Rameau lets us hear the smile
of Voltaire, let me emulate
his talent, trying to beguile
my music mistress and my mate.
I wish that she could hear my smile
as she can see the written word
I conjure, trying to beguile
all readers who have never heard
the smiling sounds jump from my pages
like a princess who awakes,
having been asleep for ages––
for smiles are all that waking takes.
In a review of the recorded music of Jean-Philippe Rameau (“Paying Court to a Wry Master of the French Baroque, ” the NYT, April 7,2000) , Paul Griffiths writes: “Rameau lets us hear Voltaire’s smile.”
I revised this poem in 1/26/10, while listening to a suite from Rameau’s “Pygmalion” on KUSC, introduced by Alan Chapman. The Vorlage of this poem, written in 4/7/00, is:
I wish that you could hear my smile
as you can see the written word
I conjure, trying to beguile
the readers who have never heard
sounds of smiling jump from pages
like a princess who awakes,
having been asleep for ages––
smiles are all it really takes.
4/7/00
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem