| COMPLAINTE DU LIBRE-ARBITRE | LAMENT OF FREE WILL | ||||||||||||
| Jules Laforgue | prose trans. Graham Dunstan Martin | ||||||||||||
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Rencontrant un jour le Christ, Pierrot de loin lui a fait: Psitt! Venez-ça: êtes-vous fatalist? |
Meeting Christ one day, Pierrot from far off went: 'Hist! Come here: are you a fatalist? |
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Pourriez-vous m'concilier un peu Comment l'homme est libre et responsableu, Si tout c'qui s'fait est prévu d'Dieu? |
Could you reconcile for me how man is free and responsible, if everything he does is foreseen by God?'
Et voici que not' Seigneur Jésus, | Tout pâle, il lui a répondu: "ça ne serait pas de refus,
And see how our Lord Jesus, | all pale, replied: "I wouldn't refuse to answer,
Mais ... votre conduite accuse | Un coeur que le malheur amuse, Et puis vous êtes sans excuse,
but ... your conduct reveals | a heart that unhappiness amuses, and besides you are without any excuse,
Pire que le méchant soldat | Romain qui m'molesta Quand j'étais su'l' Golgotha.
worse than the wicked Roman | soldier who maltreated me when I was on Golgotha.
Dieu, qui voit tout, apprécie | Vot' conduite envers le Messie, Que vous lui montez une scie.
God, who sees all, judges | your conduct towards the Messiah, judges that you're poking fun at him.
En Enfer et sans façon, | Vous irez, triste polisson, Et ce s'ra un' bonne leçon."
To Hell you'll go at once, | miserable scoundrel, and let that be a lesson to you!"
Et il lui tourna les talons, | Mais Pierrot dit: "T'en sais pas long, Car t'as déplacé la question."
And he turned his back on him. | But Pierrot said: "You don't know much about it, for you've sidestepped the issue." |
Trans. Copyright © Graham Dunstan Martin 1998 - publ. Penguin Classics
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