Monday, March 17, 2008

WI: Spellbound

I find myself spellbound by this translation:

Grey, Mouse, Candle Paul Colinet

Translated from the French by Rochelle Ratner

Grey, the depths, the labyrinths, the sleepingbags; grey, the patient stairs; sly grey, grey brain, mischievous brain, grey, granaries of grey. Grey, the week; grey, the attic window overlooking grey fields, heaven’s grey eye, the messenger on the grey horse; bullet music, the angel caught in his grey snares.

Mouse, clever mouse who smiles with tiny grey eyes which go cri-cri; pointed mouse, spinning mouse, twinkling mouse; mouse who dots the grey quilt; mouse who says oui with a little cry, in the heaps of folded grey.

Candle, it's a castle. Day castle, night castle, castle of mice; castle of cats; castle that sings, winged castle, song of wings. Circle of virgins, candle-virgins radiantly turning, with bouquets of eyes and velvet mouths. Lace-collared candle, fairy candle, candle of Orpheus, French candle greyed from mouse-nests.


from a French poet, sent to me by my son, Slick.

7 comments:

Jeques said...

Indeed, this translations cast certain magic spell to the mind ~ the unusual translation summons ideas, creative ideas than make me want to write.

Thanks to you and your son for sharing this.

I wish you well.

~ Jeques

Constance Brewer said...

wow, I like the flow of this, even in translation. Thanks for sharing. :)

rel said...

Where, pray tell, would we be without our imaginations?
In the grey pit of human mediaocrity?
;)
rel

Anonymous said...

How do we live without imaginations?

Great thoughts...

insanely inconclusive

anthonynorth said...

Imagination is the stuff of culture, science, religion - and produces beautiful words.

Tumblewords: said...

I like it, too! The spell it casts is wide and encompassing...

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, really exquisite.