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Pénélope

Georges Brassens
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Traduzione bretone / Breton translation / Traduction bretonne...
PenelopePenelop
  
You, the model wife, the cricket of the hearth, [1]Te, ar skouer d'ar gwragez, ar skrilh eus an oaled,
you, without any snag or tear in your marriage gown,n'az peus graet rog ebet ez sae eured,
you, the uncompromising Penelope, [2]te, Penelop, n'heller ket diheñchañ,
When following the lead of your pleasant but absent husband,tra ma 'z ez trankil gant hent an eürusted,
don’t you ever, in all honesty, nursedaoust ha ne vagez ket, kuit a pec'hed,
some pretty thoughts that somehow sneak in,ur gaer a soñjezon flodus bennak,
some pretty thoughts that somehow sneak in?ur gaer a soñjezon flodus bennak?
  
Behind your curtains, in your oh so proper world,A-dreñv da rideozioù, e-barzh an endro dereat dit,
awaiting the return of a suburban Ulysses, [3]tra m'emaout en gortoz eus da Ulis eus a vannlev,
leaning over your needlework,stouet a-us da labour gwriat,
on melancholy evenings of doom and gloom.d'an abardaezioù a velkoni ha mennozhioù teñval,
have you never, in dreams of the sky above another bed,daoust ha n'eus ket, gwech pe wech, en oabl ur stel all
counted some new stars,niveret stered nevez,
counted some new stars?niveret stered nevez?
  
Have you never yet called out to the passing objectDaoust ha n'ez peus biskoazh hetet birvidik
of your wishes, who takes you by the hair,ar garantezig a dremen hag a grog en ho plev,
who tells you nothing much,a lâr deoc'h komzoù flour,
who puts the daisy [4] into the kitchen garden, [5]a laka ur boked-marc'harid el liorzh
puts the forbidden apple onto the tree branches,hag an aval berzet war skourroù ar werjez,
and puts your lace clothing into disorder,hag an dizurzh e-barzh ho tantelez,
and puts your lace clothing into disorder.hag an dizurzh e-barzh ho tantelez?
  
Have you never hoped to see again in passingDaoust ha n'ez peus bet biskoazh spi da adwelout war da hent
that angel, that demon, who, his bow in his hand,an ael, an diaoul-se, e wareg en e zorn,
fires malignant arrows,a zistag biroù gwidreüs,
who gives their female flesh back to the coldest statues,a restaol o c'hig a vaouezed d'an delwennoù yenañ,
topples them from their pedestals, shakes up their virtue,o diskar diwar o sichoù, a bennbouzell o vertuz,
tears their off fig leaves, [6]hag a ziframm diganto o delioù-wini,
tears their off fig leaves?hag a ziframm diganto o delioù-wini.
  
Don’t be afraid that Heaven will hold it against you,Arabat kaout aon na vagfe an neñv kas ouzhit rak-se:
there’s truly nothing there for which to lash a heart [7]n'eus abeg ebet da foetañ ur galon
that’s taken in by bad arguments and goes wild!a vale ar vro o c'haloupat.
It’s a common fault and a venial sin,Ur faot boutin eo se hag ur pec'hed veniel,
it’s the hidden side of the honeymoon,an tu kuzhet eus loar ar bichoned,
and the ransome for Penelope,hag he dic'haou da Benelop,
and the ransome for Penelope.hag he dic'haou da Benelop.
[1] A cricket in the hearth was a good thing in old times, indicating a happy, warm and comfortable house; Dicken’s “cricket on the hearth” was was a magic fairy cricket, “Genius of his (the carrier’s) hearth and home”

[2] In Greek myth, Penelope was the wife of Odysseus, who remained faithful to him during his absence for the Trojan war and a very long journey back home from Troy

[3] The Latin name for Odysseus

[4] Symbol of love

[5] Symbol of domesticity

[6] Literally:”grape” not “fig”

[7] The stock phrase “there’s nothing for which to lash a cat” means “it’s something too trivial to make a fuss about", and the change from “cat” to “heart” essentially keeps that meaning


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