« Parler une autre langue revient à adopter un autre mode de pensée. »
Karl Albrecht
Beerelli Seshi, M.D.
The Road Not Taken
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
« Deux routes divergeaient dans un bois jaune.
And sorry I could not travel both
Triste de ne pouvoir2 emprunter les deux,
And be one traveler, long I stood
et d’être seul traveler(3), je réfléchis un instant.
And looked down one as far as I could
And(3) j’en suivis l’une du regard4, aussi loin que je pus
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Jusqu’à ce virage dans les sous-bois ;
¶
Then took the other, as just as fair,
Puis je pris l’autre, tout aussi belle.
And having perhaps the better claim
And(3) Elle offrait un avantage de taille5,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
car son herbe me semblait6 agréable à fouler ;6
Though as for that the passing there
mais en la parcourant7 je constatais7
Had worn them really about the same,
qu’elles étaient en fait8 bien similaires.8
¶
And both that morning equally lay
Car en cette matinée, elles étaient toutes deux recouvertes,9
In leaves no step had trodden black.
de feuilles qu’aucun pas n’avait foulées.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Eh bien, je découvrirai la première une autre fois !
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
Mais sachant qu’une route10 mène à une autre,10
I doubted if I should ever come back.
Je me demandais si je devais ever(3) revenir en arrière.
¶
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Je répéterai11 ceci with(3) en soupirant
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
pendant une éternité :12
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
Deux routes divergeaient dans un bois, et moi
I took the one less traveled by,
j’ai suivi la moins fréquentée
And that has made all the difference.”
Et c’est ça qui a fait toute la différence. »
¶
*****
Here is a weblink to a recitation of the poem in English.
Voici un lien vers une récitation du poème en anglais.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUaQgRiJukA
I extend an open invitation to the readers to submit recordings of their recitations of its translations.
J’invite (an open)3 ouvertement les lecteurs à me soumettre l’enregistrement de la récitation de ces traductions.
If selected, their audio/video clips will be hosted on this website.
Les meilleurs clips audio/vidéo seront sélectionnés et publiés sur ce site.
My invitation to recite the translations is solely for the recitations to be hosted on this website and for advancement of this project―a non-profit venture.
Mon invitation à réciter les traductions concerne uniquement les poèmes qui seront hébergés sur ce site Web. Vous faites cela pour contribuer à l’avancement de ce projet à but non lucratif.
Your contribution will be credited, but you will receive no monetary benefit from it.
Votre contribution sera « créditée », mais vous n’en tirerez aucun avantage monétaire.
French
2 “I could not” translated as “de ne pouvoir” which means “I couldn’t”
3 “traveler”, “And”, “ever”, “with” and “extend an”- Translation of these words in French in this context is not necessary because of the language structure, which is different from English.
Below are some of the words with explanation.
4 “looked down one” translated as “J’en suivis l’une du regard” which means “I kept watching one”
5 “having perhaps the better claim” translated as “Elle offrait un avantage de taille” which means “It offered a considerable advantage”
6 “was grassy” translated as “herbe me semblait” which means “As it grass seemed” and “and wanted wear” translated as “agréable à fouler” which means “enjoyable to set foot on”
7 “as for that” translated as “en la parcourant” which means “But walking on it” and “the passing there” translated as “je constatais” which means “I noticed”
8 “Had worn them really” translated as “qu’elles étaient en fait” which means “That actually both of them looked” and “about the same” translated as “bien similaires” which means “quite the same”
9 “equally lay” translated as “elles étaient toutes deux recouvertes” which means “they were both covered”
10 “how way” translated as “qu’une route” which means “one road” and “on to way” translated as “à une autre” which means “to another”
11 “shall be telling” translated as “répéterai” which means “will repeat”
12 “Somewhere ages and ages hence” translated as “pendant une éternité” which means “during an eternity”
