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Poulenc - Hyde Park

Hyde Park

Poulenc (1945)

Les Faiseurs de religion
Prêchaient dans le brouillard
Les ombres près de qui nous passions
Jouaient à collin-maillard

A soixante-dix ans
Joues fraîches de petits enfants
Venez venez Éléonore
Et que sais-je encore

Regardez venir les cyclopes
Les pipes s'envolaient
Mais envolez-vous-en
Regards impénitents
Et l'Europe l'Europe

Regards sacrés
Mains énamourées
Et les amants s'aimèrent
Tant que prêcheurs prêchèrent

Guillaume Apollinaire

Hyde Park

 

The speakers on religion
were preaching in the fog
the shadows close to which we passed
were playing blind man's buff

at seventy years old
with the fresh cheeks of small children
come come Eleonore
and what more do I know besides

look at the cyclopses coming
the pipes were flying along
but be off with you
impenitant faces
and Europe Europe

holy faces
enamoured hands
and the lovers loved
as long as preachers preached

© translated by Christopher Goldsack

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