Rimbaud poem - first evening

first evening

Her clothes were almost off;
Outside, a curious tree
Beat a branch at the window
To see what it could see.

Perched on my enormous easy chair,
Half nude, she clasped her hands.
Her feet trembled on the floor,
As soft as they could be.

I watched as a ray of pale light,
Trapped in the tree outside,
Danced from her mouth
To her breast, like a fly on a flower.

I kissed her delicate ankles.
She had a soft, brusque laugh
That broke into shining crystals -
A pretty little laugh.

Her feet ducked under her chemise;
"Will you please stop it!..."
But I laughed at her cries -
I knew she really liked it.

Her eyes trembled beneath my lips,
They closed at my touch.
Her head went back; she cried:
"Oh really! That's too much!

"My dear, I'm warning you..."
I stopped her protest with a kiss
And she laughed, low -
A laugh that wanted more than this...

Her clothes were almost off;
Outside a curious tree
Beat a branch at the window
to see what it could see.



This is from an album called Sahara Blue, an album inspired by the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud, produced and arranged by Hector Zazou. This particular 'song' is spoken word, with music, and some breathing.

From a site: Structurally, SAHARA BLUE is all over the proverbial map. Spoken word dialogues reverberate over gentle ambient atmospherics and glacial guitar ("First Evening"), crunchy tech-hop ("I'll Strangle You"), tribal pop-funk ("Youth"), and gentle, world-pop lullabies ("Black Stream"). It's a deliciously eclectic stew, magnificently composed and played, with Zazou as the ringmaster expertly corralling his troops for optimum sonic pleasure.