Collected Poems of Mallarme: A Bilingual Edition 9780520948112

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COLLECTED POEMS

STEPHANE MALLARME

translated and with a commentary by Henry Weinfield

COLLECTED POEMS A Bilingual Edition

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley Los Angeles

London

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University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England Copyright © 1994 by The Regents of the University of California First Paperback Printing 1996 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mallarme, Stephane, 1842-1898. [Poems. English & French] Collected poems / Stephane Mallarme : translated and with a commentary by Henry Weinfield. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-520-26814-2 (pbk.: alk. paper) 1. Mallarme, Stephane, 1842-1898-Translations into English. I. Weinfield, Henry. PQ2344.A286 1994 94-26794 841' .8-dc20

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The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSIINISO Z39A8-1992 (R 1997) (Permanence a/Paper).

This translation of the poetry of Stephane Mallarme is inscribed to Allen Mandelbaum

For the Master has gone to draw tears from the Styx

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................................................ xi

POESIES SALUTATION / SALUT ................ ........ .... ................................................................................................................................................... 3 FIRST POEMS / PREMIERS POEMES

THE JINX / LE GUIGNON ............................................................................................................................................................... .......... 4 APPARITION / APPARITION ................................................................................................................................................................. 7 FUTILE PETITION / PLACET FUTILE .................................................... .......................................................... .................................. 8 THE CLOWN CHASTISED / LE PITRE CHATIE .............................. .......................... ........... ..................... ....................................... 9 FROM THE SATIRICAL PARNASSUS / DU PARNASSE SATYRIQUE

A NEGRESS / UNE NEGRESSE .............................................................................................................................................................. 10 FROM THE CONTEMPORARY PARNASSUS / DU PARNASSE CONTEMPORAIN

THE WINDOWS / LES FENETRES .......... ...... ... ..... ............ ................................................................................. .................................. 11 THE FLOWERS / LES FLEURS ...................................................... ........ ............................ ........ ............................................................. 13 RENEWAL / RENOUVEAU ...................................................................................................................................................................... 14 ANGUISH / ANGOISSE ..................................................................... ...................................................................................................... 15 WEARY OF BITTER SLEEP / LAS DE L' AMER REPOS ............ ...................................................................................................... 16 THE BELL-RINGER / LE SONNEUR .............................................................................. ..................................................................... 17 SUMMER SADNESS / TRISTESSE D'ETE ..................................................................................... ..................................................... 18 THE AZURE / L' AZUR ............................................................................................................................................................................... 19 SEA BREEZE / BRISE MARINE ............................................................................................................................................................. 21 SIGH / SOUPIR ............................................................. .............................................................................................................................. 22 ALMS / AUMONE ................................................................................................................................................................................ ....... 23 GIFT OF THE POEM / DON DU POEME ........................................................................................................................................... 24

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OTHER POEMS / AUTRES POEMES

HERODIADE I. ANCIENT OVERTURE / OUVERTURE ANCIENNE .......................................................................................................... 25 II. SCENE / SCENE .................................................................................................................................... ........................................... 29 III. CANTICLE OF SAINT JOHN / CANTIQUE DE SAINT JEAN ......................................................................................... 36 THE AFTERNOON OF A FAUN / L' APRES-MIDI D'UN FAUNE ..................... ........ .. ....... ................... .. .................................... 38 THE FLIGHT OF FLAMING HAIR / LA CHEVELURE .......................................... ....................................................................... 42 SAINT / SAINTE ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 43 FUNEREAL TOAST (TO THEOPHILE GAUTIER) / TOAST FUNEBRE (A THEOPHILE GAUTIER) ......................... 44 PROSE (FOR DES ESSEINTES) / PROSE (POUR DES ESSEINTES) ..... .. ................................................................................... 46 A FAN (OF MADAME MALLARME) / EVENTAIL (DE MADAME MALLARME) ................................................................ 49 ANOTHER FAN (OF MADEMOISELLE MALLARME) / AUTRE EVENTAIL (DE MADEMOISELLE MALLARME) 50 A FAN / EVENTAIL ............................................................................. ...................................................................................................... 51 ALBUM LEAVES / FEUILLETS D'ALBUM

ALBUM LEAF / FEUILLET D'ALBUM .................................................................... ............................ .. .......................... .................... 52 REMEMBRANCE OF BELGIAN FRIENDS / REMEMORATION D'AMIS BELGES ............... ............... ............................. 53 SONNET (Lady who burns) / SONNET (Dame sans trop d'ardeur) ........................................................................................ 54 SONNET (50 dear /rom/ar) / SONNET (0 si chere de loin) ............................ .. ... ........................ .. .............................. ............... .. ..... 55 RONDELS I. Nothing you have when you awake / Rien au riveil que vous n'ayez ............................. .. ........................ .. ..................... 56 II. We'll love each other z/ you choose /5i tu veux nous nous aimerons ............................................................................ ............ 57 STREET SONGS/CHANSONS BAS

I. THE SHOEMAKER / LE SAVETIER .......................................................................................................................................... 58 II. THE WOMAN SELLING AROMATIC HERBS / LA MARCHANDE D'HERBES AROMATIQUES ......................... 59 III. THE ROADMENDER / LE CANTONNIER ....................... .................... .... ...... ........................ ............................ .................... 60 IV .THE SELLER OF GARLIC AND ONIONS / LE MARCHAND D'AIL ET D'OIGNONS ...................... .. .................... 60 V. THE WORKMAN'S WIFE / LA FEMME DE L'OUVRIER .................................................................................................... 60 VI. THE GLAZIER / LE VITRIER ...................................................................... .. ........................... ................. .. .................... ............ 61 VII. THE NEWSPAPER VENDOR / LE CRIEUR D'IMPRIMES ....................... ......................... .. .......................... .. .................... 61 VIII. THE OLD-CLOTHES WOMAN / LA MARCHANDE D'HABITS .. ...... ..... ................. .. ... .. ....................... .... .............. ....... 61 NOTE TO WHISTLER / BILLET A WHISTLER ................................................... .. .......... .. .......................... .. ...... ..... .............. ........ 62 LITTLE AIR I / PETIT AIR I ..... ....................... .. ............ ............... ... .. .. ... .. ........................................... .. ............................................... 63

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LITTLE AIR II / PETIT AIR II .... ....... .. ......... ....... ....... ... ... ................ ... .................. .......... .... ............................................................ ..... 64 LITTLE AIR (MARTIAL) / PETIT AIR (GUERRIER) ........... .... ...... .... ........... .................. .................. .......... .................. .......................... . 65 SEVERAL SONNETS I PLUS/EURS SONNETS

I. II. III. IV .

When the shadow menaced with its /atallaw / Quand I' ombre menafa de la fatale loi ... .... .... .. ... .. .. ..... ..... ... ..... .... ... ..... ... 66 The virginal, vibrant, and beautiful dawn / Le vierge, Ie vivace et Ie bel aujourd'hui .... .. ... .... ... ........ ..... ........... ... ..... ........ 67 The beautiful suicide victoriously /led / Victorieusement lui Ie suicide beau .. ... ... ... ....... .. ........... .. ... ........ ...... .... ...... ...... ... . 68 Her pure nails on high displaying their onyx / Ses purs ongles tres haut dediant leur onyx ........... ............... ... ........ ... ....... 69 HOMAGES AND TOMBS I HOMMAGES ET TOMBEAUX

SONNET ("In the forgotten woods") / SONNET (