[1562] The Young Fools

Guest poem submitted by Aditi Balasubramaniam,
<aditi.balasubramaniam@>:

High-heels struggling with a full-length dress
So that, between the wind and the terrain,
At times a glimmering ankle would be seen,
And gone too soon. We liked that foolishness.

Sometimes a jealous insect's sting
Bothered the necks of beauties beneath the branches.
White napes revealed in sudden flashes
Were a feast for young eyes wild gazing.

Evening fell, ambiguous autumn evening,
The women who hung dreaming on our arms
Whispered, in low voices, words that had such charms
That our souls were left quivering and singing.

	-- Paul Verlaine

	Translated by A.S. Kline

Paul Verlaine was one of the Parnassian poets of 19th century France and was
known, among other things, for the very Bohemian life he led. I love the way
this poem reflects that. I have included the original poem:

 "Les Ingénus"

 Les hauts talons luttaient avec les longues jupes,
 En sorte que, selon le terrain et le vent,
 Parfois luisaient des bas de jambes, trop souvent
 Interceptés ! - et nous aimions ce jeu de dupes.

 Parfois aussi le dard d'un insecte jaloux
 Inquiétait le col des belles sous les branches,
 Et c'étaient des éclairs soudains de nuques blanches,
 Et ce régal comblait nos jeunes yeux de fous.

 Le soir tombait, un soir équivoque d'automne :
 Les belles, se pendant r=EAveuses à nos bras,
 Dirent alors des mots si spécieux, tout bas,
 Que notre =E2me, depuis ce temps, tremble et s'étonne.

	-- Paul Verlaine

More on Verlaine is to be found at http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/verlaine.htm.

Aditi.

[this poem is archived, accessible and awaiting your comments at]
http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1562.html
To subscribe, send a blank mail to <minstrels-subscribe@>.


Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/minstrels/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    minstrels-unsubscribe@

    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

From: Fred Simon <fvsimon@>

I really like the poem, and what's more, I really like the translation. 
It always amazes me when a translator successfully maintains the rhyme 
scheme of the original without significantly distorting its meaning or 
integrity. A translation that can stand on its own as a good poem, as 
this one does, is a very good translation.

Fred Simon