L'indifférent
French source:
Tristan Klingsor
Jeune étranger,
Et la courbe fine
De ton beau visage de duvet ombragé
Est plus séduisante encore de ligne.
Ta lèvre chante sur le pas de ma porte
Une langue inconnue et charmante
Comme une musique fausse. . .
Entre! Et que mon vin te réconforte . . .
Mais non, tu passes
Et de mon seuil je te vois t’éloigner
Me faisant un dernier geste avec grâce,
Et la hanche légèrement ployée
Par ta démarche féminine et lasse. . . .
The indifferent one
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Young stranger,
And the delicate curve
Of your handsome down-shaded face
Is still more attractively shaped.
Your lips sing at my door
An unknown charming tongue,
Like music off-pitch;
Enter! And let my wine refresh you...
But no, you pass by
And I see you leaving my threshold,
Gracefully waving farewell,
Your hips lightly swaying
In your languid feminine way.
L'indifférent
French source:
Tristan Klingsor
The indifferent one
English source:
Richard Stokes
Tes yeux sont doux comme ceux d’une fille,
Your eyes are soft like girl's,
Jeune étranger,
Young stranger,
Et la courbe fine
And the delicate curve
De ton beau visage de duvet ombragé
Of your handsome down-shaded face
Est plus séduisante encore de ligne.
Is still more attractively shaped.
Ta lèvre chante sur le pas de ma porte
Your lips sing at my door
Une langue inconnue et charmante
An unknown charming tongue,
Comme une musique fausse. . .
Like music off-pitch;
Entre! Et que mon vin te réconforte . . .
Enter! And let my wine refresh you...
Mais non, tu passes
But no, you pass by
Et de mon seuil je te vois t’éloigner
And I see you leaving my threshold,
Me faisant un dernier geste avec grâce,
Gracefully waving farewell,
Et la hanche légèrement ployée
Your hips lightly swaying
Par ta démarche féminine et lasse. . . .
In your languid feminine way.
Composer
Maurice Ravel
Joseph Maurice Ravel was a French composer, pianist and conductor. In the 1920s and 1930s he was internationally regarded as France's greatest living composer. He was one of the first composers to acknowledge the potential of recording in making…
Poet
Tristan Klingsor
Tristan Klingsor, birth name (Arthur Justin) Léon Leclère was a French poet, musician, painter and art critic, best known for his artistic association with the composer Maurice Ravel.