-
THE GIRL DECLARES
- State University of New York Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
220 ʨʢˌʦ ʬʣʩʩʮ ʱˌʣ 1 ʯʩʢʩʰʲʷ ˋ ʯٷʦ ʬˌʦ ʪʩʠ ʯʲʥʥ ʨʱʬˌʥʥ ʯʥʠ ʯʲʥʥʲʢ ʹʦˋ˝ ʯٷʮ , ʯʩʣ ʯʥʠ ʨ˦ˋʤʰʲʩʥʸ˦ ʬʢʰʑ ʩʩ ˋ , ʯʩʩʹ ʯʥʠ ʹʬˋ˦ ʯʥʠ , ʲʰʸʲʡʬʩʦ ʪʸʥʣ ʥʨʱʬˌʥʥ ʯʲʩʩʬˋ ʯʲʸʨ ʯʨʩʩʰʲʢʱʩʥʠ ʬʸʲ˝ ʯٷʮ , ʯʲʩʩʥʥʶʲʡʬˋʦ ʲ˝ʬˋʮ ʯٷʮ ʨʩʮ ʥʣ , ʭʲʰʸˌ˦ ʯʥʠ ʷʩʣʰʸˌʶ ʯʢˌʸʨʲʢ . ʸʲʨʩʤ ʯٷʮ ʯٷʦ ʯˋʣ ʨʦʥʮʲʢ ʥʨʱʬˌʥʥ ʯʥʠ , ʥ ˝ˌʬˋʢ ʯʷʩʶʩʬʡ ˋ ʯʩʠ ʯʲʥ ʸʲ ʨʮʥʷ , ʸʲʨʩʸ ʯٷʮ ʯʥʠ ʸʲʬʣˌ ʯٷʮ , ˝ˌʷ ʯʨʡʩʥʨʹˋʡ ʣʬˌʢ ʭʲʣ ʪʩʠ ʯʥʠ ʯʢʩʥʡʲʢʥʶ ʭʩʠ ʥʶ ʪʲʬʸʩʶ ʨʬˌʥʥ , ʯ˝ʩʬ ʲʬˌʮʹ ʩʣ , ʨʩʥʸ ʯʥʠ ʪʩʩʥʥ , ʯʢʩʥʠ ʲʨʫˋʮʸˋ˦ ʡʬˋʤ ʩʣ ʪʸʥʣ ʯʥʠ ʯʲʦʲʢ ʪʩʠ ʨʬˌʥʥ , ʨʩʥʨ ʸʲʣ ʩʥʥ ٷʣ ʯʩʠ ʨʷʥʶ ʯʩʸʢ ʯʥʠ ʳʸˋʹ ʪʸʥʣ ʷʩʬʡ ʯ , ʹˋ ʩʥʥ ʪʩʩʬʡ ʯ˝ʩʬ ʲʰٷʣ ʳʩʥʠ , 1 221 THE GIRL DECLARES 1 If I were a queen and you my page— a youth, feminine and slender, false but beautiful— both you and my monkey would stiffly and grandly carry through silvery avenues my pearl-embroidered train. You must then be my protector, when, at a lightning gallop he arrives—my eagle and my knight— and I would elegantly bend toward him my gold-dusted head my pursed lips, soft and red, and through half-closed eyes I would see how death quivers in your glance, sharp and green on your pale and ashen lips— 222 ʯʢʩʥʠ ʩʣ ʯʫˋʮʥʶ ʬʲʥʥ ʪʩʠ . ʣʰˋʬ ʯʬʩʨʹ ˋ ʯʩʠ ʣʬˋʡ ʯٷʦ ʬʲʥʥ ʪʩʠ . ʯʢʲʥʥ ʲʷʩʣʰʲʰʹٷ ʲʨʩʩʸʡ ʳʩʥʠ ʯʩʩʢ ʬʲʥʥ ʪʩʠ . ʯʹʨʰʲʮ ʯʩʩʨʹ ʯʬʲʥʥʹ ʩʣ ٷʡ ʷʩʣʰʢٷʥʥʹ ʯʬʲʥʥ , ʷʩʣʰʢʩʩʰ ʪʩʦ ʸʩʮ ʸˋ˦ . ʣʩʰ ʯʬʲʥʥ ʬʢʩʩ˦ ʲʱٷʥʥ ʲʱʩʥʸʢ ' ʯʲʩʬ˦ ʷʩʸ , ʷʩʣʰʫٷʸʨʹ ʲʰٷʮ ʯʲʬʱʷˋ ʩʣ . ʯʲʮʥʷʰʢʲʷʨʰˋ ʸʩʮ ʷʩʣʰʬˋʸʨʹ ʯʥʠ ʨʱʰʸʲ ʯʬʲʥʥ ʭʩʫʠʬʮ , ʲʸʲʨʩʥʬ ˋ ʪʩʮ ʯʸʩ˦ , ʲʷʩʣʩʩʸ˦ ˋ , ʲʷʩʣʩʩʸ˦ ˋ , ʲʨʷʩʨʥʬʡʸʠ˦ . 3 ʣʩʩʬʷ ʯʩʩʠ ʦʩʥʬʡ ʡˌʤ ʪʩʠ . ʣʩʩʬʷ ʯʬˌʥʥ ʬʥʥʬˌʥʥ ˋ ʦʩʠ ʱʲ . ʯʨʡʩʬʲʢ ʯٷʮ ʸˋ˦ ʪʩʦ ʪʩʠ ʸʩʶ ʸʲʡʩʸʲʣ ʸʲʩʥʸʨ ʯʥ˦ ʨʲʮˋʱ ʯʶʸˋʥʥʹ ʯʩʠ . ʲʷʩʣʰʲʰʹٷ ʸʲʨʸʲʥʥ ʯʥʠ , ʲʷʩʣʰʲʮʩʥʸʨ , ʲʷʩʣʰʲʬʮʩʸʣ ʨʩʩʷʬʸʲ˝ ʲʢʰˋʬ ˋ ʩʥʥ ʯʲʬʮʸʥʮ . ʬ ʬ ʯʩʢʩʰʲʷ ˋ ʯٷʦ ʨʬˌʥʥ ʪʩʠ ʯʲʥʥ , ʹʦˋ˦ ʯٷʮ ʥʣ ʯʥʠ . 2 ʸʲʰʩʩʨʹ ʯʲʰٷʦ ʸʲʨʸʲʥʥ ʲʰٷʣ . ʯʹʨٷʡ ʯʲʰٷʦ ʸʲʨʸʲʥʥ ʲʰٷʣ . ʨʮˌʸʨʹ ʨʥʬʡ . 2 3 if I were a queen, and you my page. 2 Your words are stones. Your words are whips. Blood streams. I will close my eyes. Soon I will be in a quiet land. I will walk along broad gleaming roads. People will stand on their doorsteps, bowing silently before me. Great white birds will fly low, stroking my shoulders. Angels will approach, formal and radiant, And lead me, pure and joyful, Joyful and bloodied. 3 I have only one dress. A cheap woollen dress. So I adorn myself for my beloved in the black velvet of sorrow. And in shimmering, dreamy, mesmerizing words, whispering like a long string of pearls. 223 224 ʣʩʩʬʷ ʯʩʩʠ ʦʩʥʬʡ ʡˌʤ ʪʩʠ ʸʲʡˌ — ʸʲʩʥʸʨ ʭʲʰʲʨʲʮˋʱ ʯʶʸˋʥʥʹ ʯʫʩʩʥʥ ʯʥ˦ . 225 But I only have one dress— of soft black velvety sorrow. ...