| BALLADE DES DAMES DU TEMPS JADIS | BALLAD OF DEAD LADIES |
| François Villon | tr. Dante Gabriel Rossetti |
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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 now in what hidden way is Lady Flora the lovely Roman? Where's Hipparchia, and where is Thais, Neither of them the fairer woman? Where is Echo, beheld of no man, Only heard on river and mere, - She whose beauty was more than human? ... But where are the snows of yester-year? Where's Héloise, the learned nun, For whose sake Abeillard, I ween, Lost manhood and put priesthood on? (From Love he won such dule and teen!) And where, I pray you, is the Queen Who willed that Buridan should steer Sewed in a sack's mouth down the Seine? ... But where are the snows of yester-year? White Queen Blanche, like a queen of lilies, With a voice like any mermaiden, - Bertha Broadfoot, Beatrice, Alice, And Ermengarde the lady of Maine, - And that good Joan whom Englishmen At Rouen doomed and burned her there, - Mother of God, where are they then? ... But where are the snows of yester-year? Nay, never ask this week, fair lord, Where they are gone, nor yet this year, Save with this much for an overword, - But where are the snows of yester-year? |
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