Port-au-Prince on an IV Drip - Words Without Borders
pòtoprens nan sewòm
Poetry by Louis-Philippe Dalembert titak pa titak
lavi pòtoprens prale
titak pa titak
pòtre koralen
vag lanmè makònnen
nan mitan flanm sole
pòtoprens degrennen
tankou move lapli
ki refize tonbe
menm si yo ba l bonbon
fè jaden filalang
pou granmoun ka plenyien
fè goutyè filalang
pou timoun pa benyien
grenn pa grenn
pòtoprens konte mò
pòtre makòn zonbi
sou bitasyon grandon
fè yon bann
yon bann moun pran lari
pa gen bann ni rara
yon bann moun pran danse
oun dennyè kout tanbou
oun rabòday fyèl bèf
pak pitak pitak
se pa youn
se yon dal
yon dal kò
anba dal
fè kè tout latè grenn
de pye bwatchèn nan chenn
chemen dèdal anba dal
dal beton kòlòwòch
dal beton koule rèd
pi rèd pase dlo chèch
nan je vil pòtoprens
figi l kole pyese
bade mak sifilis
pòtre nanm jenn gason
chagren damou fennen
cheri si n te renmen
ala bèl nou ta bèl
nou ta bèl tout koulè
ta fleri kou bèlè
lò sezon posesyon
kou kandelam dèlma
zanmann ak kayimit
nan memwa san kanson
nou ta tire lobe
nan dlo ravin pentad
vlope ak zèl lavyon
fè laviwondede
lavi ti nèg prale
si nou te konn konte
nou ta gen tan byen lwen
cheri mwen pa ta lwen
nou ta gen milyon ven
men lavi jeretyen
paske n pa konn konte
se pa dat n ap woule
se pa dat n ap debat
se pa dat nou dèwò
ap dòmi anba pay
ap dòmi san soupe
pou n jwenn peny lasirèn
men se atò nou lèd
lannuyit lan lou
pas on sak sèl
cheri vin nou damou
pou nou bèl tout koulè
pou m renmen w tankou yè
takou bouzen sou ray
bonda w te mèt fobop
m a fèmen je m reve
epi m a wè w pi bèl
n a gouye san rete
epi wa va leve
epi wa vin pi bèl
pase larèn solèy
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1962, Louis-Philippe Dalembert is among the most important Haitian writers of his generation. He is a poet, novelist, short story writer, and essayist. His works, praised by critics in France and abroad, have also been translated into several languages.
photo: Daniel Mordzinski
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by Nadève Ménard
Nadève Ménard is professor of literature at the École Normale Supérieure of Université d’État d’Haïti. She has contributed to several journals and collective book projects including International Journal of Francophone Studies, Edwidge Danticat: A Reader’s Guide, Haiti Rising: Haitian History, Culture and the Earthquake of 2010, and Dictionnaire littéraire d’écrivains francophones classiques. Her first edited book, Écrits d’Haïti: perspectives sur la littérature haïtienne contemporaine (1986–2006) was published by Karthala in 2011. With Régine Michelle Jean-Charles, Nadève Ménard recently launched Tande, a trilingual blog on Haitian culture and literature. She is also currently working on an earthquake preparedness guide for children with several members of her family.
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