Dans ton lit de cristal [English translation]

You are reading "the Flowers of Evil"

as you await the male

that will carry your sweet sixteen away

in your satin bed.

Only in the early hours

will he let go of your hand.

He, your first lover,

will abandon you

in your dull, cold bed

to seek other preys,

other flowers to rape.

You won't forget him.

There will always remain

a place in your heart

where his eyes are engraved.

You are reading "the Flowers of Evil"

and you could not care less

about my love for you.

In your satin bed,

you dream of this kid

who said this morning:

"I wrote a poem for you".

In your velvet bed,

you say loving words to yourself

waiting for the day to come.

Tomorrow you'll meet him.

Him you will listen to,

and him you will believe.

You will take his arm,

maybe even in front of me,

my pretty flower of Evil,

my horizontal dream1.

You're falling asleep now,

and I gently cover you up

and switch the light off.

You're so far away already,

in your child dreams,

in your satin bed.

You're setting off for tomorrow,

without even a wave of the hand.

You just smile,

like a nice warm weather.2

I lock the door.

Sleep tight, and above all,

above all, dream about him.

1. "horizontal" as in "lying in bed". Not sure the English carries the same lustful allusion2. this can also be read as part of the next sentence: "the weather is so nice, so I lock the door", or a standalone "the wheater is so nice!"

• Artist:Juliette Gréco