utrillo la bievre c1911 Maurice Utrillo

PARISIAN GRAPHICS

1
Against the backdrop of the sky – 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 along the Boulevard Saint-Michel,
And after circling the Pantheon square,
Youre caught in the wind:
Why do you torment
With gusts? (I remember the blue of rain)

Its not worth visiting the Lycée Henri IV
Today – its winter:
In it, you always feel like a stoic,
Preserving the truth of time in your mind.

2
The shadows of trees on bronze statue of Ney.
In Cluny Museum, overwhelmed by fumes,
You recall fragments of the journey.
Autumn is saturated with something lilac.
In the light of a bright advertisement, a separate branch
Almost mysteriously flares up.
Rain begins diagonally, streaks on the windows,
Many streets are worn by footsteps, unremarkable.
You remember the Luxembourg Gardens expanse.
How children used to walk there with nannies. Its beautiful
Everything that is now revealed to you by perspective,
Which fills your gaze.

3
The Île Saint-Louis, with its tall houses
And narrow streets, is charming.
Having measured it all with steps,
How many secrets have you discovered?

Turning left, you walk
Along the embankment... to Notre Dame.
This morning, they promised rain –
It will pour stubbornly and persistently.
The Seine is muddy. Well, and the Île de la Cité
Attracts with a multitude 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 peaks of roofs.
Chimneys – 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 in the evening, splashes again
With the colorfulness of advertisements – heres wine,

Its silver! Lights of cars.
Golden shimmer of shop windows.
And not master of your destiny,
You walk somewhere alone.

5
Near the Pont Neuf, there is Henry IV,
And the tip of the Île de la Cité is like a nose
Of a large ship.
The shore is all in stone.
Heres a park with chestnuts, and life is serious.
The chestnuts are huge and sprawling.
And people are fishing under the bridge.
And again, restaurants beckon,
All different.

6
From the Moulin Rouge at night,
Subtle rays of temptation –
Or seaweed of sensuality –
Strive to your soul. Misfortunes
Wine will help you avoid.
A star... what to do with it? Shine,
Let it be just 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 him – Paris,
And pigeons everywhere.
About everything
The old roofs memory
Or niches where statues stand
Tell you about it.
Aroma
Of flowering, if it is spring! -
Tender, but also thick...