Friday, April 15, 2011

Scene From La Belle Dame Sans Merci Cafe

Je t'aime.
J'aime tout au sujet de vous,
Même votre rejet de moi.
Nous sommes parfaitement assortis.
Au revoir!
La femme inspecte la chaise,
Maintenant vide:
Serveur, un autre!

2 comments:

  1. I had to go to Google translate for this:
    La Belle Dame Sans Merci Cafe
    I love you.
    I love everything about you,
    Even your rejection of me.
    We are perfectly matched.
    Goodbye!
    The woman inspects the chair,
    Now empty:
    Server, another one!
    =====
    IMO, somehow it loses something in the translation, just like the Catholic Latin mass did when it was Anglicized!

    ReplyDelete
  2. In translation, also in history. Poem was written 43 years ago. Waymire tossed a scribble to me --the title surrounded by ballpoint doodles. He explained about Keats and the old European songs of knights falling impossibly in love with immortal elementals. I wrote it in French to agree with the title --imperfectly yes, but better that than the German I actually studied for 2 years. Herr Thornock dispaired of me. Happily, I had one English teacher who never gave up.

    ReplyDelete

Please, say hello! I welcome your comments, thoughts, even criticisms!