Text & Translation
Le Cauchemar
French source:
Nicolas Chamfort
grandeur plus ou moins considérable. Dans un
petit compartiment se courbait un géant. Là,
sous une haute arcade se pavanait un nain.
Rarement la niche était faite pour la statue.
Des hommes grands et petits tournaient dans
la salle, guettant une niche vide pour s'y placer,
quelle quelle soit: tel est l'édifice métaphysique
de la société.
The nightmare
English translation ©
Christopher Goldsack
varyingly large and small sizes. In a little
compartment a giant was huddling. There,
under a high arch a dwarf was strutting. Only
occasionally was the nook suited to the statue.
Men, large and small, were roaming the hall,
searching for an empty nook in which to settle,
whatever its size: such is the metaphysical
edifice of society.
Reproduced with kind permission from melodietreasury.com
Le Cauchemar
French source:
Nicolas Chamfort
The nightmare
English source:
Christopher Goldsack
La salle était tapissée de niches d'une
The room was lined with nooks of
grandeur plus ou moins considérable. Dans un
varyingly large and small sizes. In a little
petit compartiment se courbait un géant. Là,
compartment a giant was huddling. There,
sous une haute arcade se pavanait un nain.
under a high arch a dwarf was strutting. Only
Rarement la niche était faite pour la statue.
occasionally was the nook suited to the statue.
Des hommes grands et petits tournaient dans
Men, large and small, were roaming the hall,
la salle, guettant une niche vide pour s'y placer,
searching for an empty nook in which to settle,
quelle quelle soit: tel est l'édifice métaphysique
whatever its size: such is the metaphysical
de la société.
edifice of society.
