Poème
de l’instant
Où vivre, sinon ?
Is it for now or for always
The world hangs on a stalk ?
Is it a trick or a trysting-place,
The woods we have found to walk ?
Is it a mirage or a miracle,
Your lips that lift at mine :
And the suns like juggler’s juggling-balls,
Are they a sham or a sign ?
Shine out, my sudden angel,
Break fear with breast and brow,
I take you now and for always,
For always is always now.
Philip Larkin, Où vivre, sinon ?, Traduit de l’anglais par Jacques Nassif, Éditions de la Différence, 1994.