Masques. (Translation) . Poem by Michael Walker
Masques. (Translation) .
Ces contes des deguisements anciens, ne sont-ils pas
Des mythes etranges des ames qui se trouvaient parmi
Des gens desaccoutumes qui parlaient une langue hostile,
Quelque ame separee de tous les autres qui n'avait pas oublie
Les hectares fabriques des etoiles d'un ancienne parcelle
La ou sans bornes parmi les nuages son cours dirigeait-il
Ou carne aves ses freres aines chantaient
Avant que les compositeurs de ballades zezayassent du Camelot?
De vieux chanteurs qui oubliaient a moitie leurs airs,
De vieux peintres daltoniens reviennent encore,
De vieux poetes manquant de talent dans les runes de vent-coeur,
De vieux magiciens manquant de leurs contes d'emerveillement.
Tous ceux qui ont une douleur etrange aux yeux
Reflechissent en silence l'invention vieillole de la terre?
'Masks'. Ezra Pound.
This is a harder poem to interpret. To me, it means that wearing masks, not litera; lly, is the world's way of disguising your true feelings, if you are among a strange people who speak a different language to you. Very often, I have to wear such a mask.
Pound could be referring to his long exile in Italy. In the second stanza, I think he is positive about 'old singers, old painters, old poets, and old wizards', who are affected by not being able to express their true selves and feelings. They wear a mask instead. A very thought-provoking poem.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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8/29/2026 2:20:41 AM # rel_20260827T145718Z_a0f1bd3
