The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Wed 11/30/05)

[RetroLounge]

Lethe

Come to my arms, cruel and sullen thing;
Indolent beast, come to my arms again,
For I would plunge my fingers in your mane
And be a long time unremembering —

And bury myself in you, and breathe your wild
Perfume remorselessly for one more hour:
And breathe again, as of a ruined flower,
The fragrance of the love you have defiled.

I long to sleep; I think that from a stark
Slumber like death I could awake the same
As I was once, and lavish without shame
Caresses upon your body, glowing and dark.

To drown my sorrow there is no abyss,
However deep, that can compare with your bed.
Forgetfulness has made its country your red
Mouth, and the flowing of Lethe is in your kiss.

My doom, henceforward, is my sole desire:
As martyrs, being demented in their zeal,
Shake with delightful spasms upon the wheel,
Implore the whip, or puff upon the fire,

So I implore you, fervently resigned!
Come; I would drink nepenthe and long rest
At the sweet points of this entrancing breast
Wherein no heart has ever been confined.

Charles Baudelaire

Translated by George Dillon, Flowers of Evil (NY: Harper and Brothers, 1936)

Here's the original:

Le Léthé

Viens sur mon coeur, âme cruelle et sourde,
Tigre adoré, monstre aux airs indolents;
Je veux longtemps plonger mes doigts tremblants
Dans l'épaisseur de ta crinière lourde;

Dans tes jupons remplis de ton parfum
Ensevelir ma tête endolorie,
Et respirer, comme une fleur flétrie,
Le doux relent de mon amour défunt.

Je veux dormir! dormir plutôt que vivre!
Dans un sommeil aussi doux que la mort,
J'étalerai mes baisers sans remords
Sur ton beau corps poli comme le cuivre.

Pour engloutir mes sanglots apaisés
Rien ne me vaut l'abîme de ta couche;
L'oubli puissant habite sur ta bouche,
Et le Léthé coule dans tes baisers.

À mon destin, désormais mon délice,
J'obéirai comme un prédestiné;
Martyr docile, innocent condamné,
Dont la ferveur attise le supplice,

Je sucerai, pour noyer ma rancoeur,
Le népenthès et la bonne ciguë
Aux bouts charmants de cette gorge aiguë
Qui n'a jamais emprisonné de coeur.

************************************************

Les Fleurs Du Mal is an amazing collection of work. Enjoy...

RL

[In_The_Wind]

1. *

[threehensandacow]

2. ah,

there you are.
off to take the kiddies to school.
baudelaire is quite nice for a wednesday morning. unexpected.

[RetroLounge]

6. My life seems to be full of the unexpected these days

you know?

RL

[threehensandacow]

3. is it too much

to say that i would love to be your beast? is it too much for a thursday morning? is it too much for a newcomer such as myself?
is it too much to ask again?:blush:

[RetroLounge]

12. sigh

.

RL

[RetroLounge]

22. You wanna be my beast?

RL

[RevCheesehead]

4. Damn, Retro....

you're getting me all hot and bothered this morning! :loveya:

[RetroLounge]

7. and this would be different than any other day how?

:D :hi: :hug:

RL

[RevCheesehead]

9. well.....

sometimes you make me :)
sometimes I :cry:
some days I :rofl:
most of the time, I'm :loveya:

and then there are the days when you bring out the :evilgrin: in me:
this isn't what you think it is

[LaraMN]

5. Where's the "long, deep sigh" smiley?

Thanks, RL- beautiful words for another dismally gray day in my neck of the woods. I look forward to these every day!:hug:

[RetroLounge]

8. the "long, deep sigh" smiley

Yes, that is what I need also. Lots of those long deep sighs going on...

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. MMmmmmm.....sexual images and death.......

This is wonderfully dark and entrancing and erotic, my dear RetroLounge.....

As do ALL your daily poems, this one speaks to me .......

Perhaps more than most of them do........

Who knows why...perhaps it is what is inside me today that makes me feel this way.....

Thank you again for these!

I would NOT miss them for the world......

[RetroLounge]

11. Glad you like this one

I translated it myself a few years ago but could not find my copy this morning.

I look forward to your posts on my threads...

:hug:

RL

[bicentennial_baby]

13. oh dear...

you parlez le francais as well? *swoon*

:loveya:

[RetroLounge]

14. Mais, Oui...

well, I used to a bit, after 6 years of French Classes with the last one being in 1978.

It's been a long long time since I actually spoke it.

RL

[bicentennial_baby]

17. oh la la...

je t'adore plus, maintenant :loveya:

[RetroLounge]

20. C'est tres bon, non?

:woohoo:

RL

[bicentennial_baby]

21. Bien sur

Plusieurs des hommes m'adorent, mais, j'adore bien les hommes qui parlent le francais... *swoon* :)

[RetroLounge]

15. post-lunch kick

:kick:

RL

[KitchenWitch]

16. Exquisite

[SeattleGirl]

18. Very nice, RL!

Thank you!

[RetroLounge]

19. You are welcome...

:hi:

RL