The Seasons
Translated By Ron Padgett
It was a blessèd time we were at the beach
Go out early in the morning no shoes no hats no ties
And quick as a toad’s tongue can reach
Love wounded the hearts of the mad and the wise
Did you know Guy when he galloped along
When he was a military man
Did you know Guy when he galloped along
When he was an artiman
In the war
It was a blessèd time At mail call
We are squeezed in tighter than on a bus
And the stars passing by were mimicked by the shells
In the night when the cannons came rolling up
Did you know Guy when he galloped along
When he was a military man
Did you know Guy when he galloped along
When he was an artiman
In the war
It was a blessèd time Days and nights blending
The stew-pot shells gave our trench dugout
Aluminum shrapnel that you set about
Smoothing all day into an unlikely ring
Did you know Guy when he galloped along
When he was a military man
Did you know Guy when he galloped along
When he was an artiman
In the war
It was a blessèd time The war goes on
The Gunners have filed for part of a year
Safe in the woods the Driver can hear
An unknown star repeating a song
Did you know Guy when he galloped along
When he was a military man
Did you know Guy when he galloped along
When he was an artiman
In the war
Translated from the French
Source: Poetry (October 2015)