Lost in the fire of last year's Pierrot centennial was translation. After all, it was Otto Erich Hartleben's German--translated from the original French of Albert Giraud--that Arnold Schoenberg had set.
And with Stanley Appelbaum's Anglicised Hartleben turning 20 next year (not to mention having its own Twitter account @PierrotTweets), Classicalite figured a new English language translation was passed due.
Dark, black giant moths Killed the brightness of the sun. Like a closed book of magic spells, The horizon rests -- mutely.
— Pierrot (@PierrotTweets) May 31, 2011
To wit, for the next 21 weekdays, we'll be offering a new take on each of Giraud/Hartleben/Appelbaum's 3x7 poems...alongside some of our favorite performances.
NIGHT
Gigantic black butterflies
Haved killed the sunlight.
Like a sealed book of sorcery,
The horizon sleeps, dumb.
From the murk of depths forgotten
a smell arises, murdering all memories.
Gigantic black butterflies
Have killed the sunlight.
And from heaven to earth,
Sinking down on heavy pinions,
The unseen monsters descend
Onto the hearts of the people...
Gigantic black butterflies.
Coming up next, Teil II: 9. "Gebet an Pierrot."
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