| Originale | Una versione inglese da questa pagina. E' la "versione standard"... |
| BALLADE DES PENDUS [ÉPITAPHE VILLON] | THE BALLAD OF THE HANGED MEN |
| | |
| Frères humains qui après nous vivez, | Men my brothers who after us live, |
| N'ayez les cuers contre nous endurcis, | have your hearts against us not hardened. |
| Car, se pitié de nous povres avez, | For—if of poor us you take pity, |
| Dieu en aura plus tost de vous mercis. | God of you sooner will show mercy. |
| Vous nous voiez cy attachez cinq, six: | You see us here, attached. |
| Quant de la char, que trop avons nourrie, | As for the flesh we too well have fed, |
| Elle est pieça devoree et pourrie, | long since it's been devoured or has rotted. |
| Et nous, les os, devenons cendre et pouldre. | And we the bones are becoming ash and dust. |
| De nostre mal personne ne s'en rie; | Of our pain let nobody laugh, |
| Mais priez Dieu que tous nous veuille absouldre! | but pray God would us all absolve. |
| | |
| Se vous clamons, freres, pas n'en devez | If you my brothers I call, do not |
| Avoir desdaing, quoy que fusmes occis | scoff at us in disdain, though killed |
| Par justice. Toutefois, cous sçavez | we were by justice. Yet ss you know |
| Que tous hommes n'ont pas bon sens rassis; | all men are not of good sound sense. |
| Excusez nous, puis que sommes transis, | Plead our behalf since we are dead naked |
| Envers le fils de la Vierge Marie, | with the Son of Mary the Virgin |
| Que sa grâce ne soit pour nous tarie, | that His grace be not for us dried up |
| Nous preservant de l'infernale fouldre. | preserving us from hell's fulminations. |
| Nous sommes mors, ame ne nous harie; | We're dead after all. Let no soul revile us, |
| Mais priez Dieu que tous nous veuille absouldre! | but pray God would us all absolve. |
| | |
| La pluye nous a buez et lavez, | Rain has washed us, laundered us, |
| Et le soleil dessechiez et noircis; | and the sun has dried us black. |
| Pies, corbeaulx nous ont les yeux cavez, | Worse—ravens plucked our eyes hollow |
| Et arrachié la barbe et les sourcis. | and picked our beards and brows. |
| Jamis nul temps nous ne sommes assis; | Never ever have we sat down, but |
| Puis ça, puis la, comme le vent varie, | this way, and that way, at the wind's |
| A son plaisir sans cesser nous charie, | good pleasure ceaselessly we swing 'n swivel, |
| Plus becquetez d'oyseaulx que dez a couldre. | more nibbled at than sewing thimbles. |
| Ne soiez donc de nostre confrarie; | Therefore, think not of joining our guild, |
| Mais priez Dieu que tous nous veuille absouldre! | but pray God would us all absolve. |
| | |
| Prince Jhesus, qui sur tous a maistrie, | Prince Jesus, who over all has lordship, |
| Garde qu'enfer n'ait de nous seigneurie: | care that hell not gain of us dominion. |
| A luy n'ayons que faire ne que souldre. | With it we have no business, fast or loose. |
| Hommes, ici n'a point de mocquerie; | People, here be no mocking, |
| Mais priez Dieu que tous nous vueille absouldre! | but pray God would us all absolve. |
