Dark deity, whose black splendor Shines a fire that burns us all: The snow is nothing, Your ebony defeats the ivory. From darkness comes the splendor of glory, And I have seen in your eyes, I dare not speak, An African love preparing to fly, …
Read MoreCharles Baudelaire’s “The Vampire”
A French reading: Original French Translation Charles Baudelaire’s “Le Vampire” Charles Baudelaire’s “The Vampire” Toi qui, comme un coup de couteau, You, like a piercing knife, Dans mon coeur plaintif es entrée; Who entered my grieving heart; Toi qui, forte comme un troupeau You, strong …
Read MoreRimbaud’s “Eternity”
My Translation Eternity It is found. What? — Eternity. It is the sea gone Into the sun. Soul sentry, Whisper the code Of night so empty And day of fire. With human favor, From common urges You free yourself And fly away. Seeing you alone, …
Read MoreArthur Rimbaud’s “Dream in Winter”
My Translation Dream in Winter In winter, we will go in a little pink wagon With cushions of blue. We’ll be well. A nest of mad kisses Will rest in every fluffy corner. You’ll close your eyes, so as not to see, through the glass, …
Read MoreLouise Labé poem, “All at once in the soft bed”
By Louise Labé (1526-1566) My Translation All at once in the soft bed I begin to take the desired rest, And my sad spirit, leaving at once, Soars to you in swift surrender. Then I feel within my tender breasts How much I want to …
Read MoreAlfred de Musset’s “To Julia”
Alfred de Musset (1810-1857) was a French poet, dramatist, and novelist; his day job was as a librarian for the Interior Ministry. This poem, “To Julia,” is a melancholy reflection of a libertine as he is wasting his time in idleness, perhaps realizing that he …
Read MoreRimbaud’s “Song of the Highest Tower”
This is one of Rimbaud‘s later poems (he stopped creative writing at just 19) and perhaps reflects some sense of revulsion at the decadent and wild life he experienced in the previous few years. My Translation Song of the Highest Tower Idle youth Slave to …
Read MoreOne of Rimbaud’s masterpieces, “The Drunken Boat”
“The Drunken Boat” is one of Arthur Rimbaud’s masterpieces and, indeed, one of the masterpieces of French literature. Rimbaud wrote all his best poetry in just four years, between the ages of 15 and 19, and yet is considered by many to be the greatest …
Read More“Habanera,” the exquisitely beautiful aria from Bizet’s opera, Carmen
This is a lovely production of Habanera by Angela Gheorghiu, with a choir. The real beauty is in the singing and the original French; the translation only helps with understanding the meaning, but I wasn’t satisfied with the Wikipedia translation. So, at the risk of …
Read MorePaul Verlaine’s “Chanson d’automne”
This is a famous French poem by Paul Verlaine, so beautiful yet so simple it is learned by elementary school students in France. Verlaine, despite being married, had a love affair with Arthur Rimbaud, another French poet. It ended in tragedy when Verlaine shot Rimbaud …
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