SMALL STATUE MADE OF DRESDEN CHINA (LALECZKA Z SASKIEJ PORCELANY)

[Andrew Alexandre Owie]

By Jacek Cygan 
SMALL STATUE MADE OF DRESDEN CHINA 
Since I was just a tot I`ve known 
She`s on the toilet by the mirror, 
On tip of toe, white ballet slippers, 
Her leg raised as if wind once puffed it. 
She was much bored among the trinkets, 
Dust settled on the gilded porcelain**, 
And only Persian carpet idly
Chased after her, paid court in Farsi. *

CHORUS
Small statue made of Dresden china
With her pale face as white as parchment 
Had no mother, no father, 
So never grieved for them, for either ... 

One day they made stand on the highboy 
Prince Charming statue, so sudden. 
He had his hat in his still palm and 
His pretty smile upon his porcelain. 
Small heart of hers beat for the first time, 
And it was no joke, quite something, 
She dreamt that she danced for him only 
And he by stealth applauded `Encore!` 

CHORUS
Her sister was a proud bowl. 
Her brother was an ancient candlestick. 
Small statue made of Dresden china, 
A lovely music box of pleasure. 

Alas, sometimes a piece of fortune 
Is fragile as the world of porcelain. 
Wind slammed the window out of malice 
The prince broke into pieces, `Amen!`
She stands again beside the mirror 
That`s on the toilet, left alone, and 
A thread of one small drop of tears 
Runs down along her slender porcelain. 

Small statue made of Dresden china
With her pale face as white as parchment 
Her sweetheart left the world forever 
She grieved for him as for no one yet. 

CHORUS
Her sister was a proud bowl. 
Her brother was an ancient candlestick. 
Small statue made of Dresden china, 
A lovely music box of sadness. 

 

 

 

POLISHING UP:

* the Polish word of 'dywan', i. e., carpet was mistakingly understood by me as 'divan, sofa' , which in their turns were transformed into 'Persian bed below' in my translation. After I'd revealed that mistake, that 'false friend of a translator', I made necessary changes in my translation, so as it would become closer to the original Polish text. 

**  [ˈpɔːs(ə)lɪn] By the way, the word of 'porcelain' in every its position in the poem might be 'painlessly' replaced with the word of 'china' as an alternative variant. It could help avoid of the contraction of vowels in the word of 'porcelain' [ˈpɔːslɪn]. 

 

Edytowane 26 Lipca 2020 przez Andrew Alexandre Owie (wyświetl historię edycji)