| BALLADE DES DAMES DU TEMPS JADIS | TELL ME WHERE ... |
| François Villon | tr. A.S.Kline |
|
Dictes moy ou, n'en quel pays, Est Flora la belle Rommaine? Archipiades ne Thaïs Qui fut sa cousine germaine? Echo parlant quant bruyt on maine Dessus riviere ou sus estan Qui beaulté ot trop plus qu'humaine? Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan? Ou est la tres sage Helloïs Pour qui chastré fut et puis moyne Pierre Esbaillart a Saint Denis? Pour son amour ot ceste essoyne. Semblablement ou est la royne Qui commanda que Buridan Fust geté en ung sac en Saine? Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan? La royne Blanche comme lis Qui chantoit a voix de seraine? Berte au grant pié, Bietris, Alis, Haremburgis qui tint le Maine Et Jehanne la bonne Lorraine Qu'Englois brulerent a Rouan, Ou sont ilz, ou, Vierge souvraine? Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan? Prince, n'enquerez de sepmaine Ou elles sont, ne de cest an, Qu a ce reffrain ne vous remaine: Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan? |
Tell me where, or in what country Is Flora, the lovely Roman, Archipiades or Thaïs, Who was her nearest cousin, Echo answering, at clap of hand, Over the river, and the meadow, Whose beauty was more than human? Oh, where is last year’s snow? Where is that wise girl Eloise, For whom was gelded, to his great shame, Peter Abelard, at Saint Denis, For love of her enduring pain, And where now is that queen again, Who commanded them to throw Buridan in a sack, in the Seine? Oh, where is last year’s snow? Queen Blanche of the Siren’s voice White as a swan, and Alice, say, Bertha Big-Foot and Beatrice, Arembourg, ruler of Maine, Or Jeanne d’Arc of Lorraine, The English burned at Rouen? Oh, Where are they Virgin, you who reign? Oh, where is last year’s snow? Prince, don’t ask of me again Where they are, this year or no, I have only this last refrain: Oh, where is last year’s snow? |
Click here 1 for another translation of this poem.
Note: Dante Gabriel Rossetti took Archipiades to be Hipparchia
Trans. Copyright © A.S.Kline 2004