INVITATION TO A VOYAGE L'INVITATION AU VOYAGE
My child, my sister, Mon enfant, ma soeur,
Imagine the pleasure Songe à la douceur
Of living there together, D'aller là-bas vivre ensemble!
Loving at leisure Aimer à loisir,
Loving and dying Aimer et mourir
In that country that you resemble! Au pays qui te ressemble!
Its dripping suns Les soleils mouillés
Its changeling skies De ces ciels brouillés
Have no less charm to my mind Pour mon esprit ont les charmes
Than the mystery Si mystérieux
Of your cunning eyes De tes traîtres yeux,
Shining through their tears. Brillant à travers leurs larmes.
There, all is order and beauty, Là, tout n'est qu'ordre et beauté,
Rich, calm and sensual. Luxe, calme et volupté.
Luminous furnishings Des meubles luisants,
With the polish of years Polis par les ans,
Would adorn our chamber; Décoreraient notre chambre;
The rarest orchids Les plus rares fleurs
Mingling their perfumes Mêlant leurs odeurs
With a vague scent of amber, Aux vagues senteurs de l'ambre,
The ceilings, coffered, Les riches plafonds,
The mirrors, deep, Les miroirs profonds,
The splendor of the Orient; La splendeur orientale,
Everything would speak, Tout y parlerait
Secretly to the soul, À l'âme en secret
In its gentle, native tongue. Sa douce langue natale.
There, all is order and beauty, Là, tout n'est qu'ordre et beauté,
Rich, calm and sensual. Luxe, calme et volupté.
See upon those canals Vois sur ces canaux
Those tethered vessels Dormir ces vaisseaux
In a wandering mood; Dont l'humeur est vagabonde;
To satisfy C'est pour assouvir
Your least desire, Ton moindre désir
They have sailed from the edge Qu'ils viennent du bout
of the world. du monde.
The setting suns —Les soleils couchants
Redress the fields, Revêtent les champs,
The canals, the entire city, Les canaux, la ville entière,
With hyacinth and gold. D'hyacinthe et d'or;
The earth drifts off Le monde s'endort
In a warm luminosity. Dans une chaude lumière.
There, all is order and beauty, Là, tout n'est qu'ordre et beauté,
Rich, calm and sensual. Luxe, calme et volupté.
(Translated by D. LeH. Sweet) Charles Baudelaire
Sister, brother,
Mom and dad!
Wouldn't it be great to get away?
To eat at leisure,
Rest and play!
In a country we've never been to?
Coaxing a suntan
Under a brazen sky?
For me it’s nearly as terrific
As your astonished eyes
When you weep for joy!
Here, it’s all beauty made-to-order,
Deluxe suites! Voluptuous babes!
The poolside bars
Named for Bollywood stars
Seem exotic but also like home.
The ‘rents will drink rum
While we kids have our fun
Tapping icons on iphones with minutes that roam.
There’s cable TV,
Free soap, Jacuzzi,
And a fridge packed with liquors and beers.
The coolness of the tropics
Guarantees some hot optics
As native calls ring in our ears.
Here, it's all beauty made-to-order,
Deluxe suites! Voluptuous babes!
Look at those catamarans go!
Hang-gliders lifting like snow.
I’m in flying mood, how about you?
To satisfy
Your every whim
Surfers draw them like gulls from the blue.
With a smirk and a snort
At a line, or retort,
We’ll flip the skateboard of the world around,
And stare down the sun
As he sets at a run—
My sister, lover,
Your brother and other—
Then we’ll burn our green gold on the town.
Here, it's all beauty made-to-order,
Deluxe suites! Voluptuous babes!
D. LeH. Sweet
