Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Saturday, February 16. 2013

Saturday Verse: Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867)

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Angel of gaiety, have you tasted grief?
Shame and remorse and sobs and weary spite,
and the vague terrors of the fearful night
That crush the heart up like a crumpled leaf?
Angel of gaiety, have you tasted grief?

Angel of kindness, have you tasted hate?
With hands clenched in the shade and tears of gall,
When Vengeance beats her hellish battle-call,
And makes herself the captain of our fate,
Angel of kindness, have you tasted hate?

Angel of health, did you ever know pain,
Which like an exile trails his tired footfalls
The cold length of the white infirmary walls,
With lips compressed, seeking the sun in vain?
Angel of health, did ever you know pain?

Angel of beauty, do you wrinkles know?
Know you the fear of age, the torment vile
Of reading secret horror in the smile
Of eyes your eyes have loved since long ago?
Angel of beauty, do you wrinkles know?

Angel of happiness, and joy, and light,
Old David would have asked for youth afresh
From the pure touch of your enchanted flesh;
I but implore your prayers to aid my plight,
Angel of happiness, and joy, and light.
Posted by Bird Dog in Saturday Verse at 05:00 | Comments (6) | Trackbacks (0)

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What does this poem mean? What is it about?
#1 Charlie Davis on 2010-11-14 20:57 (Reply)
Baudelaire wrote this as an alexandrine (each line with 12 syllables). This translation does not reflect the form for whatever reason.
#2 MissyW on 2013-02-16 10:27 (Reply)
Is that because it was originally written in French?
#3 apple pie on 2013-02-16 11:41 (Reply)
Yep. Baudelaire was one of the original bad boys of literature - a dandy and a spendthrift whose sometimes scandalous verse brought him to court to face morals charges (later dismissed). He was a stupendous poet, and this is one of the poems in his series "Les Fleurs du Mal" (The Flowers of Evil). Highly emotional, Baudelaire attempted suicide at one point, and he died a horrible death from syphilis. So much for the writing life...
#3.1 MissyW on 2013-02-16 13:22 (Reply)
I've never much enjoyed reading poetry in languages I can't read; I'm nagged by the feeling that I'm missing something the translator couldn't get across. On the other hand, there are some translations, like Fagles' Iliad, I really enjoy.
#3.2 T.K. Tortch on 2013-02-16 20:00 (Reply)
There is a free eBook of the Fagles Iliad (Amazon calls it the "new standard") on www.scribd.com, and I just downloaded it. I had a very bad attitude about the Iliad in 10th grade at National Cathedral School, so we shall see about this!!!!
#3.2.1 MissyW on 2013-02-16 21:26 (Reply)

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