 |
 |
 |
| |
In Stranger's Land
On the lips of others, I reach for familiar words
On the faces of mothers, I search for one, in particular
On the pages of books, I scan for forgotten phrases
But no one here speaks my language
So I shall speak yours.
Sur les lèvres des autres, je veux des mots familiers.
Sur les visages des méres, j'en cherche une, en particulier.
Sur les pages des livres, je vise des phrases oubliées.
Mais personne ici ne parle ma langue,
donc, je parle la votre.
Want to comment on this Poetry?
Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Poetry and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...
|
 |
|
[Back to top]
|
|
|
|
| I love the first line -- in English. Actually, I much prefer the English version to the French. So here is an English-speaking writer living in France telling a French-speaking writer living in the USA that she likes the latter's English poem the best! Rather funny. |
 |
Comment by: wizzer - 2007-12-11 13:33
|
|
i am so impressed by all that tristanmmang said/saw/felt
way above my level of comprehension and appreciation of the poem
the sound of it is beautiful
xxx geo |
|
|
This is a poem with which i used to begin my weekly cultural radio program. i had one in france then later at the univ of AR.
the music and the sadness rendered it spacey. the original recording featured a guitarist from my hometown. that's what i think of when i read it.
i wanted to mention how your comments are well presented and astute. what are you a student of? |
|
|
Haha, brilliant, I would have loved this without the linguistic reflection, but it definitely makes the point sharper. As a student I feel this frustration almost every day, and it really is maddening. On a more general level I see deconstruction, or the failings of language and communication, or even the limitations of "ideology" or "discourse" or whatever you want to call that hegemonic inherence. I don’t speak French and it made the poem even better for me!
For some reason this reminds me of Plath's "Disquieting Muses," something about reaching for words (unsuccessfully) from the "faces of mothers." It also made me think of Hamlet, Holden, and those other classic characters of disillusionment... I think you touch on a very modern concern in Western culture/literature, very well done. |
| 1 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
