Paul-Jean Toulet (1867-1920) composed Coples, a collection of 109 epigrammatic verses, which was published in 1921 in the Contrerimes. What follows is a small sampling from Raymond Oliver's translation of Coples.

Paul-Jean Toulet (1867-1920), selected Coples, from Les Contrerimes, Raymond Oliver's translation

LI

That Mardi Gras neither of us was pleased:
From lightning such that daylight seemed to crash
Down on our souls, I looked for rains of ash;
"Ah, ah!", you cried at times in Portuguese.

Le Mardi gras, ni toi, ni moi, nous n'étions gais.
Des carreaux ou du ciel le jour semblait descendre
Sur notre âme, on eût dit qu'il pleuvait de la cendre:
— "Ah, ah!" t'écriais-tu parfois en portugais.

LIX

The evening coolness — as if filtered through
An emerald — brings your knees together, pressed,
And so you seem less nude. But, entre nous,
Your husband would say: "Just look at how you're dressed!"

Cette fraîcheur du soir, qu'on dirai que tamise
Une émeraude, a fait se joindre tes genoux,
Et tu sembles moins nue ainsi. Mais entre nous,
Ton mari te dirait: "Comme vous voilà mise."

LXXVIII

My cat was Djinn, my dog Sir Walter Scott.
Such pompous names deserved to be forgot.

Mon chien s'appelait Tom, et ma chienne Djaly.
Ah, que de noms pompeux méritaient mieux l'oubli.

LXXX

Isadora D.

Ye gods! The Duncan is about
To dance. Let's get our asses out.

Ciel! Isadora Duncan
Va danser. F...ons le camp.

LXXXI

As I raised up her hem-line, curious
To see her stocking where the garter circled,
"No — smoke, my dear; it's not the hour for flirting,"
She said unmoved, "and let's be serious".

Comme je lui levais sa jupe, curieux
De voir son bas plus rose où le jarret l'affleure,
— "Fumez plutot, mon cher. Fleurter, ce n'est pas l'heure",
Me dit-elle immobile, "et soyons serieux".

translations©2000 Raymond Oliver

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Toulet's complete Contrerimes, including the Coples, are on line.

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