This is the second time I have posted a poem to a thread like this. I am doing it this time because Beckett was mentioned and I enjoy reading his novels, and threads like this. He can be difficult though I am afraid I must say I have never actually dabbed in his poetry, though the one posted is to my mind representative (Is the last line funny? Ha ha that is? I don't understand it.)
The one time I did come across Samuel in this respect was with a translation he did of a poem by the French poet Paul Eluard. I include the original below because I have it in front of me, the translation is from memory - I memorised it to impress a lady (ahem) a long time ago so the blanks are from a limited knowledge of French.
Beckett did a superb job, and looking at it below I think I got most of it. It is not difficult to like this poem, nor see why I thought it might help me to woo the girl.
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L'Amoureuse Paul Eluard |
An Anthology of Modern French Poetry (1850-1950) ed., Peter Broome & Graham Chesters Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976 |
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Ladylove - translation by Samuel Beckett |
Elle est debout sur mes paupieres
Et ses cheveux sont dans les meins,
Elle a la forme de mes mains,
Elle a la couleur de mes yeux,
Ells s'engloutit dans mon ombre,
Comme une pierre sur le ciel.
Elle a toujours les yeux ouverts
Et ne me laisse pas dormir.
Ses reves en pliene lumiere
Font s'evaporer les soleils,
Me font rire, pleurer et rire,
Parler sans avoir rien a dire.
It really is the business.
What was her name again?
