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Ela – Aurélia Lassaque – Occitan

dona-me un nom, Ulisses

dona-me un nom que te pòsca esperar

serai aquí, i aurà lo miralh 

e parlarem de tu, iue l’autra al dedins del miralh

la rejonharai aquí, sempre de galís, al ras d’una cadièra, 

    al biais dels aucèls

amb la dolor dins ma cuèissa per me pas perdre d’aquel 

    costat del miralh

lo matin portarai mos pendents d’aurelhas 

los servarai emai benlèu al lièch se me deviás susprene al

      mitan de la nuèch

mas s’ai pas de nom cossi saupre quala d’entre ela 

     o ieu velha?

She – Aurélia Lassaque – Translated by Madeleine Campbell

Give me a name, Ulysses

give me a name so that i can wait for you

i’ll be here, the mirror, there

and we’ll speak of you, i and the other in the mirror

i’ll join her there, a little slant, on the edge of a chair,

      the way birds do

the ache in my thigh keeps me from losing myself to that side 

     of the mirror

in the morning i’ll wear my earrings

i may even wear them to bed should you surprise me

     in the night

but if i have no name how will i know which of us, 

      her or me, is waiting?