Freethought & Rationalism Archive

abe smith · 05-19-2003, 06:48 AM

Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine/ et nos amours/faut-il que zhe m'en souvienne/ la nuit vient toujours apres le jour/

vient la nuit sonne l'heure/ les jours s'en vont zhe demeure

(Guillaume Apollinaire. This is an excerpt from the not-very-long lyric. The punctuation is his. It shd be divided into lines; so that I could leave out my slash marks /////, but I
supposed the mediator would close-up the lineation thus.....)

**************************************************
(also by Apollinaire; this time complete:)

Avec ses quatre dromadaires/Dom Pedro d'Alfa Roubeira/ courut le Monde et l'admira. /
Il fit ce que zhe voudrais faire/ si zh'avez quatre dromadaires.

************************************************** **

Shake · 05-19-2003, 08:32 AM

No speak-a-vous francais!

Care to translate?

abe smith · 05-19-2003, 09:06 AM

"poetry is what is lost in translation." Why not learn some french? This-here is pretty-easy but not really translatable.

Okay:1. Here under Mirabeau Bridge the Seine goes spooling away/ as what we care most about does/ And am I supposed to keep in mind /that night follows day/
(*murmur*) come, Night, click on along, the hours of night/
oh time passes and here I am

*************************************************
Here with his four dromedaries/ Don Pedro d'Alfa Roubay-eerah/
travels through the world and takes it all in in amazement./
He's doing what *I*'d like to be doing/ if *I*'d four dromedaries.

************************************************** **
The poetry is what is lost in translation. (You asked me for this. ) What the Seine is doing under Mirabeau bridge is visually-(or kinaesthetically) comparable to the sound of the early measures of Smetana's "Moldau", see. To get the meaning of Apollinaire's short lyric, you need to/I shd have quoted it entire, because the meaning is in the (form-al) repetitions of it. See.
I tried.

pescifish · 05-19-2003, 09:12 AM

It sounds lovely, abe. It's unlikely a quick lesson in French is going to help in seeing the poetry, but I'm sure those who can read the passage in the intended language will appreciate the beauty.

I think the image is lovely, even in your translation. Thanks!

lunachick · 05-19-2003, 09:25 AM

Pont Mirabeau is one of the top smooching spots for those caught in the romance of Paris.

The poem itself is a simple expression of sorrow and resignation. It compares time and love to the river - the way it flows with such force, and then passes by like it was never there.

It's a beautiful poem.

The Pogues translated Apollinaire's French lyric into an English song, if that helps. But as Abe has said - much is lost in translation - and this is not a great translation, anyway:

Below the Pont Mirabeau
Slow flows the Seine
And all out loves together
Must I recall again
Joy would always follow
After pain

Hands holding hands
Let us stand face to face
While underneath the bridge
Of our arms entwined slow race
Eternal gazes flowing
At wave's pace

Let night fall, let the hours go by
The days pass on and here I stand

Love runs away
Like running water flows
Love flows away
But oh how slow life goes
How violent is hope
Love only knows

Let night fall, let the hours go by
The days pass on and her stand I

The days flow ever on
The weeks pass by in vain
Time never will return
Nor our loves burn again
Below the Pont Mirabeau
Slow flows the Seine

Let night fall, let the hours go by
The days pass on and here I stand

--------------------------------------------
Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine
Et nos amours
Faut-il qu'il m'en souvienne
La joie venait toujours apr�s la peine

Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure
Les jours s'en vont je demeure

Les mains dans les mains restons face � face
Tandis que sous
Le pont de nos bras passe
Des �ternels 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'Esp�rance est violente

Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure
Les jours s'en vont je demeure

Passent les jours et passent les semaines
Ni temps pass�
Ni les amours reviennent
Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine

Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure
Les jours s'en vont je demeure

SULPHUR · 05-19-2003, 09:45 AM

this is the first time I seen zhe used in french. I am a little puzzled ,could someone explain please.

Treacle Worshipper · 05-19-2003, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SULPHUR
this is the first time I seen zhe used in french. I am a little puzzled ,could someone explain please.

AFAIK, it's just a phonetic writing of "je" - depends on your accent how it's pronounced.

Thanks for posting the poetry, abe, luna; it's beautiful.

TW

Richard1366 · 05-19-2003, 02:11 PM

There is no Hell, there is only France.

Frank Zappa

mouse. · 05-19-2003, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Daffodils by William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

I wander'd lonely as a cloud
...That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
...A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
...And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
...Along the margin of a bay;
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
....Out-did the sparkling waves in glee;
A poet could not but be gay,
...In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
...In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
...Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils

She Tells Her Love
by Robert Ranke Graves

She tell her love while half asleep,
In the dark hours,
With half-words whispered low:
As Earth stirs in her winter sleep
And puts out grass and flowers
Despite the snow,
Despite the falling snow

Not french but I they are pretty.

05-19-2003, 06:48 AM	#1
abe smith Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: springfield, MA. USA Posts: 2,482	just a nice piece of words, no purpose... Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine/ et nos amours/faut-il que zhe m'en souvienne/ la nuit vient toujours apres le jour/ vient la nuit sonne l'heure/ les jours s'en vont zhe demeure (Guillaume Apollinaire. This is an excerpt from the not-very-long lyric. The punctuation is his. It shd be divided into lines; so that I could leave out my slash marks /////, but I supposed the mediator would close-up the lineation thus.....) ************************************************ (also by Apollinaire; this time complete:) Avec ses quatre dromadaires/Dom Pedro d'Alfa Roubeira/ courut le Monde et l'admira. / Il fit ce que zhe voudrais faire/ si zh'avez quatre dromadaires. **********************************************

05-19-2003, 08:32 AM	#2
Shake Contributor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Folding@Home in upstate NY Posts: 14,394	Huh? No speak-a-vous francais! Care to translate?

05-19-2003, 09:25 AM	#5
lunachick Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NZ Posts: 7,895	Shake Pont Mirabeau is one of the top smooching spots for those caught in the romance of Paris. The poem itself is a simple expression of sorrow and resignation. It compares time and love to the river - the way it flows with such force, and then passes by like it was never there. It's a beautiful poem. The Pogues translated Apollinaire's French lyric into an English song, if that helps. But as Abe has said - much is lost in translation - and this is not a great translation, anyway: Below the Pont Mirabeau Slow flows the Seine And all out loves together Must I recall again Joy would always follow After pain Hands holding hands Let us stand face to face While underneath the bridge Of our arms entwined slow race Eternal gazes flowing At wave's pace Let night fall, let the hours go by The days pass on and here I stand Love runs away Like running water flows Love flows away But oh how slow life goes How violent is hope Love only knows Let night fall, let the hours go by The days pass on and her stand I The days flow ever on The weeks pass by in vain Time never will return Nor our loves burn again Below the Pont Mirabeau Slow flows the Seine Let night fall, let the hours go by The days pass on and here I stand -------------------------------------------- Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine Et nos amours Faut-il qu'il m'en souvienne La joie venait toujours apr�s la peine Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure Les jours s'en vont je demeure Les mains dans les mains restons face � face Tandis que sous Le pont de nos bras passe Des �ternels 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'Esp�rance est violente Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure Les jours s'en vont je demeure Passent les jours et passent les semaines Ni temps pass� Ni les amours reviennent Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure Les jours s'en vont je demeure

05-19-2003, 09:45 AM	#6
SULPHUR Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: hobart,tasmania Posts: 551	zhe this is the first time I seen zhe used in french. I am a little puzzled ,could someone explain please.

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05-19-2003, 09:06 AM	#3
abe smith Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: springfield, MA. USA Posts: 2,482	"poetry is what is lost in translation." Why not learn some french? This-here is pretty-easy but not really translatable. Okay:1. Here under Mirabeau Bridge the Seine goes spooling away/ as what we care most about does/ And am I supposed to keep in mind /that night follows day/ (murmur) come, Night, click on along, the hours of night/ oh time passes and here I am ************************************************* Here with his four dromedaries/ Don Pedro d'Alfa Roubay-eerah/ travels through the world and takes it all in in amazement./ He's doing what I'd like to be doing/ if I'd four dromedaries. ************************************************ The poetry is what is lost in translation. (You asked me for this. ) What the Seine is doing under Mirabeau bridge is visually-(or kinaesthetically) comparable to the sound of the early measures of Smetana's "Moldau", see. To get the meaning of Apollinaire's short lyric, you need to/I shd have quoted it entire, because the meaning is in the (form-al) repetitions of it. See. I tried.

05-19-2003, 09:12 AM	#4
pescifish Beloved Deceased Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: rural part of los angeles, CA Posts: 4,516	It sounds lovely, abe. It's unlikely a quick lesson in French is going to help in seeing the poetry, but I'm sure those who can read the passage in the intended language will appreciate the beauty. I think the image is lovely, even in your translation. Thanks!

05-19-2003, 02:11 PM	#8
Richard1366 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 1,260	There is no Hell, there is only France. Frank Zappa

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