Paul Verlaine - Men & Women

Woman 8/19

            To Madame ...

Fr  Nl  En-1  En-2  De  It  Es 

When you engulf my head or thighs 
in your thighs, or numb 
my throat with the rare delights 
of your fresh, astringent come,

or bite my not too big cock, 
a bruiser from balls to tip, 
with your cunt which tightly locks 
my master key in its grip,

you wriggle your ass in a way 
no married dame could imitate 
amid our cunt and cock tongue-play 
(hell, your wiggle sets me straight!)

Your copulatory tongue 
explores my mouth so slowly 
and with such volcanic hunger 
Shit! it blisters my soul.

And your cunt grabs my cock 
like a bear would suck a titty, 
a well-licked bear whose fleecy mop 
is a rug where mine sits pretty.

A well-licked bear, greedy, drunk, 
this my roving tongue will swear, 
since your beady clit's upsprung, 
worried more than it could bear.

Well-licked, sure, but rough and surly 
those shapely, teasing pussy-lips 
smiling red mid black so curly 
like a harlequin's cherry lips.

Paul Verlaine, Men & Women, translated by Alan Stone, Comet, 1985, first publication 1980