Inspired by… Dale! … I mean Baudelaire
Before I left my friend Dale gave me a book and I opened it to find this poem:
ENIVREZ-VOUS
Il faut être toujours ivre. Tout est là : c’est l’unique question.
Pour ne pas sentir l’horrible fardeau du Temps qui brise vos épaules
et vous penche vers la terre, il faut vous enivrer sans trêve. Mais
de quoi? De vin, de poésie ou de vertu, à votre guise.
Mais enivrez-vous. Et si quelquefois, sur les marches d’un palais,
sur l’herbe verte d’un fossé, dans la solitude morne de votre chambre,
vous vous réveillez, l’ivresse déjà diminuée ou disparue, demandez au
vent, à la vague, à l’étoile, à l’oiseau, à l’horloge, à tout ce qui
fuit, à tout ce qui gémit, à tout ce qui roule, à tout ce qui chante,
à tout ce qui parle, demandez quelle heure il est; et le vent,
la vague, l’étoile, l’oiseau, l’horloge, vous répondront:
“Il est l’heure de s’enivrer! Pour n’être pas les esclaves martyrisés
du Temps, enivrez-vous sans cesse!
De vin, de poésie ou de vertu, à votre guise.
CHARLES BAUDELAIRE – Petits poèmes en prose, 1862 –
That’s for Skelly because she’s most happy when speaking French. I read it in English first and here’s that version for James and anyone else that learned Spanish instead:
Get Drunk!
One should always be drunk. That’s all that matters; that’s our one imperative need. So as not to feel Time’s horrible burden that breaks your shoulders and bows you down, you must get drunk without ceasing. But what with? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you choose. But get drunk.And if, at some time, on the steps of a palace, in the green grass of a ditch, in the bleak solitude of your room, you are waking up when drunkenness has already abated, ask the wind, the wave, a star, the clock, all that which flees, all that which groans, all that which rolls, all that which sings, all that which speaks, ask them what time it is; and the wind, the wave, the star, the bird, the clock will reply: ‘It is time to get drunk! So that you may not be the martyred slaves of Time, get drunk; get drunk, and never pause for rest! With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you choose!’translated by Richard Howard
My order is 1/2 a beer or water so that leaves poetry or virtue, poetry or virtue… One week until I walk onto a plane and leave Time’s horrible burden! Right now I love time and run around gathering iodine, Cambodian history, 59 hugs, money, spiritual inspiration, and almost enough digital photos.
Tags: España, France, Magyarország, Suiss/Schweiz, USA
Greta
(hehe, I found you through your e-mail)
I always liked this one. It sounds better in French; I dunno– “get drunk” doesn’t quite do “Enivrez-vous” justice.
kt, you are really good at finding me! You should come find me in SE asia, I wouldn’t put it past you. I agree re: enivrez-vous. Do you choose wine, virtue, or poetry? (tough choice, eh?). -G
I don’t know which I would chose. And SE Asia sounds like fun. How long are you going to be there?
I actually really want to go to New Zealand this winter. At break.