Rich Rhymes for the Eye

Poem by Alphonse Allais Period 19th century

The insulted man who holds himself back
Is, to be sure, gentle and patient.
By contrast, the man of sour humor
Slaps the one who disparages him.
As for me, I act only with good reason:
But, woe to the nuisances who saw me off!
Whether they be from Château-l’Abbaye
Or born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye,
I catch up with them wherever they come from,
For my wrath is permanent.
These people who think themselves Shakespeares
Or kings of the Balearic Islands!
Who, like condors, rise up!
Better the lowliest nightjar.
By the devil, without being an eagle,
I see clearly and am not cross-eyed.
Fie on the idiots who stammer!
Glory to the scholar who converses with me!

Alphonse Allais

Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.

Text published on Poésies 123: https://www.poesies123.com/en/poem-rich-rhymes-for-the-eye-alphonse-allais/