Selections From Paroles by Jacques Prévert

Author:Jacques Prévert
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-06-01T16:00:00+00:00

QUARTIER LIBRE

I put my cap in the cage

and went out with the bird on my head

So

one no longer salutes

asked the commanding officer

No

one no longer salutes replied the bird

Ah good

excuse me I thought one saluted

said the commanding officer

You are fully excused everybody makes mistakes

said the bird.

THE NEW ORDER

The sun lies on the soil

Litre of spilled red wine

A house has collapsed

Like a drunk on the pavement

And under its still standing porch

A girl is stretched

A man on his knees beside her

Is about to finish her off

In the wound where the sword stirs

The heart doesn’t stop bleeding

And the man lets out a war-cry

Like an absurd peacock’s cry

And his cry gets lost in the night

Out of life out of time And the man with face of dust

The lost and ruined man

Stands up and cries ‘ Heil Hitler ! ’

In a desperate voice

Facing him in the debris

Of a burnt-out shop

The portrait of a pale old man

Regards him kindly

Stars shine on his sleeve

Others also on his cap

Like the stars shine at Christmas

On the pine tree for the little ones

And the storm-trooper

Before the marvelous color-photo

Suddenly finds himself at home again

In the very heart of the new order

And puts his dagger back in its sheath

And goes off straight ahead

Automaton of the new Europe

Run wild with homesickness

Adieu adieu Lily Marlene

And his step and his song wander off in the night

And the portrait of the pale old man

Among the debris

Remains alone and smiles

Tranquil in the semi-dark

Senile and sure of himself.

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