by Jacques Prévert
Il a mis le café
Dans la tasse
Il a mis le lait
Dans la tasse de caféDans le café au lait
Et il a reposé la tasse
Sans me parler
Il a allumé
Une cigarette
Il a fait des ronds
Avec la fumée
Il a mis les cendres
Dans le cendrier
Sans me parler
Sans me regarder
Il s'est levé
Il a mis
Son chapeau sur sa tête
Il a mis
Son manteau de pluie
Parce qu'il pleuvait
Et il est parti
Sous la pluie
Sans une parole
Sans me regarder
Et moi j'ai pris
Ma tête dans ma main
Et j'ai pleuré..
Il a mis le sucre
He put
the coffee
in the
cup
He put
the milk
in the
cup of coffee
He put
the sugar
In the
cup of milk coffee
And he
sat down the cup
without
talking to me
He lit
a
cigarette
He made
rings
with
smoke
He put
the ashes
in the
ashtray
without
talking to me
without
looking at me
he stood
up
He put
his hat
on his head
He put
his
raincoat on
Because
it was raining
And he
left
in the
rain
without a
word
without
looking at me
And I
took
my head
in my hands
And I
cried...
(my
translation)
Besides
being one of the few French poems I can read, I like the repetition of this
poem. I like the emotions evoked by the way the words are partitioned.
I like that it starts with coffee, that I can picture it because I have
been there, at a café in France. I am glad I was not there in the rain.
I am glad I was not left without words, crying.
