La laide [English translation]

Her eyes reflect this habit of her

of being inconspicuous

and the grey of loneliness

is part of her furniture.

Her hair brush1 the sadness

of her face that fades

with each new spring bustling

around her unloved2 body.

But in her bed at night, she dreams

of a fairytale that tells her

that her mirror lied to her

that she's rather pretty than ugly,

that one day her very own prince will come

and tenderly whisper:

"you are not ugly,

just look at me."

You are not ugly,

just look at you."

In shop windows, mannequins,

beautiful by trade,

sneer at this gloomy blue in which

she dresses from head to toes.

Working days are all she has

to put some colour into the naked truth

of her Sundays dragging

behind her deserted heart.

But in her bed at night, she dreams

of a fairytale that tells her

that her mirror lied to her

that she's rather pretty than ugly,

that one day her very own prince will come

and tenderly whisper:

"you are not ugly,

just look at me."

You are not ugly,

just look at you."

Her everyday confidant

is but a notebook whose bindings

know she spoke of love.

On the last page of a paper:

Single not-so-pretty girl

well versed in isolation3

would share her life and nights

with a companion of distress.

And tonight, lying in her bed,

she saw a fairytale prince4

who took her into his arms and said:

"you're not ugly,

just look at me.

You're not ugly,

just look at me.

You're not ugly,

just look at you."

1. "friser" can mean "curl" or "come very close to"2. lit. "poorly embraced". This alludes to the saying "qui trop embrasse mal étreint" ("he who kisses too much embraces poorly", equivalent to "jack of all trades, master of none")3. lit. "in a quarantine of tenderness". "quarantaine" also means "in her forties". Couldn't find a way to render that elegant pun4. another nice pun on "conte" (tale) and "comte" (count)

• Artist:Charles Dumont