Toi qui, comme un coup de couteau,
Dans mon coeur plaintif es entrée;
Toi qui, forte comme un
De démons, vins, folle et parée,
De mon esprit humiliéFaire ton lit et ton domaine;— Infâme à qui je suis liéComme le forçat à la chaîne,
Comme au jeu le joueur têtu,
Comme à la bouteille l'ivrogne,
Comme aux vermines la charogne— Maudite, maudite sois-tu!
J'ai prié le glaive
De conquérir ma liberté,
Et j'ai dit au poison
De secourir ma lâcheté.
Hélas! le poison et le glaiveM'ont pris en dédain et m'ont dit:«Tu n'es pas digne qu'on t'enlèveÀ ton esclavage maudit,
Imbécile! — de son
Si nos efforts te délivraient,
Tes baisers
Le cadavre de ton vampire!»The
You who, like the stab of a knife,
Entered my plaintive heart;
You who, strong as a
Of demons, came, ardent and adorned,
To make your bed and your
Of my humiliated mind— Infamous bitch to whom I'm
Like the convict to his chain,
Like the stubborn gambler to the game,
Like the drunkard to his wine,
Like the maggots to the corpse,— Accurst, accurst be you!
I begged the swift poniard To gain for me my liberty,
I asked perfidious poison To give aid to my cowardice.
Alas! both poison and the
Contemptuously said to me:"You do not deserve to be
From your accursed slavery,
Fool! — if from her
Our efforts could deliver you,
Your kisses would
The cadaver of your vampire!"— Translated by William
The Vampire You, who like a dagger ploughed Into my heart with deadly thrill:
You who, stronger than a crowd Of demons, mad, and dressed to kill,
Of my dejected soul have
Your bed, your lodging, and domain:
To whom I'm linked (Unseemly jade!)As is a convict to his chain,
Or as the gamester to his dice,
Or as the drunkard to his dram,
Or as the carrion to its lice — I curse you.
Would my curse could damn!
I have besought the sudden blade To win for me my freedom back.
Perfidious poison I have prayed To help my cowardice.
Alack!
Both poison and the sword
My cowardice, and seemed to say"You are not fit to be
From your damned servitude.
Away,
You imbecile! since if from her empire We were to liberate the slave,
You'd raise the carrion of your vampire,
By your own kisses, from the grave."— Translated by Roy
The
Thou who abruptly as a
Didst come into my heart; thou who,
A demon horde into my life,
Didst enter, wildly dancing,
The doorways of my sense
To make my spirit thy domain — Harlot to whom I am
As convicts to the ball and chain,
As gamblers to the wheel's bright spell,
As drunkards to their raging thirst,
As corpses to their worms — accurst Be thou!
Oh, be thou damned to hell!
I have entreated the swift sword To strike, that I at once be freed;
The poisoned phial I have implored To plot with me a ruthless deed.
Alas! the phial and the blade Do cry aloud and laugh at me: "Thou art not worthy of our aid;
Thou art not worthy to be free."Though one of us should be the
To save thee from thy wretched fate,
Thy kisses would
The body of thy vampire, fool!"— Translated by George
The
Thou, sharper than a dagger
Sinking into my plaintive heart,
Thou, frenzied and arrayed in lust,
Strong as a demon host whose
Possessed my humbled soul at last,
Made it thy bed and thy domain,
Strumpet, to whom I am bound
As is the convict to his chain,
The stubborn gambler to his dice,
The rabid drunkard to his bowl,
The carcass to its vermin lice — O thrice-accursèd be thy soul!
I called on the swift sword to smite One blow to free my life of this,
I begged perfidious aconite For succor in my cowardice.
But sword and poison in my
Heaped scorn upon my craven mood,
Saying: "Unworthy to be freed,
From thine accursed servitude,
O fool, if through our efforts,
Fate Absolved thee from thy sorry plight,
Thy kisses would resuscitate Thy vampire's corpse for thy delight."— Translated by Jacques
The Vampire You who, keen as a carving blade,
Into my plaintive heart has plunged,
You who, strong as a wild
Of crazed and costumed cacodaemons,
Storming into my helpless
To make your bed and your domain;— Tainted jade to whom I'm
Like a convict to his chain,
Like a gambler to his game,
Like a drunkard to his bottle,
Like maggot-worms to their cadaver,
Damn you, oh damn you I say!
I pleaded with the speedy
To win me back my liberty;
And finally, a desperate coward,
I turned to poison's perfidy.
Alas, but poison and the
Had only scorn to offer me:"You're not worthy to be
Of your wretched slavery,
You imbecile! — For if our
Should release you from her reign,
You with your kisses would only
New life into the vampire slain!"— Translated by Atti
The
You that, like a dagger’s thrust,
Have entered my complaining heart,
You that, stronger than a
Of demons, came, wild yet prepared;
Within my mind’s
You made your bed and your domain;- Infamous one who’s bound to
Like any felon by his chain,
Like a gambler by his games,
Like the bottle and the sot,
Like the worms in one’s remains,- Damn you!
Damnation be your lot!
I’ve begged the merciful, swift
To overcome my liberty -To poison I have said the word:
Save me from poltroonery.
Alas the sword!
Alas the poison!
Contemptuous, they spoke to m:"You never can deserve
Of your accursed slavery,"Imbecile! - If our deadly
Freed you from your present fate,
Your kiss would soon
The cold cadaver of your vampire!"
