Austère Gymnopédie

Bertrand Damien, 1988

Austère Gymnopédie


Le temps révolu, mon désir
Dominait ton corps		
Caresse la courbure encore,		
Fut-elle imparfaite oui		
Je pouvais la vénérer		

		
Troublé quand le vent oeuvre		
Souffle en ma mémoire		
un regard inerte		
Confondu dans la dureté		
et la faiblesse		

		
Quand ne me semble mon souvenir		
De toi		
qu'une gymnopédie au rythme austère		
Et résonne lourdement mon échec		
Plus encore de solitude		

		
Immense dans mon corps,		
fermé à lui-même.	

		
1988


		 Texte suivant

Austere Gymnopedie
		
The time that belongs to the past, my desire
Has taken hold of your body
Caressed the curve still,
Even if she was imperfect yes
I could adore venerate her

Troubled when the wind works
Blows in my remembrance
an inert gaze
Blended in the hardness
and the weakness

When seems my memory
Of you
nothing but a Gymnopedie of an austere rhythm
And resonates sleepily of my failure
More over of solitude

Immense in my body,
shut into itself.


  Note: a Gymnopedie is a suite of piano music pieces from Eric Satie, a French 
  romantic composer contemporary and friend of Debussy and Ravel. I have been 
  personally playing a lot these piano pieces, for 15 years or more. My theory 
  is that Eric Satie invented this word based on another word: Gymnosophiste,. 
  From the greek Gymnosophista, i.e. a philosopher of an ancient Hindu sect, whose 
  members were having a pure ascetic and contemplative life. And indeed, this 
  music is minimalist, ascetic and contemplative. And extremely beautiful.

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