poemranker ::Apollinaire: Mirabeau Bridge by Sasha

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Apollinaire: Mirabeau Bridge

by Sasha

Member since 2004 · Posted 26 Aug 2005 · 7 comments

Translated from the French "Le Pont Mirabeau" by Guillaume Apollinaire. "Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine..." Below Mirabeau bridge there flows the Seine As for our loves Must I recall how when Sorrow was over joy would come again Let night come bells toll away Days go by me yet I stay With hands entwined let us stay face to face While underneath The bridge of our embrace Flow waters weary of an eternal gaze. Let night come bells toll away Days go by me yet I stay Love goes away the way these waters flow Love goes away How life is growing slow How violent the Hope that deals the blow Let night come bells toll away Days go by me yet I stay The days the weeks pass by beyond all ken Neither time passed Nor lost love come again Below Mirabeau bridge there flows the Seine Let night come bells toll away Days go by me yet I stay

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7 comments

[10] INTRANSIT 26-Aug-05/6:16 AM Reply
I just went back and read Zodiacs- Come away with me Carly- and it seemed to echo the sound/rhythm of a villanelle. So does this, to me. Am I right? Or do I need therapy? :/
[n/a] Sasha › INTRANSIT 26-Aug-05/6:44 AM Reply
It does have repeating endlines especially at the end, so you'd be correct I suppose
[n/a] zodiac › INTRANSIT 26-Aug-05/6:48 AM Reply
Maybe we're both riffing on the same standard.
[9] Bethy 26-Aug-05/6:56 PM Reply
Days go by me yet I stay...I like this line...This is enchanting...I can see this poem...:) Bethy *9*
[n/a] ALChemy 27-Aug-05/7:22 AM Reply
I've never been the best at punctuation but shouldn't there be commas or something between "over/joy" and "come/bells". Was this a lyrical style poem? Sounds lyrical. It's probably the refrains that do it.
[n/a] Sasha › ALChemy 27-Aug-05/8:31 AM Reply
The French poem from which I translated this has no punctuation either

Here are the first 6 lines in French, I've put punctuation marks in parentheses where they would normally be as prescribed by French writing conventions but aren't:

Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine(,)
Et nos amours(,)
Faut-il qu'il m'en souvienne(?)
La joie venait toujours après la peine(.)

Vienne la nuit(,) sonne l'heure(.)
Les jours s'en vont(,) je demeure(.)

Yes, it's lyrical.
[10] LilMsLadyPoet › Sasha 27-Aug-05/6:59 PM Reply
It is melancholy,like Moonlight Sonata is, in music, this is, in word. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.