Lost in the fire of last year's Pierrot centennial was translation. After all, it was Otto Erich Hartleben's German--translated from the original French of Albert Giraud--that Arnold Schoenberg had set.
And with Stanley Appelbaum's Anglicised Hartleben turning 20 next year (not to mention having its own Twitter account @PierrotTweets), Classicalite figured a new English language translation was passed due.
The moonlight’s pale blossoms, The white wonder-roses, Bloom in the July nights -- Oh, if I could just pick one!
— Pierrot (@PierrotTweets) October 16, 2012
To wit, for the next 21 weekdays, we'll be offering a new take on each of Giraud/Hartleben/Appelbaum's 3x7 poems...alongside some of our favorite performances.
COLUMBINE
The pale moonlight flowers,
That white-rosed miracle,
Bloom at night in July--
Oh, if I might pluck only one!
For my pain, to relieve my load,
I search along the dark current.
The pale moonlight flowers,
That white-rosed miracle.
All my desires would be stilled
Could I--as secret as a fable,
So tenderly--but scatter
the petals over your brown tresses.
The moonlight pale flowers.
Up next: "Der Dandy"
