| FEMME ET CHATTE | WOMAN AND CAT |
| Paul Verlaine | trans. Joanna Richardson |
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| Elle jouait avec sa chatte, | She was playing with her cat, |
| Et c'était merveille de voir | And it was wonderful to see |
| La main blanche et la blanche patte | The white hand and the paw so white |
| S'ébattre dans l'ombre du soir. | In twilight at their revelry. |
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| Elle cachait - la scélérate! - | She was hiding - criminal! - |
| Sous ses mitaines de fil noir | Beneath her mittens of black thread |
| Ses meurtriers ongles d'agate, | Her lethal agate fingernails |
| Coupants et clairs comme un rasoir. | As sharp and bright as razorblades. |
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| L'autre aussi faisait la sucrée | The other also looked demure |
| Et rentrait sa griffe acérée, | And drew in its cutting claws, |
| Mais le diable n'y perdait rien ... | But, devilish, she saw it all ... |
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| Et dans le boudoir où, sonore, | And in the room where, sonorous, |
| Tintait son rire aérien, | Rang out her laughter aerial, |
| Brillaient quatre points de phosphore. | There shone four spots of phosphorous. |