by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Translation © by Charles Hopkins (1952 - 2007)

Pantomime
Language: French (Français) 
Available translation(s): CHI ENG GER
Pierrot qui n'a rien d'un Clitandre
Vide un flacon sans plus attendre,
Et, pratique, entame un pâté.

Cassandre, au fond de l'avenue,
Verse une larme méconnue
Sur son neveu déshérité.

Ce faquin d'Arlequin combine
L'enlèvement de Colombine
Et pirouette quatre fois.

Colombine rêve, surprise
De sentir un cœur dans la brise
Et d'entendre en son cœur des voix.

Confirmed with Paul Verlaine, Fêtes galantes, Paris: Alphonse Lemerre, 1869, pages 3-4.


Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

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

  • CHI Chinese (中文) (Yen-Chiang Che) , "啞劇", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Laura Claycomb) (Peter Grunberg) , "Pantomime", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Charles Hopkins) , "Pantomime", written 2002, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Charles Hopkins) , "Pantomime", written c2005, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Ingrid Schmithüsen) , "Pantomime", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 58

Pantomime
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
Pierrot[,] who has nothing about him of a Clitander[,]
Empties a bottle without a second thought,
And opens up and makes a start on a pâté.

Cassandra, at the bottom of the road,
sheds a quiet tear
for her dispossessed nephew.

This creature of Harlequin contrives
In the abduction of Columbine
And pirouettes four times.

Columbine dreams, surprised
To sense a heart breaking
And to hear voices in her own heart.

Confirmed with an original Microsoft Word Document provided by Alistair Hinton.


Authorship:

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]

Another version of this text exists in the database.


Researcher for this text: Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-08-03
Line count: 12
Word count: 71