Wystan Hugh Auden
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves
He was my North, my South, my East and West
My working week and my Sunday rest
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song
I thought that love would last forever; I was wrong
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood
For nothing now can ever come to any good
Charles Baudelaire
(les fleurs du mal)
Toi qui, comme un coup de couteau
Dans mon coeur plaintif es entr�e
Toi qui, forte comme un troupeau
De d�monsm vins, folle et par�e
De mon esprit humili�
Faire ton lit et ton domaine
-Inf�me � qui je suis li�
Comme le forcat � la cha�ne
Comme au jeu le joueur t�tu
Comme � la bouteille l'ivrogne
Comme aux vermines la charogne
-Maudite, maudite sois-tu!
J'ai pri� le glaive rapide
De conqu�rir ma libert�
Et j'ai dit au poison perfide
De secourir ma l�chet�
H�las! le poison et le glaive
M'ont pris en d�deint et m'ont dit:
<<Tu n'est pas digne qu'ont t'enl�ve
� ton esclavage maudit
Imb�cile! - de son empire
Si nos efforts te d�livraient
Tes baisers ressusciteraient
Le cadavre de ton vampire!>>
William Aggeler
(flowers of evil)
You who, like the stab of a knife
Entered mz plaintive heard
You who, strong as a herd
Of demons, came, ardent and adorned
To make your bed and your domain
Of my humiliated mind
-Infamous bitch to whom I'm bound
Like the convict to his chain
Like the stubborn gambler to the game
Like the drunkard to his wine
Like the maggots to the corpse
-Accurst, accurst be you!
I begged the swift poniard
To gain for me my liberty
I asked perfidious poison
To give aid to my cowardice
Alas! both poison and the knife
Contemptuously said to me:
"You do not deserve to be freed
From your accursed slavery
Fool! -if from her domination
Our efforts could deliver you
Your kisses would resuscitate
The cadver of your vampire!"
