| BALLADE DES DAMES DU TEMPS JADIS | BALLADE OF THE LADIES OF TIME PAST |
| François Villon | tr. Peter Dale |
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Dictes moy ou, n'en quel pays, Est Flora la belle Rommaine? Archipiades ne Thaïs Qui fut sa cousine germaine? Echo parlant quant bruyt on maine Dessus riviere ou sus estan Qui beaulté ot trop plus qu'humaine? Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan? Ou est la tres sage Helloïs Pour qui chastré fut et puis moyne Pierre Esbaillart a Saint Denis? Pour son amour ot ceste essoyne. Semblablement ou est la royne Qui commanda que Buridan Fust geté en ung sac en Saine? Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan? La royne Blanche comme lis Qui chantoit a voix de seraine? Berte au grant pié, Bietris, Alis, Haremburgis qui tint le Maine Et Jehanne la bonne Lorraine Qu'Englois brulerent a Rouan, Ou sont ilz, ou, Vierge souvraine? Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan? Prince, n'enquerez de sepmaine Ou elles sont, ne de cest an, Qu a ce reffrain ne vous remaine: Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan? |
Now tell me where has Flora gone, The lovely Roman, her country's where? Archipiades, Thaïs that shone, Her cousin once removed? And fair Echo speaking across the air Of pools and meadows where sounds go, Her beauty more than human share: Where is the drift of last year's snow? Where's Heloïse the learned gone, For whom had Abelard to bear Castration and monk's habit don In St Denis? For love Pierre Endured this pain. And likewise where The Queen who had them sack and throw Buridan in the Seine down there? Where is the drift of last year's snow? Where's queen Blanche, like lily, swan - -With siren voice she'd sing an air? Big-footed Bertha, Beatrice gone; Alice, and Arembourg, Maine's heir; Lorraine's good Joan, in Rouen square Burnt by the English. Where d'they go, O Queen and Virgin, tell me where, Where is the drift of last year's snow? Prince, do not ask in a fortnight where, Nor yet again in a year or so. This is the burden of the air: Where is the drift of last year's snow? |
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Trans. Copyright © Peter Dale 1978, 2001 - publ. Anvil Press
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