From the French of François Villon
[Version 1]
Tell me where, in what place,
Is Flora, pleasing Roman,
Alcibiades or Thaïs,
Who was her kissing cousin;
Echo, who set noise to buzzin’
Over river and waterway
With a beauty more than human?
Where are the snows of yesterday!
Where is the learned Héloïse,
For whom Abelard let go of
The mundane world for Saint-Denis?
He became a eunuch for love.
Where’s she who ordered Buridan
— Queen Marguerite of Burgundy —
To be sewn in a sack in the Seine?
Where are the snows of yesterday!
Queen Blanche, white as fleur-de-lis
Who sang just like a siren;
Bertrada, Beatrice, Aélis,
And Erembourge who ruled the Maine
And Joan of Arc, Maid of Lorraine,
Martyred in Rouen at the stake;
Oh sovereign virgin, where are they?
Where are the snows of yesterday!
Prince, for a week, can you restrain
Yourself from asking, “where are they?”
Lest I repeat this sad refrain:
Where are the snows of yesterday!
-----------------------------------------------------
[Version 2]
Tell me where, in what place,
Are the temple prostitutes,
Envoys for the human race,
Who only remain in statues;
Who turned our clamor to music,
Made conscious the waterways,
Brought beauty more than human?
Where are the snows of yesterday!
Where are the scholastic nuns
So learnéd they said nothing,
For whom men became monks,
Turned to eunuchs out of love;
Where are their justly punished
By the righteousness in eyes
That defines the holy way?
Where are the snows of yesterday!
Where are the crowns behind the throne
Whose song and voice was known,
If not directly heard, except as love’s
Compassion when all hope is gone;
And mothers, who we first thought of,
Oh sovereign virgin, where now are they,
Who showed us how to die for love?
Where are the snows of yesterday!
Sir, it is too late a time
To ask the question, “where are they?”
Except as I repeat this rhyme:
Where are the snows of yesterday!
----------------------------------------------------
Ballade des dames du temps jadis
Dictes moy où, n'en quel pays,
Est Flora, la belle Romaine ;
Archipiada, ne Thaïs,
Qui fut sa cousine germaine;
Echo, parlant quand bruyt on maine
Dessus rivière ou sus estan,
Qui beauté eut trop plus qu'humaine?
Mais où sont les neiges d'antan!
Où est la très sage Heloïs,
Pour qui fut chastré et puis moyne
Pierre Esbaillart à Sainct-Denys?
Pour son amour eut cest essoyne.
Semblablement, où est la royne
Qui commanda que Buridan
Fust jetté en ung sac en Seine?
Mais où sont les neiges d'antan!
La royne Blanche comme ung lys,
Qui chantoit à voix de sereine;
Berthe au grand pied, Bietris, Allys;
Harembourges qui tint le Mayne,
Et Jehanne, la bonne Lorraine,
Qu'Anglois bruslerent à Rouen;
Où sont-ilz, Vierge souveraine ?
Mais où sont les neiges d'antan!
Où elles sont, ne de cest an,
Qu'à ce refrain ne vous remaine:
Mais où sont les neiges d'antan!
