Some poems.

[ihamlet.livejournal.com]

Hullo, all. Big, BIG Harry Monmouth buff at your service (nimble-footed madcap princes of Wales FTW). Wrote a couple poems 'round a half a year ago about the two Plantagenets I've been fortunate enough to portray onstage. Malheureusement, they're in French. As there seems to be a correlation between interest in Shakespeare and interest in languages, however, I'll post them anyway with the hopes that someone will appreciate them. Anyhow, I'm unspeakably enthused that this community even exists (props to haradwen for referring me) and I hope to shoot the breeze with you delirious weirdos in the near future. Here's a health to the company to a boost in activity.



héraut de la mort

dites-moi, ô roi-poète, pourquoi vos yeux sont vides,
songez-vous à la belle france loin de cette prison grise
où, noyée par sa peine immense, vous pleurez jeune isabelle ?
dites-moi, ô roi-poète, pourquoi vous baissez la tète,
songez-vous aux grandes hontes que vous avez souffertes ?
revivez-vous le moment où vous voyiez la glace brisée ?
dites-moi, ô roi-poète, pourquoi vous vous cachez le visage,
songez-vous aux erreurs graves que vous n’avez jamais vues
qui maintenant suppurent sans cesse et intensifient vos chagrins ?
dites-moi, ô roi-poète, pourquoi vous vous recroquevillez,
quelle force d’homme a démonté votre noblesse et majesté ?
quelle être vicieux vous a dépouillé de la dignité humaine ?
la luxe flamboyante ne subsiste plus, mais la bravoure survit toujours,
car quand il n’y a que la grande descente, l’honneur devient la porte,
donc dites-moi, ô ancien roi-poète ! comment affronterez-vous la mort ?


que feras-tu, cher guerrier

que feras-tu, cher guerrier, jeune lion, petit héros ?
que-feras tu quand le gros vieillard s'éclaffe ?
quand il te saigne et il te provoque ?
quand il sourit diaboliquement et bénit son mode de vie ?
que feras-tu, cher guerrier, jeune lion, petit héros ?
que-feras tu quand ton père te rappelle ?
quand il te force à retourner à la cour ?
quand il t'exige la signification de sa place et de la tienne ?
que feras-tu, cher guerrier, jeune lion, petit héros ?
que-feras tu quand la terre commence à brûler ?
quand l'esprit de la révolte et du combat persiste dans l'air ?
quand ta main aspire à l'acier ?
que feras-tu, cher guerrier, jeune lion, petit héros ?
que-feras tu quand les nuages se séparent au-dessus du champ de bataille ?
quand tu attrape l'œil sauvage de l'autre?
quand il lève son glaive et charge ?
que feras-tu, cher guerrier, jeune lion, petit héros ?
que-feras tu quand les trompettes braillent ?
quand la victoire est la tienne mais quelque chose te manque ?
quand ton destin se démêle, attendant ton choix d'action ?
que feras-tu ?.

Comments

[ihamlet.livejournal.com]

Reading what, might I ask? I'm always on the hunt for good francophone reads. Good suggestions are hard to come by in Midwestern America.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Oh, my reading is mainly for my dissertation and consists of mostly fifteenth-century Burgundian chronicles. Which are fun in their own way, but not so much in terms of light reading. ;)

That being said, if you're in Ohio and have access to Interlibrary Loan, Ohio State University (where I did my undergrad degree) at least used to have a lot of French literature just sitting on shelves in the library. Granted, that was some years ago, but it's worth a try if you're in the area.

[ihamlet.livejournal.com]

...but not so much in terms of light reading. They should be. I think the mainstream could use a little more obscure Burgundian history. x]

I'm afraid I'm a little further NW of Ohio and although my University has its fair share of French literature available in its collections, I'm afraid they're mostly comprised of big names from big movements, most of which I have already studied. Ah well. That's what the internet's for.

Can I ask where you're studying now?

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

I'm just finishing up my doctorate in the UK, in Oxford, working on representations of fifteenth-century queens. Hence the chronicles. ;)

Are you looking for any particular time period? I'm pretty good for medieval texts, the usual seventeenth-century suspects, and occasional nineteenth-century novelists and playwrights.

[ihamlet.livejournal.com]

Doctorate, eh? Swell! Can't say I'm quite there yet in my schooling. Will you be looking to do research or for professorship after matriculating?

Anything but the nineteenth century. x] Can suggest any (non-religious) medieval texts that depart from the standard themes of war and romance? Just a prompt.