France in WW2

(a personal attempt at translation - may not be perfect for English-speaking poets)

Si tu veux, faisons un rêve

Si tu veux, faisons un rêve :

Montons sur deux palefrois ;

Tu m'emmènes, je t'enlève.

L'oiseau chante dans les bois.

if you want to, let us do a dream:

let's get on the back of two palfreys;

you bring me, I abduct you.

the bird is singing in the woods.

Je suis ton maître et ta proie ;

Partons, c'est la fin du jour ;

Mon cheval sera la joie,

Ton cheval sera l'amour.

I am your master and your prey;

let's go, that's the end of the day;

my horse will be Joy,

your horse will be Love.

Nous ferons toucher leurs têtes ;

Les voyages sont aisés ;

Nous donnerons à ces bêtes

Une avoine de baisers.

we will make them touch their heads;

the journeys will be easy;

we'll give to these animals

an oat meal of kisses.

Viens ! nos doux chevaux mensonges

Frappent du pied tous les deux,

Le mien au fond de mes songes,

Et le tien au fond des cieux.

Come! our sweet horses lies (--- deceiving)

are both stamping the ground

mine at the deep of my dreams

yours at the heart of heavens.

Un bagage est nécessaire ;

Nous emporterons nos vœux,

Nos bonheurs, notre misère,

Et la fleur de tes cheveux.

a luggage is necessary;

we'll bring our wishes,

our happiness, our misery,

and the flower of you hair.

Viens, le soir brunit les chênes ;

Le moineau rit ; ce moqueur

Entend le doux bruit des chaînes

Que tu m'as mises au cœur.

Come, the evening is darkening the oaks;

the sparrow laughs; making fun

he hears the sweet noise of the chains

you put onto my heart.

Ce ne sera point ma faute

Si les forêts et les monts,

En nous voyant côte à côte,

Ne murmurent pas : « Aimons ! »

that will not be my fault

if the woods and the mounts,

seeing us side by side,

do not whisper "let us love!"

Viens, sois tendre, je suis ivre.

Ô les verts taillis mouillés !

Ton souffle te fera suivre

Des papillons réveillés.

come on, be tender, I am drunk.

Oh the green damp copses!

your breath will make you follow

lively butterflies.

L'envieux oiseau nocturne,

Triste, ouvrira son Å“il rond ;

Les nymphes, penchant leur urne,

Dans les grottes souriront ;

the jealous nightbird,

sad, will open his round eye;

Nymphs, leaning their urn,

will smile in their caverns;

Et diront : « Sommes-nous folles ! »

C'est Léandre avec Héro ;

En écoutant leurs paroles

Nous laissons tomber notre eau.

and will say "aren't we mad!"

This is Leandre with Hero (!! -didn't check the English name of these mythologic characters)

while listening to their words

we let our water fall.

Allons-nous-en par l'Autriche !

Nous aurons l'aube à nos fronts ;

Je serai grand, et toi riche,

Puisque nous nous aimerons.

let's go away via Austria!

we'll have sunset at our foreheads;

I'll be tall, and you rich,

since we will be loving each other.

Allons-nous-en par la terre,

Sur nos deux chevaux charmants,

Dans l'azur, dans le mystère,

Dans les éblouissements !

Let us wander on Earth,

on the back of our charming horses,

in the blue skies, in mystery,

in the dazzling lights!

Nous entrerons à l'auberge,

Et nous paierons l'hôtelier

De ton sourire de vierge,

De mon bonjour d'écolier.

we will enter the inn

and pay the tenant

with your virgin's smile

with my pupil's greeting.

Tu seras dame, et moi comte ;

Viens, mon cœur s'épanouit ;

Viens, nous conterons ce conte

Aux étoiles de la nuit.

you'll be a Lady, and me a Count;

Come, my heart is lighting up;

Come, we'll tell that tale

to the stars of the night.

No, of couse not...

Pierre didn't know where it came from, he only knew that it came and it

helped in oh-so-many ways. The money always arrived with a small,

short note that simply said, "Keep up the great cause, we will prevail",

and was simply signed, "Manny".

Pierre didn't know who Manny was - nobody did! Not then anyway; we do now.

But this was during World War II when the Black Horror was sweeping Europe . That's what Manny called it, The Black Horror, & of course he was referring to the Nazi plague that was taking over most of the continent. Pierre was a leader of the French Resistance, commonly called the underground. He fought with groups of French citizens in the best way he could, by living within main society and leading bands of armed resistance against the Germans in clandestine activities. They would ambush German patrols, blow up German installations and sabotage Nazi operations in any way they could.

The Allies were good at providing arms and weapons, but the underground also needed money. That was a commodity that was very hard to come by during the war, especially when your country is completely occupied by an invading military force.

And that's where Manny came in. He sent money, and he sent a lot of it. Manny was Emmanuel Goldenberg, born a Romanian Jew, who was now living in America . Manny had done very well in his life and he knew only too well what kinds of horrors were going on in his native Romania & the rest of Europe . Jews and others were being gassed and murdered by the millions and he had to do something. One thing he could do was use his good fortune to help the war effort. He had tried to join the Armed Forces, but he didn't qualify, so he did what he could.

He sent money to where it was needed the most - to the resistance. As I said, Pierre was one of the leaders of the resistance. There were many, but Pierre controlled the action around the area of Normandy . He and his people were very instrumental in assisting the Allied invasion on D-Day by sabotage- redirecting many Nazi forces moments before the actual invasion.

Much of this was possible because of the money that arrived every month. Month after month for two years money arrived for Pierre and his cause from Manny. It never failed! It literally saved the day. No, Pierre never knew who Manny was, only that he sent money for food, clothes, gasoline and many other important things. But years later, we know who Manny was, that silent guardian angel of the French underground. So do you!

He was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood , and a fine gentleman. It's a Little Known Fact that a very important part of the success of the French underground came from a source they never knew: Emmanuel Goldenberg, or as you knew him, the very fine actor Edward G. Robinson.