Source: La vie est unique, 1933
Translated by: Chris Monier
Paris
Did you see a peaceful son gathering up at the market
A little foreign girl, a Saracen
Who was selling lemons without license
Without having paid for the piece of asphalt
Where she was crouching, little dark one.
Bad luck!
He leads her off. He has been decent. He warned her twice.
She follows him before the squares and shops
She follows him along the licensed way
Before the licensed eyes and snouts, the licensed muzzles
You don’t really even see this little foreigner-
People are coming out of mass, they reek of Catholic humidity
And go straight to the sweet shops.