legrace.benson@xxxxxxxxx is looking for the original French version of
Jean-Fernand Brierre's poem dedicated to "a Haitian Princess",
translated into English as "Departure". It is a lamenting description
of settin out to sea from Haiti on the Christophe women's journey into
exile. The English translation I have in hand seems to be perhaps
incomplete,and not a graceful as I believe it must be in the original.
Here is the English:
The Green Isle is drowning within the twilight,
The Isle once the Tomb of a King and glory…
You weep for Sans Souci withdraws into night
Like a flag which is shipwrecked in history.
Now only the sea, gray-lead heavy, the sea
Which is evil, green—laucous,slow
moving and glows.
You inhale the sharp breath of the kelp bitterly
And grave on the dusk, hot, sweet, scents our Isle Knows.
In the offing afar—night,--and sometimes a port ight
Setting on the horizon its sad aureole,
While heartbroken and shaken with sobs you catch sight
Of the fishers,--their boats…hear a song créole.
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