in: to emit beams, as of
light.  interestingly, it seems to carry a bit of another meaning as
well: to smile radiantly or happily, especially with the word
"beneficently" in there.

On Thu, Dec 8, 2011 at 9:03 AM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
> "Milky pane" are cloudy or whitewashed panes of glass, as in a
> greenhouse.  "Beam" would be a beam of light.
>
> On Wed, Dec 7, 2011 at 11:43 PM, Mike Jing
> <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com> wrote:
>> P7.28-31   Trusswork is pierced by daylight, milky panes beam
>> beneficently down. How could there be a winter—even this one—gray
>> enough to age this iron that can sing in the wind, or cloud these
>> windows that open into another season, however falsely preserved?
>>
>> What are these "milky panes"?   And what is the meaning of the word "beam" here?