Annie

[Khandro]

Annie

On the coast of Texas
Between Mobile and Galveston there is
A great big garden overgrown with roses
It also contains a villa
Which is one great rose

Often a woman walks
In the garden all alone
And when I pass on the lime-tree-bordered road
We look at each other

Since this woman belongs to the Mennonite sect
Her rose trees have no buds and her clothes no buttons
There are two missing from my jacket
This lady and I are almost of the same religion

Guillaume Apollinaire
tr. Oliver Bernard


Orig.

Annie
Sur la côte du Texas
Entre Mobile et Galveston il y a
Un grand jardin tout plein de roses
Il contient aussi une villa
Qui est une grande rose

Une femme se promène souvent
Dans le jardin toute seule
Et quand je passe sur la route bordée de tilleuls
Nous nous regardons

Comme cette femme est mennonite
Ses rosiers et ses vêtements n'ont pas de boutons
Il en manque deux à mon veston
La dame et moi suivons presque le même rite


[Apollinaire is one of my all-time favourite people]

[The Builder]

Wow... Apollinaire on AB. I knew of him, but nothing much really.
So... had to do a bit of Googling.
Annie Playden. He met her in Clapham, of all places.

Lovely poem, K.
I'm off on a quest to know more :o)

[Khandro]

^^ I think (hope) you're in for a roller-coaster ride.