| ANTIQUITEZ DE ROME - XXVII |
THE RUINS THAT WERE ROME - XXVII |
| Joachim Du Bellay | tr. Michael Haldane |
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| Toy qui de Rome emerveillé contemples |
You, whose astonished eye at Rome remarks |
| L'antique orgueil, qui menassoit les cieux, |
The ancient pride, a threat to Heaven looming, |
| Ces vieux palais, ces monts audacieux, |
These antique palaces, these hills assuming, |
| Ces murs, ces arcs, ces thermes, et ces temples, |
These walls, these baths, these temples and these arcs, |
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| Juge, en voyant ces ruines si amples, |
Judge, in the viewing of these ruins so ample, |
| Ce qu'a rongé le temps injurieux, |
The scale of Time’s mordacious decrement, |
| Puis qu'aux ouvriers les plus industrieux |
Since to our artisans most diligent |
| Ces vieux fragmens encor servent d'exemples. |
These antique fragments still serve as example. |
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| Regarde apres, comme de jour en jour |
Take note thereafter, how from day to day |
| Rome fouillant son antique sejour, |
Rome ransacking her ancient place of stay, |
| Se rebastit de tant d'oeuvres divines: |
Herself with works divine is reconstructing: |
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| Tu jugeras, que le demon Romain |
You will judge that the restless hand of Fate |
| S'efforce encore d'une fatale main |
The striving Roman daemon is conducting |
| Ressusciter ces pouldreuses ruines. |
These dusty ruins to resuscitate. |