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Poulenc - Métamorphoses

Métamorphoses

Poulenc (1943

Reine des mouettes

Reine des mouettes, mon orpheline,
Je t'ai vue rose, je m'en souviens,
Sous les brumes mousselines
De ton deuil ancien.

Rose d'aimer le baiser qui chagrine
Tu te laissais accorder à mes mains
Sous les brumes mousselines
Voiles de nos liens.

Rougis, rougis, mon baiser te devine
Mouette prise aux nœuds des grands chemins.

Reine des mouettes, mon orpheline,
Tu étais rose accordée à mes mains
Rose sous les mousselines
Et je m'en souviens.

C'est ainsi que tu es

Ta chair, d'âme mêlée,
Chevelure emmêlée,
Ton pied courant le temps,
Ton ombre qui s'étend
Et murmure à ma tempe,
Voilà, c'est ton portrait,
C'est ainsi que tu es,
Et je veux te l'écrire
Pour que la nuit venue,
Tu puisses croire et dire,
Que je t'ai bien connue.

Paganini

Violon hippocampe et sirène
Berceau des cœurs cœur et berceau
Larmes de Marie Madeleine
Soupir d'une Reine
Echo

Violon orgueil de mains légères
Départ à cheval sur les eaux
Amour chevauchant le mystère
Voleur en prière
Oiseau

Violon femme morganatique
Chat botté courant la forêt
Puit des vérités lunatiques
Confession publique
Corset

Violon alcool de l'âme en peine
Préférence muscle de soir
Épaules des saisons soudaines
Feuille de chêne
Miroir

Violon chevalier du silence
Jouet évadé du bonheur
Poitrine des milles présences
Bateau de plaisance
Chasseur.

Louise de Vilmorin

Métamorphoses

 

Queen of the seagulls

Queen of the seagulls, my orphan girl,
I saw you pink, I remember,
beneath the muslin mists
of you former mourning.

Pink of liking the kiss which vexes
you would surrender yourself to my hands
beneath the muslin mists
veils of our bonds.

Blush, blush, my kiss divines you
seagull caught at the junction of the great pathways.

Queen of the seagulls, my orphan girl,
you were pink surrendered to my hands
pink beneath the muslin
and I remember it.

That is how you are

Your flesh, mingled with soul,
entangled hair,
your foot running through time,
your shadow which spreads
and murmurs at my temples,
there, that is your portrait,
that is how you are,
and I want to write it for you
so that night having come,
you can believe and say,
that I have known you well.

Paganini

Violin sea-horse and siren
cradle of hearts heart and cradle
tears of Mary Magdalen
sigh of a queen
echo

violin pride of agile hands
departure on horseback over the waters
love straddling mystery
thief at prayer
bird

violin morganatic woman
puss-in-boots running through the forest
well of the mad truths
public confession
corset

violin spirit of the soul in sorrow
preference muscle of the evening
shoulder of sudden seasons
oak leaf
mirror

violin knight of silence
play-thing escaped from happiness
breast of the thousand presences
pleasure boat
huntsman.

© translated by Christopher Goldsack

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