Day of the Dead

“Frères humains qui après nous vivez,

Human bretheren who after us shall live,

“N‘ayez les cœurs contre nous endurcis,

Have your hearts against us not hardened,

“Car, si pitié de nous pauvres avez,

For if mercy on us you have,

“Dieu en aura plus tôt de vous Merci…

God will sooner on you have Mercy…

“De notre mal que personne ne s’en rie 

Of our woes, let no-one laugh

“Mais priez Dieu que tous nous veuille absoudre!…

But pray God that all should us absolve!…

“Prince Jésus qui sur tous a maîtrise,

Prince Jesus who on all has dominion,

“Garde qu’Enfer n’ait de nous seigneurie :

Spare us from Hell’s Lordship:

“Hommes, point de moquerie;

Men, hath no mockery;

“Mais priez Dieu que tous nous veuille absoudre.

But pray God that all should us absolve.

Catarinas, alebrijes, graveyard, on Tlalpan city square for the Day of the Dead. This past November 2nd.

The words are excerpts from La ballade des pendus (The ballad of hanged men) by François Villon, written in 1489, as Villon was awaiting execution in the shadow of the gallows of Montfaucon. He really writes about the men hanging as he thinks he soon will be. I’ve been wanting to do something with this text for a while. Though it is a bit remote or different from the “Catarinas” on the square. It’s all right. I hold that the combination works. What say you? That poem is the oldest text written in still understandable “Aulde French”. Five centuries ago. I only had to make minor adjustments to the French text. The English version was fun to translate… (Oh. Villon was not hanged finally. He saved his sorry a..)

One can also read the text in relation to War, if we can’t manage to stop it:

“Human bretheren who after us shall live,

“Have your hearts against us not hardened.”

And last but not least, my very best wishes to all my American friends… Today the mid-terms finalize:

“Garde qu’Enfer n’ait de nous seigneurie :

Spare us from Hell’s Lordship.