Where its heart beats fast and it trembles
In
every limb for every
Motion of light or leaf,
Signs of the spring beginning,
Or if a lizard's foot
Disturbs a fallen twig.
Chloe, I am neither
A lion nor a tiger;
I have no wish to hurt you;
Do not run to your mother;
Now is the time for love.
Translated from the Latin
by
David Ferry
GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE
An
Evening
An eagle stooped from archangelic sky
Sustain me
How long will you aIlow these lamps to shiver
Pray for me pray for me
The city is metallic the only star
Embedded in your eyes
When trolleys rolled they shot pale fires
Onto mangy magpies
And aJl that shivered in your eyes was dreamed
And drunk by one man only
In
the gaslight sandy-haired as syringa
Your sleeves coiled into me
