When I Was Still a Pale Young Boy

Poem by Victor Hugo Period 19th century

When I was still a pale young boy,
And about to enter the fatal lists,
Gloomy arena where more than one before me was lost,
The harsh Muse with mysterious gaze said to me:
— You are leaving; but when the Cid set out on campaign
For his God, for his right, and for his dear Spain,
He was well armed; that valiant Cid had
Two helmets, two swords, his bedside lance,
Two shields; spare weapons are needed;
Then he drew his sword and became an archangel.
Do you have your dagger at your side? Come, martyr soldier,
What armor will you choose and put on?
What blades will we see gleaming on your robust arm?
— I have hatred of evil and I have love of the just,
Muse; and I am armed better than the paladin.
— And your two shields? — I have scorn and disdain.

June 17, 1856.

Victor Hugo

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

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