Sacramento Street (Poem in English and French)

(Note: Mona Golabek read this poem on her nationally-syndicated radio program, "The Romantic Hours." The program, recorded in New York City, began with a reading of a poem by Robert Burns and ended with a reading of the English version of "Sacramento Street." Ms. Golabek is also an acclaimed concert pianist; she has performed at venues throughout the world, including The Hollywood Bowl, The Kennedy Center and The Royal Festival Hall.)


Sacramento Street


A flowered curtain
rests
in front of
the street-light.

It's midnight's
witness
to taxi-sounds
and smoldering
cigarettes.
In this quiet
we all
should be loved.
In this quiet
we all
should be friends.

You can count
the foot-steps
between the late-night
pavement
and the beginning
of the ocean,
between the vacant
street-corners
and the roughness
of the kiss
upon the stones,
between the cheap talk
of the alleys,
and the lovers
beneath the sand.


.................................................................


Sacramento Street


Un rideau fleuri
repose
en face de
la rue, la lumière.

Il est minuit's
témoin
de taxi-sons
et qui couve
cigarettes.
Dans ce calme
nous sommes tous
devraient être aimé.
Dans ce calme
nous sommes tous
devrait être amis.

Vous pouvez compter
marcher sur les traces
entre la fin de soirée
chaussée
et le début
de l'océan,
entre le poste vacant
coins de rue
et la rugosité
du baiser
sur les pierres,
entre le cheap talk
des ruelles,
et les amants
sous le sable.


(c) Copyright Paul Heidelberg

(Google's online translation service was used to translate the work.)