Laure Morali
Translator
on Lyrikline: 1 poems translated
from: inglês to: francês
Original
Translation
After Returning From A Voyage Of Exploration
inglês | John Mateer
On the pillow John Mateer’s sleepy head
is a goldfish bowl aswirl with Venetian water,
and on that galleon, that luminous toy,
he is at the helm, telescope to his eye,
swearing he can’t see Australia.
And when his caravel glides into the Tejo,
as poised and cerebral as a black swan,
he calls for a glass of port and a pastel de nata,
then takes to his bed in a quiet hotel in Alfama,
and dreams the dream:
that one day there will be a poet
named John Mateer, just as there was once,
off the edge of maps, a monster
called Australia.
Audio production: Literaturwerkstatt Berlin 2010
Au retour d'un voyage d'exploration
francês
Sur l'oreiller, la tête assoupie de John Mateer
est un bocal au tournoiement d’eau vénitienne,
et dans ce galion, ce jouet lumineux,
il est à la barre, longue-vue contre l’oeil,
jurant ne pas voir l’Australie.
Et comme sa caravelle glisse sur le Tage,
aussi délicate et cérébrale qu’un cygne noir,
il demande un verre de porto, une tartelette de nata,
s’enfouit dans les draps d’un hôtel calme d’Alfama,
et dans le rêve, il rêve :
un jour vivra un poète nommé
John Mateer, exactement comme autrefois,
dans le vide des cartes, un monstre
appelé Australie.