“Flightless Bird” by Danaë Xanthe Vlasse
Verse 1:
Waiting to meet you in a garden,
where your breath is the subtlest breeze
that brings a light aromatic truth.
Verse 2:
I hear your call and my hands open
like petals in a dawn of daisies
blooming with love and innocent youth.
Chorus:
To shoot a flightless bird from the sky,
You must first teach it to fly.
Build me up and then aim to destroy,
You make cruelty your joy.
To detune a songbird of her voice,
In her silence you rejoice.
Shredding me with deceit and decoy,
You make betrayal your joy.
Verse 3:
Dreading to meet you in a garden,
where your breath is a subversive breeze
that brings a wasted putrid half-truth.
Verse 4:
I hear your call and my hands open
like petals in a dawn of daisies
Wilting with pain and parched of our youth.
Repeat Chorus.
Verse 1:
Waiting to meet you in a garden,
where your breath is the subtlest breeze
that brings a light aromatic truth.
Verse 2:
I hear your call and my hands open
like petals in a dawn of daisies
blooming with love and innocent youth.
Chorus:
To shoot a flightless bird from the sky,
You must first teach it to fly.
Build me up and then aim to destroy,
You make cruelty your joy.
To detune a songbird of her voice,
In her silence you rejoice.
Shredding me with deceit and decoy,
You make betrayal your joy.
Verse 3:
Dreading to meet you in a garden,
where your breath is a subversive breeze
that brings a wasted putrid half-truth.
Verse 4:
I hear your call and my hands open
like petals in a dawn of daisies
Wilting with pain and parched of our youth.
Repeat Chorus.
Rainbow Nebulae by Danaë Vlasse
Verse 1:
Eternally adrift
In starlit penumbrae
Filling heaven;
Rainbow-hued nebulae
Nest patiently…
Birthing and nurturing,
Cradling history
And future life!
Chorus 1:
Rainbow, Rainbow!
Like a hummingbird in the ghetto,
Searching for sustenance in the cosmos’ shadow.
Time is their nectar and fire feeds their bright halo.
Verse 2:
Lengthy wings of shimmering pearly Lucite,
Regal robes and amber crown of flaming light;
May be shattered and shed in an angry night.
Chorus 2:
Rainbow searching for sustenance,
Like a hummingbird in shadows of the cosmos.
Time is their nectar and fire feeds their bright halo.
Verse 3:
Elemental essence;
Darkness enveloping
Star fireworks!
At distant light’s calling
Through lens reveal…
A refuge of ages
Of cosmic afterlife!
Elemental.
Rêverie "La Lune"
Note for French poetry in this text: Opening lines are fixed to 4 syllables, and end with a 12 syllable line.
Rhyming scheme; the rhymes are obvious to French-speaker even if word terminations do not seem to rhyme when seen through English-eyes. In French the endings rhyme in pairs or rhyme fully through the stanza. Only the final stanza ceases to rhyme - this highlights the effect of the poet falling asleep.
[English translation below.]
Lyrics by Danaë Xanthe Vlasse:
Une pâle lumière
Qu’elle pose sur terre.
Elle m’envahit.
La lune m’enveloppe doucement en rêverie.
Ombres de loups,
sur sa face jouent!
Ses yeux lancent un clin d’œil vers le nid du hibou.
Souffles de vent,
passant devant;
des nuages comme des mariées vêtues de voiles blanc.
Dansant là-bas,
L’infini toit,
Un plafond s’étend en dentelle sur les étoiles!
La lune surveille
Ceux qui s’éveillent
Conscient de la pluie qui unit tout; mer et ciel.
Nuages d’hiver.
Navires de verre.
Sur l’estuaire des tourbillons et des éclairs!
Mythologies
cerclant sa vie,
Faisant toujours face au monde en ode et magie!
La lune m’enveloppe doucement,
si doucement,
doucement en rêverie.
________________________________________
English Translation by Danaë Xanthe Vlasse:
A pale color
She lays on earth;
She invades me!
The moon envelops me gently in a dream.
Shadows of wolves,
On her face play!
Her eyes throw a wink to the owls’ nest.
Breaths of wind,
Passing in foreground;
Clouds like brides in white veils.
Dancing over there,
The infinit roof,
A ceiling stretched like lace over the stars!
The moon watches over
Those who awaken
Conscious of the rain that unites oceans and heavens.
Clouds of winter.
Ships of glass.
On the estuary spinning whirlwinds and lightening!
Myths
Orbit her life.
Always facing the world in ode and mystery!
The moon envelops me gently,
so gently,
gently in a dream.