Vowels (Voyelles) / Arthur Rimbaud

Vowels
Black A, white E, red I, green U, blue O: you vowels, Some day I'll tell the tale of where your mystery lies: Black A, a jacket formed of hairy, shiny flies That buzz among harsh stinks in the abyss's bowels;

White E, the white of kings, of moon-washed fogs and tents, Of fields of shivering chervil, glaciers' gleaming tips; Red I, magenta, spat-up blood, the curl of lips In laughter, anger, or besotted penitence;

Green U, vibrating waves in viridescent seas, Or peaceful pastures flecked with beasts – furrows of peace Imprinted on our brows as if by alchemies;

Blue O, great Trumpet blaring strange and piercing cries Through Silences where Worlds and Angels pass crosswise; Omega, O, the violet brilliance of Those Eyes!
 * &mdash;translated by George J. Dance
 * Licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA-3.0.

Voyelles
A noir, E blanc, I rouge, U vert, O bleu : voyelles, Je dirai quelque jour vos naissances latentes : A, noir corset velu des mouches éclatantes Qui bombinent autour des puanteurs cruelles,

Golfes d'ombre ; E, candeurs des vapeurs et des tentes, Lances des glaciers fiers, rois blancs, frissons d'ombelles ; I, pourpres, sang craché, rire des lèvres belles Dans la colère ou les ivresses pénitentes ;

U, cycles, vibrements divins des mers virides, Paix des pâtis semés d'animaux, paix des rides Que l'alchimie imprime aux grands fronts studieux ;

O, suprême Clairon plein des strideurs étranges, Silences traversés des Mondes et des Anges ; - O l'Oméga, rayon violet de Ses Yeux !
 * Arthur Rimbaud, 1871


 * (Poem is in the public domain)