Today is the first of June 2010 , so a June Poem is in order, translation by Roger Little is beneath the French:
Pg 46 : Lost Quatrains
” J’ai noté. J’ai jugé. Vos étoiles sont nues.
Vous le verrez, le paradis est si banal !
Malgré le mois de juin , l’aube n’est pas venue.
Je reviendrai. Puis-je emprunter votre cheval .”
(Trans , Roger Little) :
” I’ve made a note. I’ve judged. Your Paradise
is so banal, you’ll see ! Your stars are bare.
Despite the month of June, no dawn has come.
I shall return. Will you lend me your mare ?”
I went recently to bury a friend in Dún Laoghire. The sea, as is usual was dark , deep grey and full of white horses , which didn’t make it to the rocks but dissipated in energy before hitting the shore.
The train (a DART) was heading to Greystones and a voice on the intercom kept announcing in Irish, the destination no Clocha Liath , na Clocha (í) Liath . I thought to make a poem after it all … but could not-
Stances Perdue ; Lost Quatrains, by Alain Bosquet. Trans, Roger Little. Dedalus Press.
1999. ( Poetry Europe Series No. 6 )
Chris Murray 