ANTINOUS THE GAY GOD

HERVÉ CRISTIANI SINGS

A LOVE BALLAD ABOUT ANTINOUS

THIS gentle love ballad is sung by French chanteur Hervé Cristiani from an album entitled "Antinoüs" inspired by Marguerite Yourcenar's historical novel "Mémoires d'Hadrien" (Hadrian's Memoirs).

Flamen Antonyus Subia says there's something lovely about this song...he especially loves that Hervé pronounces "Antinous" the same way that Antonyus does...the way that it should be pronounced, the way that Hadrian whispered his name. 

There aren't too many songs about Antinous in the world, this is probably the first....

Cliquetis de timbales d'or, laissez passer Cesar
Cliquetis de timbales d'or, laissez passer Cesar

Que les pages fardés pleurent leurs larmes de miel, les dieux sont fatigués d'habiter le ciel
Que le festin commence, que les nubiennes dansent, que les vins de Chaldée apportent l'oubli

Antinoüs, Antinoüs, ton esclave endormi, Antinoüs, Antinoüs, tu peux pas l'oublier

Cliquetis de timbales d'or, laissez passer Cesar
Cliquetis de timbales d'or, laissez passer Cesar

Par le cuir et le fer et les aigles d'Europe, tu as conquis la terre et soumis les hommes
Tous ces princes barbares qui se trainent à tes pieds n'ont même pas le pouvoir de te faire oublier

Antinoüs, Antinoüs, ton esclave endormi,
Antinoüs, Antinoüs, tu peux pas l'oublier

Dans les statues de marbre et les monnaies de l'empire, dans le souffle des arbres, il y a son sourire
Par la pourpre impériale qui te couvre le corps, par le chant des vestales, il vivra encore

Antinoüs, Antinoüs, ton esclave endormi,
Antinoüs, Antinoüs, tu peux pas l'oublier

Cliquetis de timbales d'or, laissez passer Cesar
Cliquetis de timbales d'or, laissez passer Cesar
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________
 
Subia's translation:

Rattle the golden drums, and let Caesar pass
Rattle the golden drums, and let Caesar pass

Let the painted-face pages cry their tears of honey, the gods have grown weary of dwelling in the heavens
Let the feasting commence, let the Nubian girls dance, let the Chaldean wines bring oblivion.

Antinous, Antinous, your slave is sleeping,
Antinous, Antinous, you can not forget him.

Rattle the golden drums, and let Caesar pass
Rattle the golden drums, and let Caesar pass

By the leather and the iron and the eagles of Europe, you conquered the earth and subjugated all men
All those Barbarian Princes who were brought to your feet, not even they have the power to make you forget.

Antinous, Antinous, your slave is sleeping,
Antinous, Antinous, you can not forget him.

In the statues of marble and on coins of the empire, in the wind through the trees, there you find his smile
By the imperial purple that covers your body, by the chant of the vestals, he lives even still.

Antinous, Antinous, your slave is sleeping,
Antinous, Antinous, you can not forget him.

Rattle the golden drums, and let Caesar pass
Rattle the golden drums, and let Caesar pass