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Text & Translation

Juan Gris
French source: Paul Éluard

De jour merci de nuit prends garde
De douceur la moitié du monde
L’autre montrait rigueur aveugle

Aux veines se lisait un présent sans merci
Aux beautés des contours l’espace limité
Cimentait tous les joints des objets familiers

Table guitare et verre vide
Sur un arpent de terre pleine
De toile blanche d’air nocturne

Table devait se soutenir
Lampe rester pépin de l’ombre
Journal délaissait sa moitié

Deux fois le jour deux fois la nuit
De deux objets un double objet
Un seul ensemble à tout jamais.

Give thanks by day beware by night
English translation © Richard Stokes

Give thanks by day beware by night
One half of the world sweetness
The other showed blind harshness

In the veins a relentless present could be read
In the beauties of the contours bounded space
Cemented together all familiar objects

Table guitar and empty glass
On an acre of earth full of
White canvas of night air

Table had to support itself
Lamp remains at the core of darkness
Newspaper shed half of itself

Twice the day twice the night
Of two objects one double object
A single whole for evermore.

Juan Gris
French source: Paul Éluard

Give thanks by day beware by night
English source: Richard Stokes

De jour merci de nuit prends garde
Give thanks by day beware by night
De douceur la moitié du monde
One half of the world sweetness
L’autre montrait rigueur aveugle
The other showed blind harshness

Aux veines se lisait un présent sans merci
In the veins a relentless present could be read
Aux beautés des contours l’espace limité
In the beauties of the contours bounded space
Cimentait tous les joints des objets familiers
Cemented together all familiar objects

Table guitare et verre vide
Table guitar and empty glass
Sur un arpent de terre pleine
On an acre of earth full of
De toile blanche d’air nocturne
White canvas of night air

Table devait se soutenir
Table had to support itself
Lampe rester pépin de l’ombre
Lamp remains at the core of darkness
Journal délaissait sa moitié
Newspaper shed half of itself

Deux fois le jour deux fois la nuit
Twice the day twice the night
De deux objets un double objet
Of two objects one double object
Un seul ensemble à tout jamais.
A single whole for evermore.

Composer

Francis Poulenc

Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (F7 January 1899 – 30 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodies, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Read the full…

Poet

Paul Éluard

Paul Éluard was a French poet and one of the founders of the surrealist movement.

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