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I CRIED

by kendrive @ 2006-11-29 - 08:38:38

Here is a rather sad poem that I have translated from the French.

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BREAKFAST

He put the coffee
Into the cup
And added milk,
Then sugar -
And stirred
With a little spoon.

He drank the coffee
And replaced the cup
On the saucer.

Without speaking to me,
He lit a cigarette
And made smoke circles
In the air.

He placed the ash
Into the ashtray.

Without speaking,
Without looking at me,
He got up
And put his hat
On his head

And put on his raincoat,
Because it was raining.

He walked out
Into the rain
Without a word,
Without looking at me.

And I
Put my head in my hands . . .
And cried.


And here is the original French:

DEJEUNER DU MATIN

Il a mis le café
Dans la tasse
Il a mis le lait
Dans la tasse de café
Il a mis le sucre
Dans le café au lait
Avec la petite cuiller
Il a tourné
Il a bu le café au lait
Et il a reposé la tasse
Sans me parler
Il a allumé
Une cigarette
Il a fait des ronds
Avec la fumée
Il a mis les cendres
Dans le cendrier
Sans me parler
Sans me regarder
Il s'est levé
Il a mis
Son chapeau sur sa tête
Il a mis
Son manteau de pluie
Parce qu'il pleuvait
Et il est parti
Sous la pluie
Sans une parole
Sans me regarder
Et moi j'ai pris
Ma tête dans ma main
Et j'ai pleuré.

Jacques Prevert

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Natalie [Visitor]

28/01/08 @ 08:49

A few years ago, when I was a teenager experiencing heartbreak for the first time, my French teacher showed me this poem, as well as a few more by Prevert, and let me spend the lesson translating some for myself (she knew I liked to do that)

Dejeuner du Matin has kind of stayed with me since :) very sad, but very moving

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