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Apollinaire, Le Pont Mirabeau
Le Pont Mirabeau (read by the author here)
Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine Et nos amours Faut-il qu’il m’en souvienne La joie venait toujours après la peine. Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure Les jours s’en vont je demeure Les mains dans les mains restons face à face Tandis que sous Le pont de nos bras passe Des éternels regards l’onde si lasse Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure Les jours s’en vont je demeure L’amour s’en va comme cette eau courante L’amour s’en va Comme la vie est lente Et comme l’Espérance est violente Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure Les jours s’en vont je demeure Passent les jours et passent les semaines Ni temps passé Ni les amours reviennent Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure Les jours s’en vont je demeure —Guillaume Apollinaire (Alcools, 1913) |
Literal prose crib (mine, quibbles welcome):
Mirabeau Bridge Under Mirabeau Bridge runs the Seine And our loves* It is necessary that I remember Joy came always after pain Let the night come let the hour sound The days go away I remain Hands in hands we stay face to face Whereas under The bridge of our arms passes Eternal gazes' wave, so weary Let the night come let the hour sound The days go away I remain Love goes away like this running water Love goes away Like [or "how"] life is slow And like [or "how"] Hope is violent Let the night come let the hour sound The days go away I remain They pass, the days, and they pass, the weeks Neither past time Nor loves come back Under Mirabeau Bridge runs the Seine Let the night come let the hour sound The days go away I remain * [In French, "loves" generally means "love affairs."] |
Mirabeau Bridge
Under the Mirabeau Bridge there flows the Seine Must I recall Our loves recall how then After each sorrow joy came back again Let night come on bells end the day The days go by me still I stay Hands joined and face to face let’s stay just so While underneath The bridge of our arms shall go Weary of endless looks the river’s flow Let night come on bells end the day The days go by me still I stay All love goes by as water to the sea All love goes by How slow life seems to me How violent the hope of love can be Let night come on bells end the day The days go by me still I stay The days the weeks pass by beyond our ken Neither time past Nor love comes back again Under the Mirabeau Bridge there flows the Seine Let night come on bells end the day The days go by me still I stay —Translated by Richard Wilbur |
The Mirabeau Bridge
Under the Mirabeau Bridge the Seine Flows and our love Must I be reminded again How joy came always after pain Night comes the hour is rung The days go I remain Hands within hands we stand face to face While underneath The bridge of our arms passes The loose wave of our gazing which is endless Night comes the hour is rung The days go I remain Love slips away like this water flowing Love slips away How slow life is in its going And hope is so violent a thing Night comes the hour is rung The days go I remain The days pass the weeks pass and are gone Neither time that is gone Nor love ever returns again Under the Mirabeau Bridge flows the Seine Night comes the hour is rung The days go I remain --Translated by W.S. Merwin |
Pont Mirabeau
Under Pont Mirabeau glides the Seine And loves of ours Must I think back to when Joy always followed in the wake of pain Sound the hour night draw near The days go running I stay here Hand in my hand stand by me face to face While underneath The bridge of our embrace Weary of everlasting looks the slow wave passes Sound the hour night draw near The days go running I stay here Love flows away as running water went Love flows away As life is indolent And as Hope is violent Sound the hour night draw near The days go running I stay here Though days run on though days and weeks run on No time gone by No love comes back again Under Pont Mirabeau glides the Seine Sound the hour night draw near The days go running I stay here --Translated by X.J. Kennedy |
Le Pont Mirabeau
Under Eads Bridge over the Mississippi at Saint Louis Flows the Seine And our past loves. Do I really have to remember all that again And remember Joy came only after so much pain? Hand in hand, face to face, Let the belfry softly bong the late hour. Nights go by. Days go by. I’m alive. I’m here. I’m in flower. The days go by. But I’m still here. In full flower. Let night come. Let the hour chime on the mantel. Love goes away the way this river flows away. How violently flowers fade. How awfully slow life is. How violently a flower fades. How violent our hopes are. The days pass and the weeks pass. The past does not return, nor do past loves. Under the Pont Mirabeau flows the Seine. Hand in hand, standing face to face, Under the arch of the bridge our outstretched arms make Flows our appetite for life away from us downstream, And our dream Of getting back our love of life again. Under the Pont Mirabeau flows the Seine. --Translated by Frederick Seidel |
The Mirabeau Bridge
Under the Mirabeau Bridge runs the Seine And our love I must bring to mind once again That joy always came after pain Cometh the night chimeth the hour The days go on I lack power Hands joined face to face each of us abides Whilst beneath The bridge our arms form slides The weary water of love forever's tides Cometh the night chimeth the hour The days go on I lack power Love passes like this running stream Love takes its leave Life is a dream And Hope a dangerous extreme Cometh the night chimeth the hour The days go on I lack power On go the days and on go weeks again Not time gone by Nor love can one regain Under the Mirabeau Bridge runs the Seine Cometh the night chimeth the hour The days go on I lack power --Translated by Peter Dean |
Mirabeau Bridge
(tanka sequence with haiku refrain) The Seine keeps flowing under the Mirabeau Bridge - and our loves also - I need to remember that joy always follows sorrow. And when night's bell tolls the days take their departure - I alone remain Holding hand in hand, let us sit face to face while underneath the bridge of our arms pass eternal gazings on such weary waves. And when night's bell tolls the days take their departure - I alone remain Love is flowing fast away, just as these flowing waters flow away slow as life itself flows by - how violent Hope becomes. And when the night's bell tolls the days take their departure - I alone remain The days passing by, the weeks passing by - and yet neither our past time nor our loves return - under Mirabeau Bridge flows the Seine - And when night's bell tolls the days take their departure - I alone remain --Translated by James Kirkup |
Le Pont Mirabeau
Under the pont Mirabeau flows the Seine Our loves flow too Must it recall them so Joy came to us always after pain May night come and the hours ring The days go by and I remain Facing each other hand in hand Thus we will stand While under our arms' bridge Our longing looks pass in a weary band May night come and the hours ring The days go by and I remain Love leaves us like this flowing stream Love flows away How slow life is and mild And oh how hope can suddenly run wild May night come and the hours ring The days go by and I remain May the long days and the weeks go by Neither the past Nor former loves return Under the pont Mirabeau flows the Seine --Translated by Roger Shattuck |
Le pont Mirabeau
Under the Mirabeau bridge flows the Seine And our love Comes back to memory again Where always joy came after pain Comes the night, the hours sound Days go round in which to drown Hand in hand, face to face While underneath The bridge of our embrace Eternal gazes, weary waves Comes the night, the hours sound Days go round in which to drown Love goes away like the water flows Love goes away Like life is slow And like Hopefulness is violent Comes the night, the hours sound Days go round in which to drown Pass the days, pass the nights Neither time past Nor love comes back Under the Mirabeau bridge flows the Seine Comes the night, the hours sound Days go round in which to drown --Translated by Charles Bernstein |
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