MONDAY (LUNDI)

Mon poème "Lundi" traduit en anglais par l'éminent poète britannique Norton Hodges:

Monday

for Luis Arias Manzo

'On the table they had placed

a clay head

and there were flowers

on the walls'

Miltos Sachtouris

The Scene

Praise to Mug Ruith,

the Slave of the Wheel,

conqueror of Cormac mac Airt,

Melode magician,

Druid of the Inner Sun,

sublime master of the harp!

Glory to The Dagda, his supreme protector,

god of lightning,

lord of the seas

and of all the dark universe of the beyond,

sovereign and all-powerful,

king so kind

his hospitality is worthy of an Alcinous.

O Musician of the knowing soul,

in whom beauty is united in love,

in my breast there sparkles a bright light,

on the hands of this humble Gallic minstrel

are painted the eyes of immortal heaven!

But O my luminous guide,

I also sacrifice to the Greek goddesses,

to Elpis and to the great Nemesis,

at the feet of their statues

which stand side by side

in the Ionic temple of my heart,

every day, drowning in voluptuous tears,

seized by an ecstatic fervour

I pray!

Every day

I bow low before the goddesses,

so that I, modest bard that I am,

should not hope for more than is permitted!

That is why,

O friends who laugh

at my sacrifices,

every evening,

the roof of my modest dwelling

trembles and grows bright

and gently casts off towards

the rose, towards the lilting light

of the stars in their innumerable houses!

translated from the French of Athanase Vantchev de Thracy

June 2008