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Montreal

Fri, 09/24/2004 - 12:33am — puregin

I spent most of August in Montréal. August is usually a swelter, but this year it was cool, cloudy and rainy. I visited with friends and family, ate lots of wonderful meals, spent some time in the MAC, attended ballet classes at Ballet Divertimento, and wandered around various neighbourhoods, some old, some new, some rich, some poor. There's a lot to you, you big old sprawl. A lot of horizontal disquiet.

I was sharing my experiences of Montréal with my friend J - she spoke of the city as a Tango, in its intimacy and warmth, complexity and conflict. I immediately thought of this photo, taken just outside the Mont Royal Metro station. 


Tango de Montréal

Gérald Godin

Sarzènes, 1983

Sept heures du matin métro de Montréal
c'est plein d'immigrants
ça se lève de bonne heure
ce monde-là

le vieux cœur de la ville
battrait-il donc encore
grâce à eux

ce vieux cœur usé de la ville
avec ses spasmes
ses embolies
ses souffles au cœur
et tous ses défauts

et toutes les raisons du monde qu'il aurait
de s'arrêter
de rénoncer

Montréal - Tango

(translation by Djun M.Kim)



Montreal metro seven AM,
packed full of immigrants -
early risers,
this bunch.

the city's old heart beats, 
still beats
because of them

this old used-up heart of the city
with its spasms
its hiccups,
its sighs - 
with all its faults,

and every reason in the world
to stop,
to just give up.

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Tango de Montreal by Luis (not verified)

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