A peu que le cueur ne me fent

12:43 Jul 23, 2010 

Thanks for that - I cannot access it at all! (I have just tried again). I like this version. I don't have any translations of his poems - I have an old copy in French that I bought in an Oxford church jumble sale over 20 years ago!

11:54 Jul 23, 2010 

Is what I'm using as a browser in case it may make a difference as to how much is accessible ... but there was also some trick in the navigation, you had to go further down and follow on somehow, unable to remember / explain exactly how!

10:57 Jul 23, 2010 

How lucky you to be able to read the whole translation, whilst it's inaccessible to Linda and me - and others no doubt, who have not purchased the full text! And thanks so much for taking the trouble to display the translation here :)

09:54 Jul 23, 2010 

I was able to see it. Here it goes!

Ah God if only I had studied
In the days of my heedless youth
And set myself in good ways
I’d have a house now and soft bed
But I ran from that school
Like some good-for-nothing child
As I write these words
My heart is nearly breaking.

09:14 Jul 23, 2010 

Carol - I have just looked at this - I love Villon - and the translations stop at page 38. Your extract is on that page, but is not translated - page 39 onwards and you buy the book! (So yes, one of those days!)

21:06 Jul 22, 2010 

You're quite right, although I wasn't going to forget to cite in the proper manner, having had this drummed into me throughout both BA and MA! But definitely worth mentioning here :)

18:14 Jul 22, 2010 

if you want to use an existing modern translation, it would be worth making this clear to your client, as they would of course be responsible for any copyright issues which might arise

17:50 Jul 22, 2010 

I looked in my German "Nachdichtung" by Paul Zech but could not find this particular bit. However, he "translates" in quite a modern, colloquial, idiomatic way ... perhaps you could do the same, prefacing your rendition in some way with something like "Francois Villon [always have to pay attention not to say "Fillon"! ;-) ] would, had he lived today, expressed [this feeling?] as follows ...

17:19 Jul 22, 2010 

I HAVE of course trawled the internet for any existing translations, but, unfortunately, no longer have access to authorities such as JSTOR, etc, where the most decent stuff is no doubt kept. I suspect that it is the length of this particular poem that makes it so hard to find translations of any particular short extract. I certainly have no intention (nor ever do have regarding poetry!) of "messing about" with this. However, it is only an extract to illustrate a point being made in the text, and, as such, I believe a gist translation is more than adequate in this case - much as I normally love giving it my all when translating poetry!

17:00 Jul 22, 2010 

Villon has been translated from 15th c. Fr to modern French and to English by people who are highly specialised, respected scholars. Why not look for one of those translations? It's not really something to be messed around with. In any case keep the original too.