---

Charles Baudelaire - Le Tonneau de la Haine (The Cask of Hate)
Work rating: Low

La Haine est le tonneau des pâles Danaïdes;
La Vengeance éperdue aux bras rouges et forts
À beau précipiter dans ses ténèbres vides
De grands seaux pleins du sang et des larmes des morts,

Le Démon fait des trous secrets à ces abîmes,
Par où fuiraient mille ans de sueurs et d`efforts,
Quand même elle saurait ranimer ses victimes,
Et pour les pressurer ressusciter leurs corps.

La Haine est un ivrogne au fond d`une taverne,
Qui sent toujours la soif naître de la liqueur
Et se multiplier comme l`hydre de Lerne.

— Mais les buveurs heureux connaissent leur vainqueur,
Et la Haine est vouée à ce sort lamentable
De ne pouvoir jamais s`endormir sous la table.



Hatred`s Cask

Hatred is the cask of the pale Danaides; 
Bewildered Vengeance with arms red and strong 
Vainly pours into its empty darkness 
Great pailfuls of the blood and the tears of the dead;

The Demon makes secret holes in this abyss, 
Whence would escape a thousand years of sweat and strain, 
Even if she could revive her victims, 
Could restore their bodies, to squeeze them dry once more.

Hatred is a drunkard in a tavern, 
Who feels his thirst grow greater with each drink 
And multiply itself like the Lernaean hydra.

— While fortunate drinkers know they can be conquered, 
Hatred is condemned to this lamentable fate, 
That she can never fall asleep beneath the table.


— Translated by William Aggeler



The Cask of Hate 

The Cask of the pale Danaids is Hate. 
Vainly Revenge, with red strong arms employed, 
Precipitates her buckets, in a spate 
Of blood and tears, to feed the empty void.

The Fiend bores secret holes to these abysms 
By which a thousand years of sweat and strain 
Escape, though she`d revive their organisms 
In order just to bleed them once again.

Hate is a drunkard in a tavern staying, 
Who feels his thirst born of its very cure, 
Like Lerna`s hydra, multiplied by slaying.

Gay drinkers of their conqueror are sure, 
And Hate is doomed to a sad fate, unable 
Ever to fall and snore beneath the table.


— Translated by Roy Campbell
Source
The script ran 0.001 seconds.