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Broken Songs That Remain 1 and 2

 

tr. by Ann Cefola

 

1

He slept on his horse, and butterfly
danced by his ear a nothing-butterfly,
Horse shakes his white head Horse advances –––––
a man sleeps confusedly
nothing by his ear, Save butterfly brushes
horse, man, air, and nothing advances
but the Country outside
sleeping on his horse, he finds a butterfly
A nothing adventure while asleep on his horse


2

“Nothing + horse + butterfly, here’s the song he makes about her”
Adventure, his bottomless eyes, his Master ox opens the World
What’s thrown, bounces, shakes everything? Song
that runs off fiend-ish-ly, song to nothing that holds, neither head, nor arms, nor
legs, other than flames very fiery fidgets of a woman’s
doll dress? A feather of a very young thrush feather on
the road, “do you want to come polish my fingers of
poor hunter to-tal-ly alone?” Then song is
already far, her dress rustles over there
deep in the countryside
ayaaa dogs, ayaaa
ayaaa!



1

Il dormait sur son cheval, et papillon
lui dansait à l’oreille un rien-papillon,
Cheval secoue sa tête blanche Cheval avance –––––
un homme dort confusément
rien à l’oreille, Sauf papillon effleure
cheval, homme, air, et rien n’avance
que Campagne au dehors
en dormant sur son cheval, il trouve un papillon
Un rien d’aventure en dormant sur son cheval  

2

“Rien + cheval + papillon, voilà chanson ce qu’il fait d’elle”
Aventure, ses yeux-sans-fond, son Maître bœuf ouvre le Monde
Qu’est-ce qui se jette, de rebondir, tout secoue? Chanson
qui file dia-ble-ment, chanson à rien qui tienne, ni tête, ni bras, ni
jambes, que flammes très enflammées bougeotte de femme
robe de poupée? Une plume de grive très jeune plume sur le
chemin, “veux-tu venir doucir mes doigts de pauvre
chasseur to-ta-le-ment solitaire?” Puis chanson est
déjà loin, sa robe bruisse là-bas
loin au fond de la campagne
ayaaa les chiens, ayaaa
ayaaa!



A contemporary French poet who lives in Arles, Hélène Sanguinetti has also published Jadis, Poïena (Flammarion, 2025), Cargo Bleu Sur Fond Rouge (Lanskine, 2025), Et voici la chanson (Lurlure, 2021), reprinted from L’Amandier, 2012; Le Héros (Flammarion, 2008), Alparegho, Pareil-à-rien (Comp’Act, 2005 ; second edition L’Amandier, 2015), D’ici, de ce berceau (Flammarion, 2003), and De la main gauche, exploratrice (Flammarion, 1999).

Ann Cefalo's Sanguinetti translations have appeared as Alparegho, Like-Nothing-Else (Beautiful Days Press, 2025), The Hero (Chax Press, 2018), and Hence, this cradle (Seismicity Editions, 2007). Her most recent poetry collection is When the Pilotless Plane Arrives (Trainwreck Press, 2021); and she is the recipient of a Witter-Bynner Translation Residency and Robert Penn Warren Award, selected by John Ashbery.

 

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