Principe ôtés en principauté
Il y eut un roi en plein désarroi
Une reine dans l’arène
Quelques princes et princesses
Quelques émois et puis moi
Un baron qui compte
Une marquise qui finira sur la banquise
Tant le banquet ne plut au banquier
Me dit le comte habilité
Devant tant de comptabilité…
MOMENTOM EDITIONS
This poem by Alain plays on a playful harmony between the sound of words and their meaning. The richness of its phonetics, particularly through the use of homophones and wordplay, lends a light tone to the text while allowing for multiple levels of interpretation.
The title, “Principe ôtés en principauté”, immediately introduces a paradox. The use of noble language, associated with royalty and aristocracy, contrasts with the idea of disorder or a loss of principles, signaling an underlying tension within the text. This tension continues throughout the verses, where royal figures—symbols of order and grandeur—appear fragile, even absurd. The king is in “complete disarray,” while the queen finds herself “in the arena,” suggesting a role reversal or a sense of peril.
The transition to princes and princesses, then to “a few emotions and then me,” introduces an introspective dimension. The narrator subtly positions themselves amidst this aristocratic chaos, highlighting a closeness between the individual and elites often perceived as distant.
Secondary figures, such as the baron who “counts” and the marquise “on the ice floe,” emphasize the satirical tone. These characters seem trapped in a rigid world where even pleasures like the “banquet” fail to satisfy the “banker.”
Finally, the intervention of the “qualified count” in the face of “so much accounting” blends humor with critique. Administrative and financial burdens overshadow splendor, reducing the nobility to trivial concerns.
Under its lighthearted tone, Alain’s poem offers a reflection on the inversion of values and the gap between perceived grandeur and mundane realities, all delivered with mastery of sound and poetic elegance