C'est permis de fumer. Gare
L'Écuyère de Médrano
quand tu fumes ton cigare
Saute à travers les anneaux.
Le manège à vapeur regarde s'en aller
Interminablement le paquebot "Touraine"
Il donnerait tout l'or de sa gloire foraine
Pour défaire sur l'eau son voyage enroulé.
Ne vous balancez pas si fort
Le ciel est à tout le monde
Marin d'eau douce la nuit profonde
Se moque de vos ancres d'or
Et boit debout en silence
Comme du papier buvard
Votre dos bleu qui encense
Puissamment le boulevard.
Smoking is permitted. Beware
Horse-woman from Médrano
when you smoke your cigar
jump through the hoops.
The steam tug-boat watches
the barge "Touraine" interminably leaving
it would give all the gold of its open-air glory
to undo its rolled-up journey over the water.
Do not balance yourself so wildly
the sky belongs to everybody
fresh water sailor the deep night
mocks your golden anchors
and drinks standing up in silence
like blotting paper
your blue back which powerfully
perfumes the boulevard with incense.
© translated by Christopher Goldsack
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