utrillo la bievre c1911

PARISIAN GRAPHICS

1
Against a sky backdrop – bare trees,
We are as if in a painting by Marquet.
A woodpile, various structures.
And on a winter day, its easy to walk to the river.

You pass the Boulevard Saint-Michel,
And having bypassed the Pantheon square,
You will be caught by the wind:
Why do you torment?
(I remember the color of rain)

It is not worth visiting the lycée Henri IV
Today – in winter:
In it, you always feel like a stoic,
Keeping the truth of time in your mind.

2
The shadows of trees on a bronze statue of Ney.
At Closerie de Lilas, overwhelmed by drinks,
You recall fragments of the path.
Autumn is deeply permeated with something lilac.
In the bright light of advertising, a separate branch
Almost mystically flares up.

The rain begins diagonally, streaks on the windows,
Many streets are worn out by footsteps, unobtrusive.
You will remember the Luxembourg Gardens expanse.
How children used to walk there with nannies. It is beautiful
Everything that now reveals itself to you in perspective,
Which fills your gaze.

3
The island of Saint-Louis with tall houses
And narrow streets is charming.
Having measured it all by steps,
Have you discovered so many secrets?

Turning left, you go
Along the embankment to... to Notre Dame.
This morning they promised rain -
It will pour persistently and stubbornly.
The Seine is muddy. Well, and the Île de la Cité
Attracts with a number of restaurants.
The city is old, and faithful to beauty,
But how many flaws are there in the city?

4
Roofs from the window – the tops of roofs.
Pipes – now Paris will give a concert.

Secrets of the roofs! Ascents, descents of streets!
How wonderful it is to drink oysters like wine!

Morning. Day. And evening splashes again
With the variegation of advertising – here is the wine,

Its silver! Car lights.
Golden haze of shop windows.
And not master of your own fate,
You go somewhere alone.

5
Near the New Bridge, Henry IV,
And the tip of the Île de la Cité like a nose
Of a large ship.
The shore is entirely made of stone.
Here is a park with chestnut trees, and life in earnest.
The chestnuts are huge and spreading.
And people catch fish under the bridge.
And again restaurants beckon,
Moreover, diverse ones.

6
From Moulin Rouge at night,
Thin rays of temptation -
Or seaweed of passion -
Strive into your soul. Misfortunes
Wine will help you avoid.
Star... what to do with it? Shine,
Let this be only a square, not
A star in the sky, which is quite
Understandable. Darkness, like oil.
And for souls, but in bodies, there are none
Numbers.
How much bright glass!

7
Somehow gray! – Mersault
Defined it – Paris,
And there are many pigeons.
About everything
The memory of old roofs
Or niches where statues stand
Tells you about it.
Aroma
Of flowering, if spring! -
Gentle but thick it is...