by James Joyce (1882 - 1941)

A memory of the players in a mirror at midnight
 (Sung text for setting by D. Del Tredici)
 Matches original text
Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE
They mouth love's language. Gnash
The thirteen teeth
Your lean jaws grin with. Lash
Your itch and quailing, nude greed of the flesh. 
Love's breath in you is stale, worded or sung,
As sour as cat's breath,
Harsh of tongue. 

This grey that stares
Lies not, stark skin and bone. 
Leave greasy lips their kissing. None
Will choose her what you see to mouth upon. 
Dire hunger holds his hour. 
Pluck forth your heart, saltblood, a fruit of tears. 
Pluck and devour!
First published in Poesia, April 1920

Composition:

    Set to music by David Del Tredici (1937 - 2023), "A memory of the players in a mirror at midnight", 1965 [ soprano, mezzo-soprano or counter-tenor, and instrumental ensemble ], from Night Conjure-Verse, no. 2

Text Authorship:

  • by James Joyce (1882 - 1941), "A memory of the players in a mirror at midnight", written 1917, appears in Pomes Penyeach, no. 11

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Un souvenir des acteurs dans un miroir à minuit", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 82