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TOWARDSAEUROPEANHISTORYOF
HENRYV
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worldliness.Thisisparticularlythecasein“Plaidoyerpourunedoublecouronnelin-
guistique.”
Thepoemdealswithameetingbetweenthespeaker(whorathercloselyresembles
Darrashimself),andtwoAmericantouristswhovisitthebattlefieldofAzincourt.At
theirmeeting,thespeakerfirstofallwondersifheshouldaddressthetouristsinthe
firstplace.HeistemptedbyfeelingsofrevengetowardsthesespeakersoftheEnglish
language,butheregainscontrolofhimselfandaddressestheAmericansintheirown
language,thelanguageofHenrytheFifth:
Changeantimmédiatementd’idiome,jememeusenanglais
Devantuncoupled’Américains(upstateNew-York)perdus
D’esseulementsurlechampd’Azincourt.Ruralemaréaction
Eûtétél’humiliation,littéralementlesfairerentrersousterre
D’ignorancepourleprixdudésastreinfligéànotrechevalerie.
Jecède.Leurdonnesalutdansleurlangue.
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AtonceIchangemylanguage,andswitchtoEnglish,
InfrontofanAmericancouple(upstateNewYork),lost,
LefttothemselvesonthebattlefieldofAzincourt.
Beingfromtheregionmyself,myfirst
Responsewastohumiliatethem,literallymakethemsinkintotheground.
Theydonotevenknowwhatthatcalamitymeantforourchivalry!
Iamwonover.Igreetthemintheirownlanguage.
Ironically,theAmericansnextdeclarehimastheirsaviourinneed.
Thespeaker,inaworldwherenoFrenchisspoken,curiouslyseeshimselfasthe
prisoneroftheseEnglishspeakers,likeonedayJoanofArc.But,headmits,hisprison
alsohasitsattractiveside:theAmericanspraisehiscommandofthelanguagewhich,
inturn,offershimanewopportunitytoamazethem:
Douceprisonlinguistique,chuintante
Commelasoyeusetendressedesseiglesinclinésdevantnous
Surlaplaine.YouspeaksuchbeautifulEnglish!Edimbourg,
Maissi!CelafaittoujourssourirelesAnglaisqued’apprendre
Quevotreaccentoxfordienvientdel’Ecosselaplusprofonde!(54)
Itispleasanttobeimprisonedinthislanguagewithitsfricatives
Likethesoundofthesilkentenderryeonthisplain
Incliningitselftowardsus.YouspeaksuchbeautifulEnglish!Edinburgh,
Nokidding!TheEnglishsmileeachtimethey
Hearone’sOxfordaccentcomesfromtheheartofScotland!
Gradually,atransatlanticrelationdevelops,andwhenthespeaker,inthecourseof
theirtourofthebattlefieldrecountshowin1415nolessthan8,000Frenchknights
weremowndownherelikecorn,theEnglishbegintoemergeasthemutualenemyof
boththeFrenchmanandtheAmericancouple.
Byplayingtheroleoftranslator,interpreterandtraitor,thespeakerinDarras’verse
hopesthathemayrepresentatrinitycapableoftriggeringaninterculturalprocessthat
23J.Darras,WilliamShakespearesurlafalaisedeDouvres.Poèmes,Brussels:LeCri&JacquesDar-
ras,1995,54(translationsfromtheFrencharemyown).