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The wishes
If some young fairy with a sapphire wing,
Under a dark and fresh arcade,
White as a reflection of the pearl of Ophir,
Surged in my eyes, at the sweet sound of the zephyr,
From the foam of the waterfall, telling
Me: "What do you want? Large chests full of gold, immense
palaces, stones?
Speak; my art is great. Do you need more coral?
I will give it to you; I can make a treasure
Of a vile heap of wilted herbs! "I'll tell him: "I want a laughing and pure
sky Reflected by a clear lake,
I want a beautiful sun that shines in the azure,
Without that ever fog, steam, dark
cloud Veils its splendid orb;
" And to jump under me I want a white horse, Light
Child of Arabia,
With long mane, With sparkling eye,
And, like the hippogriff, in one hour flying
From Norwège to Nubia;
"I want a red kiosk, with golden minarets,
with thin columns of alabaster,
with whimsical egg arches decorated,
with mosaic walls, with coloured
stained glass windows Where a bluish day slips in;
" And when it is hot, I want a wood moving
from sycamores and yeuses,
Which follows me everywhere with the breath of a gentle wind,
Like a great fan constantly lifting
its masses of silky leaves.
"I want a tartan with its sailors,
its ropes, its white sails
and its copper corset where the waves break,
which rocks me along green islets
with the soft lights of the stars.
"I want, evening and morning, to wake up, to fall
asleep to the sound of Italian voices,
and throughout the day to hear in the distance
the plaintive murmur of the waters of Bendemir,
or the wind harps;
" And I want, topless, an Almée waving
Her cashmere scarf
Above her bright ruby forehead,
Spahis, a harem, like a rich sultan
Or Baghdad or Palmyra.
"I want a Turkish sword, an Indian
dagger whose sapphire handle shines;
But above all I would like a heart made for mine,
Who felt it, loved it, and understood it well,
A naive young girl's heart! "
Théophile Gautier.
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