The Queen of Sheba

Ephraïm Mikhaël

1887

On the Lord’s hills, white with lustrous light,
Far from rich palaces reeking of wine,
Drunk on the night and sidereal sadness,
The King dreams in self-imposed exile.
Below, mid the wheat, the vines, and palms,
The town sleeps its brutal slumber;
As conquering vessels, calm as swans,
Glide o’er Ocean’s natal waters,
Damsels captive in their holds;
Sweet shepherds wander flowery leas
On a night rent by shooting stars,
While lovers watch among the trees.
The King, fleeing damsels’ gardens
And rich lands where summer reigns,
Looks far off toward aching planets
Shedding tonight their tears of pain.
Long ago, on my knees in these grasses,
I lifted my eyes to frigid skies;
I committed the sin of proud prayer,
And now am known as Solomon the Wise.
Funereal harvests fill my barns;
Accursèd woodlands’ fruit I’ve eaten,
And battled with archangels
At the gates of darkest Edens.
From the land of aromatic spices
I hear her coming, calling my name,
She who will bathe my celestial scars;
For the joy to come, I am ashamed.
The Queen of the South is walking in light,
Bringing me joy in impure words;
I will pass this first serene night
As lover and king, one with the herd.
Strike the foreigner, oh Lord! may she die
Before entering this staid kingdom;
May she never on the doorsill of my house
Speak night words to undo me.
Now, pushed by warm winds, the eastern sea
Rolls drowned stars into exile;
And, while the imperious dawn spreads
Its childish pride o’er ravaged skies,
The Queen approaches the holy mountain
With charms to chase my royal dream,
As heralds in silver and hyacinth
Send nuptial calls through the realm.

Translated by
Michele McKay
Aynesworth
.

Credits

Ephraïm Mikhaël, “La Reine de Saba” [The Queen of Sheba] Oeuvres complètes, ed. Denise R. Galperin and Monique Jutrin (Lausanne: Editions l’Age d’Homme, 1995), pp. 91–92, 94.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 7.

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Creator Bio

Ephraïm Mikhaël

1866–1890

Born Georges Michel in Toulouse to an affluent Provençal Jewish family, Ephraïm Mikhaël moved to Paris as a teenager along with his cousin, Bernard Lazare. He attended the Sorbonne and the École des Chartes in Paris, specializing in classics and medieval studies. Upon earning his degree, Mikhaël accepted a position as an archivist at the Bibliothèque nationale, which he held until his death. Having Hebraized his name around the time he entered the Sorbonne, Mikhaël contributed significant poems on Jewish themes to the French symbolist movement and was the author of dramas, poetic prose works, and theoretical essays. Although his career was short, his writings were well regarded by prominent contemporaries, including Stéphane Mallarmé and Victor Hugo.

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