Épouvante
French source:
Olivier Messiaen
N'enfouis pas tes souvenirs dans la terre, tu ne les retrouverais plus.
Ne tire pas, ne froisse pas, ne déchire pas.
Des lambeaux sanglants te suivraient dans les ténèbres
Comme une vomissure triangulaire,
Et le choc bruyant des anneaux sur la portée irréparable
Rythmerait ton désespoir
Pour rassasier les puissances du feu.
Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ho!
Terror
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Don't bury your memories in earth, you will not find them again.
Don't pull, don't crease, don't tear.
The bloodied shreds would pursue you in the dark
Like a triangular lump of vomit,
And the clanging of rings on the door beyond repair
Would beat time to your despair
To satiate the powers of fire.
Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ho!
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Épouvante
French source:
Olivier Messiaen
Terror
English source:
Richard Stokes
Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ho!
Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ho!
N'enfouis pas tes souvenirs dans la terre, tu ne les retrouverais plus.
Don't bury your memories in earth, you will not find them again.
Ne tire pas, ne froisse pas, ne déchire pas.
Don't pull, don't crease, don't tear.
Des lambeaux sanglants te suivraient dans les ténèbres
The bloodied shreds would pursue you in the dark
Comme une vomissure triangulaire,
Like a triangular lump of vomit,
Et le choc bruyant des anneaux sur la portée irréparable
And the clanging of rings on the door beyond repair
Rythmerait ton désespoir
Would beat time to your despair
Pour rassasier les puissances du feu.
To satiate the powers of fire.
Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ho!
Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ho!
Composer
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist. He wrote music for chamber ensembles and orchestra, vocal music, as well as for solo organ and piano, and also experimented with the use of novel electronic…
