Dark Night
Dark Night
English Sonnet II O beautiful brown eyes, O averted glances, O warm sighs, O tears poured forth, O dark nights vainly awaited, O shining days vainly returned! O sorrowful laments, O obstinate desires, O wasted time, O pains expended, O a thousand deaths caught in a thousand snares, O worst evils destined against me! O smiles, O brow, hair, arms, hands, and fingers! O plaintive lute, viol, bow, and voice! So many flames to burn for a single woman! I complain of you — that, bearing so many fires, In so many places my heart feeling them out, I have not stolen from you some spark. | Fon Han kpɛvi II O nukún ɖɛkpɛɖɛkpɛ kɔ́nɔ lɛ, O nukúnmɛ e è huzú lɛ é, O azɔwinwɛ zo zo lɛ, O ɖasin e kɔn nyi ayǐ lɛ é, O zǎn wiwi e è nɔte kpɔ́n vɔ̌nu lɛ é, O azǎn e ɖò wěziza mɛ lɛ é lɛkɔ wá vɔ̌nu! Mi avǐ aluwɛ tɔn lɛ, jlǒ syɛnsyɛn lɛ mi, Hwenu e è hɛn gblé é, aluwɛ e ɖò ganjɛwu mɛ lɛ é, Kú afatɔ́n ɖo ɖɔ afatɔ́n mɛ, Nǔ nyanya e nyla hú bǐ bɔ è sɔ́ ɖ’ayǐ nú mì é! O nukiko, O ɖa, alɔgbla, alɔ, kpo alɔví lɛ kpo! O gǎngǎnwî, gǎ kpódó gbè kpó e nɔ dó aluwɛ mɛ é! Zogbɛ́n gègě wɛ è na dó zo nú nyɔnu ɖé! Un kú nǔbláwǔ nú we, ɖó un hɛn myɔ gěgé, Bó ɖo ayi ce sè wɛ ɖo fí gěgé ɖo yě mɛ, Bɔ un fin wěziza ɖokpó ɖo así towe ǎ. | French 1Sonnet II Ô beaux yeux bruns, ô regards détournés, Ô chauds soupirs, ô larmes épandues, Ô noires nuits vainement attendues, Ô jours luisants vainement retournés! Ô tristes plaints, ô désirs obstinés, Ô temps perdu, ô peines dépendues, Ô milles morts en mille rets tendues, Ô pires maux contre moi destinés! Ô ris, ô front, cheveux bras mains et doigts! Ô luth plaintif, viole, archet et voix! Tant de flambeaux pour ardre une femelle! De toi me plains, que tant de feux portant, En tant d’endroits d’iceux mon coeur tâtant, N’en ai sur toi volé quelque étincelle. | Yoruba Orin Kekere II O oju didan dun, o iwo iriran ti o yipada, O ìmi gbona, o omije ti a da ka kiri, O ale dudu ti a duro de lasan, O ọjọ imole ti a pada ri lasan! O ariwo ibanuje, o ṣisafẹri ifẹ ti ko rọrun, O akoko ti o sọfo, O irora ti a da silẹ, O iku ẹgba ẹgbẹrun ninu ẹgbẹrun ẹwọn ti a gbe kalẹ, O awọn buburu ti o buru ju lọ ti a yan Lodi si mi! O erin, o iwaju, irun, apa, ọwọ ati ika! O ilu orin ibanuje, gítà, ọrun ati ohùn! Otooro ina bayi lati jo obinrin kan nikan! Mo ṣe awawi nipa rẹ pe, gbigbe awọn ọpọlọpọ ina, Ninu ọpọlọpọ ibi ọkan mi ni imọ Lara wọn jade, Nko ji sipaki ina kankan lara rẹ. |
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By Louise Labé
David Achodo 