The Submersion of the Town of Ys
Barzaz Breiz

by Hersart of Villemarqué
English trans. Iain MacAnTsaoir

I.

Orignal French:

As-tu entendu, as-tu entendu ce qu'a dit l'homme de Dieu au roi Gradlon qui est à Ys ?
" Ne vous livrez point à l'amour; ne vous livrez point aux folies. Après le plaisir, la douleur !
" Qui mord dans la chair des poissons, sera mordu par les poissons; et qui avale sera avalé.
" Et qui boit et mèle le vin, boira de l'eau comme un poisson; et qui ne sait pas, apprendra. "

English Translation:

Did you hear, did you hear what the man of God said to King Gradlon who is in Ys?
" you do not deliver to the love; you do not deliver to the madnesses. After the pleasure, the pain!
" What bites in the flesh of fish, will be bitten by fish; and what swallows will be swallowed.
" And what drinks and mèle the wine, will drink water like a fish; and what does not know, will learn "

II.

Original French:

Le roi Gradlon parla: - Joyeux convives, je veux aller dormir un peu.
- Vous dormirez demain matin; demeurez avec nous ce soir; néanmoins, qu'il soit fait comme vous le voulez.
Sur cela, l'amoureux coulait doucement, tout doucement ces mots à l'oreille de la fille du roi:
- Douce Dahut, et la clef ?
- La clef sera enlevée; le puits sera ouvert: qu'il soit fait selon vos désirs !

English Translation:

Then King Gradlon spoke: - Merry guests, I want to go to take a nap.
- You will sleep tomorrow morning; remain with us this evening; nevertheless, that it shall be as you want it.
On that, the man who was her lover quietly approached, and softly said these words to the kings daughter:
- Soft Dahut, and the key?
- The key will be removed; the well will be opened: all will be done according to your desires!

III.

Original French:

Or, quiconque eût vu le vieux roi endormi, eût été saisi d'admiration,
D'admiration en le voyant dans son manteau de pourpre,
ses cheveux blancs comme neige flottant sur ses épaules, et sa chaine d'or autour de son cou.
Quiconque eût été aux aguets, eût vu la blanche jeune fille entrer doucement dans la chambre, pieds nus:
Elle s'approcha du roi son père, elle se mit à genoux, et elle enleva chaine et clef.

English translation:

However, all who had seen the peacefully sleeping old king, had been seized by a glamoury,
A glamoury made simply by seeing him in his crimson coat,
his white hair floating down snow onto his shoulders, and his gold chains around his neck.
Whoever had been with the aguets, had seen white girl quietly entering the room barefoot:
She approached the king her father, and went deftly to her knees, and she removed chains and key.

IV.

Original French:

Toujours il dort, il dort le roi. Mais un cri s'élève dans la plaine: - L' eau est lâchée ! la ville est submergée !
- Seigneur roi, lève-toi ! et à cheval ! et loin d'ici ! Ia mer débordée rompt ses digues !
Maudite soit la blanche jeune fille qui ouvrit, après le festin, la porte du puits de la ville d'Ys, cette barrière de la mer !

English translation: The king slept on, without a concern slept the king. But a terrible cry arose in the plain:
- Water is released! The city is submerged!
- Lord King, quicken and rise! to your horse! be fast far away from here! The sea overflows and breaks its dams!
Accursed is the white skinned girl, who after the feast, opened the gate of the well of the town of Ys, the barrier of the sea!

V.

Original French:

- Forestier, forestier, dis-moi, le cheval sauvage de Gradlon, l'as-tu vu passer dans cette vallée ?
- Je n'ai point vu passer par ici le cheval de Gradlon, je l'ai seulement entendu dans la nuit noire:
Trip, trep, trip, trep, trip trep, rapide comme le feu !
- As-tu vu, pêcheur, la fille de la mer, peignant ses cheveux blons comme l'or, au soleil de midi, au bord de l'eau ?
- J'ai vu la blanche fille de la mer, je l'ai même entendue cha,ter: ses chants étaient plaintifs comme les flots.

English translation: - Woodsman, woodsman, tell me true, did you see the wild horse of Gradlon, passing through this valley?
- I did not see the horse of Gradlon passing by here, but I heard it in the pitch black night:
Trip, trep, trip, trep, trip trep , like the rapid crackling of fire!
- while you were fishing, did you see, at the waters edge, the girl of the sea, combing her hair blond like gold in the midday sun?
- I saw the white girl of the sea, I even heard her chants, for the third time: her songs were plaintive like the floods.

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