IISH

Copy of a poetry written by Louise Michel to the Commission of Mercy
Copy of a poem written by Louise Michel to the Commission of Pardons
November 28, 1872

Louise Michel inventory, no. 1122

Copy by Lucien Descaves, who collected documents in order to write a biography of Louise Michel.

Transcription
Translation

Transcription


A la Commission des Grâces

Centrale d'Auberive, 28 novembre 1872, 7 heures du matin

Assassins, Entendez-vous l'heure qui sonne ?
Eh bien, je me félicite de ce qui s'est passé.
Nous avons souffert mais la cause est sauvée.
Tant de crimes cyniquement entassés, froidement accomplis ; tant
de lâchetés et d'incapacités vous démasquent largement.
Bravo, Messieurs ! l'orgie blanche est complète !
Otez maintenant vos noms de là ! impossible… !
Vous serez à jamais pour l'histoire de la commission du coup de grâce, les valets du bourreau !
Souvenez-vous bien Messieurs, on aura horreur et on rira, car vous êtes horribles et vous êtes grotesques.

Louise Michel

Translation

To the Commission of Pardons

Auberive prison, November 28, 1872, 7 a.m

Murderers, can you hear time's bell?
In any event, I'm content with this.
We suffered but we saved our cause.
So many cynically accumulated crimes, coldly done, so much
cowardice and inability widely expose you.
Bravo, Gentlemen! The white orgy is complete!
Can you take your good name away from here, no!
In history you will always be the commission for the "coup de grâce," executioner's valet!
Gentlemen, you must remember that we will be afraid, and we will laugh at you because you are such horrible, grotesque people.

Louise Michel

This transcription respects original orthography of the text. However, punctuation and accents could have been added.

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