Baudelaire Translation: the Duel

Duellem (The Duel) by Charles Baudelaire loose translation by Michael R. Burch Two combatants charged! Their fearsome swords brightened the air with fiery sparks and blood. Their clashing blades clinked odd serenades, reminding us: youth's inspired by overloud love. But now their blades lie broken, like our hearts! Still, our savage teeth and talon-like fingernails can do more damage than the deadliest sword when lovers lash about with such natural flails. In a deep ravine haunted by lynxes and panthers, our heroes roll around in a cozy embrace, leaving their blood to redden the colorless branches. This abyss is pure hell; our friends occupy the place. Come, let us roll likewise here, cruel Amazon, let our hatred’s ardor NEVER be over and done! Invitation to the Voyage by Charles Baudelaire loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch My child, my sister, Consider the rapture Of living together! To love at our leisure Till the end of all pleasure, Then in climes so alike you, to die! The misty sunlight Of these hazy skies Charms my spirit: So mysterious Your treacherous eyes, Shining through tears. There, order and restraint redress Opulence, voluptuousness. Gleaming furniture Burnished by the years Would decorate our bedroom Where the rarest flowers Mingle their fragrances With vague scents of amber. The sumptuous ceilings, The limpid mirrors, The Oriental ornaments … Everything would speak To our secretive souls In their own indigenous language. There, order and restraint redress Opulence, voluptuousness. See, rocking on these channels: The sleepy vessels Whose vagabond dream Is to satisfy Your merest desire. They come from the ends of the world: These radiant suns Illuminating fields, Canals, the entire city, In hyacinth and gold. The world falls asleep In their warming light. There, order and restraint redress Opulence, voluptuousness.