Ashley MS A4433

'Poems and Ballads Second Series'. 'Translations from the French of Villon'; [1861-1863?], 1876. In a letter to W. T. Watts[-Dunton], dated 8 Feb. 1876, Swinburne says: 'In the last three days I have translated five whole ballads from Villon, and a bit of his text, preserving the order and number of rhymes (only three or four variations in the whole poem), which makes it a considerable feat in metre to find an equal number of corresponding rhymes in English which will fit the original sense as well as (of course) the metres. I think they are at least as well done as my old versions (in which as in DGR's no attempt was made to reproduce the exact metre by adherence to the limited number of rhymes throughout now first observed), though as moral lessons and subjects for "love's young dream" in the first dawn of virgin fancy they may be less impressive and fascinating than the study of Fat Madge.' From this it is clear that 'The Ballad of Villon & Fat Madge' (A4427) dates from the early 1860s, when Swinburne first attempted to translate Villon (see his letter to Stéphane Mallarmé dated 5 Feb. 1876), and this is reinforced by the fact that the paper of A4427 is watermarked 'T&FH / 1861' and that no attempt is made in this translation to use the same rhymes in each stanza, as in the original. 'The Complaint of the Fair Armouress' (5071) is written on identical paper, but the use of limited rhymes cannot be employed as proof of date in this case as the original poem by Villon also uses different rhymes in each stanza. Nevertheless the hand and paper make it reasonably certain that the date of this poem is the same as that of 'Fat Madge'. An earlier draft of 'The Complaint of the Fair Armouress' (A4433, f. 47b), together with a draft of 'The Dispute of the Heart and Body of François Villon' (A4433, f. 47a), is also written on a leaf of the same paper, and moreover the second poem does not adhere to limited rhymes as does the original. These two MSS. must also therefore date from the same period as 'Fat Madge'. In the letter quoted from above Swinburne states that he translated 'yesterday' the 'Ballad of the Fair Helmet-Maker' (La Belle Heaulmière aux Filles de Joie) (A4433, f. 46a). The 'Epistle in form of a Ballad to his Friends' is written on the other side of the same leaf. Both translations adhere to the limited rhymes of the original, as does the 'Ballad of Villon to his mistress' (A4433, ff. 44a, 45a). Both the paper and the hand also indicate that this last dates from the same period as the 'Ballad of the Fair Helmet-Maker'. For a MS. of 'Fragment on Death' See Ashley MS A4373, art. 12. As follows:―

1. 'Epistle in form of a Ballad to his Friends'; [1876]. Draft, heavily revised, written on both sides of a folio leaf of blue wove paper. No watermark. The part on the second side (f. 46a) is inverted, and was written after that side had already been used for article (4). The final text of the draft differs from that printed on pp. 219-221 of the first edition by one line and four individual words. In addition, the word order is different in stanza 3, l. 5, and stanza 4, l. 3. Except in the case of stanza 1 the last line (refrain) is omitted. The metre and limited rhymes of the original are followed in the translation. The draft has been entitled 'Villon. A Ballad to his Friends' by a later hand. ff. 46, 46b.

2. 'The Dispute of the Heart and Body of François Villon'; [1861-1863?]. Early draft, heavily revised, of stanzas 3-5 and part of stanza 2, l. 3, written on one side only of a folio leaf of white laid paper. Watermark figure of Britannia. Apart from stanza 2, l. 3, the final text in the MS. differs by only two words from that printed on pp. 215-218 of the first edition. In each case the last line (refrain) of the stanza is omitted. The translation does not adhere to the limited number of rhymes employed in the original. The verso of the leaf is occupied by article (3). f. 47a.

3. 'The Complaint of the Fair Armouress'; 1861-[1863?]. Cancelled fair copy of stanzas 1 and 2, written on one side only of a folio leaf of white laid paper. Watermark figure of Britannia. The MS. breaks off before the last two words of stanza 2. The text found in this MS. differs by four words from the earliest version found in a later draft (5071). The recto of the leaf is occupied by article (2). f. 47b.

Also included in A4433 are two translations from Villon not used in Poems and Ballads Second Series:―

4. 'Ballad of the Fair Helmet-Maker' (entitled thus in a later hand), a translation of 'La Belle Heaulmière aux Filles de Joie'; [1876]. Draft, written on one side only of a folio leaf of blue wove paper. No watermark. The foot of the same side is occupied by part of article (1), inverted. Except in stanza 1 the last line (refrain) is omitted. The metre and limited rhymes of the original are followed in the translation. The draft was printed by Wise in Poems from Villon, 1916. f. 46a.

5. 'Ballad of Villon to his mistress' (entitled thus by Swinburne in the same ink as used in the rest of the draft); [1876?]. Draft of stanzas 1 and 2, 3, ll. 1-31/2, and envoi, written on one side only of two leaves of blue wove paper, 254 x 203mm. No watermark. Except in stanza 1 the last line (refrain) is omitted. The metre and limited rhymes of the original are followed in the translation. The draft was printed by Wise in Poems from Villon, 1916. ff. 44a, 45a.

includes:

• ff. 44a, 45a Ballads ENGLISH: Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'Ballad of Villon to his mistress', transl. from F. Villon by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1876?]: Autogr. draft.
• ff. 44a, 45a, 46, 46b Poetry ENGLISH: François Villon, poet: Poems of Villon, transl. by A. C. Swinburne of François Villon: [1867?]-[1876?].
• f. 46a Ballads ENGLISH: Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'Ballad of the Fair Helmet-Maker', transl. from F. Villon by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1876]: Autogr. draft.
• ff. 46, 46b Ballads ENGLISH: Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'Epistle in the form of a Ballad to his Friends', transl. from F. Villon by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1876: Autogr. draft.
• f. 47a Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'The Dispute of the Heart and Body of François Villon', transl. from F. Villon by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1861-1863?]: Autogr. draft.
• f. 47b Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'The Complaint of the Fair Armouress', transl. from F. Villon, stanzas 1-2, by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1861-[1863?]: Autogr. fair copy, cancelled.