Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918)

1909

The heiress wore a gown
Of Turkish silk
Violet
And her gold-embroidered tunic
Fashioned fae two net panels
Was caught at the shoulder

Her eyes dancing like angels
She laughed she laughed
She had a face like the colours of France
Blue eyes white teeth and red red lips
She had a face like the colours of France

Her neckline was rounded cut low
Her hair très élégante
You could see her beautiful bare arms

Will we never hear midnight ring out

The heiress in the violet-coloured robe
And the gold-embroidered tunic
With the neckline rounded cut low
Parade her ringlets
Her golden tiara
Trailing her wee buckled shoes

She was so gorgeous
You'd not dare love her

I used to fancy atrocious women fae the spacious districts
Where every day new lives are born
Iron was their blood flame their brains
I loved I loved the folk canny with machinery
Luxury and beauty are only its froth
That woman was so beautiful
She scared me

"1909" (Alcools, 1913), trans. Richard Price, collected in Eftirs / Afters, 1996 Buy this book

All texts unless otherwise stated © Richard Price