Ô BEAUS YEUS BRUNS, Ô REGARS DESTOURNEZ ...	O YOU BIG BROWN EYES ...
Louise Labé	tr. James Kirkup (tanka)
Ô beaus yeus bruns, ô regars destournez, Ô chaus soupirs, ô larmes espandues, Ô noires nuits vainement atendues, Ô jours luisans vainement retournez: Ô tristes pleins, ô desirs obstinez, Ô tems perdu, ô peines despendues, Ô mile morts en mile rets tendues, Ô pire maus contre moy destinez. Ô ris, ô front, cheveus, bras, mains et doits: Ô lut pleintif, viole, archet et vois: Tant de flambeaux pour ardre une femmelle! De toy me plein, que tant de feus portant, En tant d'endrois d'iceus mon coeur tatant, N'en est sur toy volé quelque estincelle.	O you big brown eyes O hot sighings, streaming tears, O the long dark nights uselessly yearning, O dawns so uselessly returning! O sore pains, desires deep-rooted, O wastes of time, O pointless plottings O deaths by the dozen in thousands of dragnet despairs. O devilish schemes mounted against me - O smiles - O brow, hair, arms, hands, fingers - O plaintive lute strains, your bow, on my viol’s strings - Voices, torches, all to inflame a female! - You! it’s you who provoke these complaints, you who plague me to bitter lamentations! While my breaking heart keeps feeling you all over in every part in vain - in vain, with never one spark to light my tinder!

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Trans. Copyright © James Kirkup 2001

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