Arthur Rimbaud
The Swindled Heart
My poor heart dribbles at the poop
My heart fouled with tobacco juice:
They spill on it great spurts of soup, ,
My poor heart dribbles at the poop;
Jeered at by the entire troop:
They laugh together; they call it loose:
My poor heart dribbles at the poop,
My heart fouled with tobacco juice.
Ithyphallic, erkish and lewd,
their jeering has corrupted it!
Their drawings at the helm are crude,
Ithyphallic, erkish and lewd.
o
waves like magic arabic,
Carry off my heart and polish it!
Ithyphallic, erkish and lewd,
Their jeering has corrupted it!
When they've swallowed their dried up quids
What shall we do, 0 swindled heart?
Hiccupping then as Bacchus bids,
When they've swallowed their dried up quids,
I'll surely feel my belly start
When I choke down, again, my heart:
When they've swallowed their dried up quids
What shall we do, 0 swindled heart?
Translated from the French
by
Matthias Regan
