M’sieu’Jean—un géant! Mr. John—a giant!
Mynheer le Chef Mister Chef
mystère mystery
N
Naturellement je connais,pourquoi pas? Naturally I know,why not?
nègre negro
neige snow
N’en sais rien. Don’t know anything about it.
nettoyage cleaning
Nettoyage de Chambre Cleaning the Room
nettoyer to clean
n’importe never mind
N’importe. Allez avec moi Never mind. Come with me
n’importe quoi anything at all
No,no,Monsieur,s’il vous plaît,pas ma barbe,monsieur No,no,sir,please,not my beard,sir
no travaille,ja-MAIS. Les femmes travaillent no work,ev-ER. The women work
No travailler moi. Femme travaille,fait les noces,tout le temps. Toujours avec officiers anglais. Gagne beaucoup,cent francs,deux cent francs,trois cent francs,toutes les nuits. Anglais riches. Femme me donne tout. Moi no travailler. Bon,eh? No work,me. Girl works,makes a night of it,all the time. Always with English officers. Earns a lot,100 francs,200 francs,300 francs,every night. English rich. Girl gives me everything. Me no work. Good,eh?
Nom de Dieu! God’s name! For God’s sake!
Nom de Dieu tirez! For God’s sake, shoot!
non no
Non. J’aime beaucoup les français. No. I like the French very much.
Non,non. Plus tard,peut-être. Pas maintenant. No,no. Later,perhaps. Not now.
noir black man
noir qui était plus fort que six français black man who was stronger than six Frenchmen
N’oubliez pas,M’sieu’Jean! Et dépêchez-vous! Don’t forget,Mr. John! And hurry up!
nous allons voir we will see
nous étions toujours ensemble,mon ami et moi we were always together,my friend and I
nouveau ( x ) new arrival ( s ), new one ( s )
O
officer anglais English officer
Oh peut-être un jour,deux jours,je ne sais pas. Oh perhaps a day,two days,I don’t know.
où—où? Kis! ( possibly “Kiste!” ) where—where? Chest!
oui yes
Oui,c’est du fromage. Yes,it’s cheese.
Oui,c’est le nouveau. Yes,it’s the new one.
Oui? Je ne le savais pas. Yes? I didn’t know it.
OUI! JE VIENS! YES! I’M COMING!
Oui,j’suis américain,Monsieur. Yes,I am American,Sir.
Oui,Monsieur Yes,Sir
Oui,Monsieur le Surveillant. Yes,Superintendent.
ouvrier workman
P
paillasse mattress stuffed with straw
pain sec dry bread
pantalon trousers
papierosa cigarette ( Russian )
paquebot liner, steam ship
paquet bleu blue pack ( cigarettes )
paquet jaune yellow pack ( cigarettes )
par année a year, yearly
Par ici! This way!
Par-ce-que je n’en a-vais pas le moy-ens. Je ne suis pas un mil-lionnaire,mes-sieurs. Because I didn’t have the means. I am not a millionaire,gentlemen.
Parfaitement Certainly
Parisienne Parisian woman
parle pas français,moi me don’t speak French
parti departed; one who has left
pas not
Pas bon. Not good.
Pas de quart,vous? Have you no cup?
pas difficile not difficult
pas méchant not vicious
patrie native land
patronne proprietress
pauvre poor
pelisse long coat made of or trimmed with fur
permission leave
permission de sept jours seven days’ leave
permissionnaire soldier on leave
petit balayeur little sweeper
petit belge little Belgian
petit femmes sweethearts; prostitutes
peuplier poplar ( tree )
peut-être perhaps
photographie photography
pièce de résistance main feature
pinard strong, cheap, ordinary wine
planton guard; soldier assigned to non-combat duty
Plan-ton! C’est im-possible de dor-mir! Guard! It’s impossible to sleep!
planton voleur thieving guard
poêle stove
poilu ordinary French soldier
poilus divins divine soldiers
Poilus en permission soldiers on leave
pommier apple tree
Porte de Triage Detention Center
pour la durée de la guerre for the duration of the war
pour la durée de la guerre : le gouvernement français a bein fait! for the duration of the war : the French government did well!
pour moi,monsieur? for me,sir?
pour voir les femmes to see the women
POURQUOI? WHY?
Pour-quoi êtes-vous ici,KEW-MANGZ? Why are you here,KEW-MANGZ?
Pourquoi qu’il est ici? Why is he here?
Pourquoi vous êtes ici? Why you are here?
premier first
première classe first class
Prenez,ell dit,vous êtes fatigué.—Madame,répondit le soldat allemande en français,je vous remercie—et il cherchait dans la poche et trouvait dix sous. Non,non,dit la jeune fille,je ne veux pas d’argent;je vous donne de bonne volonté—Pardon,madame,dit le soldat,il vous faut savoir qu’il est défendu pour un soldat allemand de prendre quelque chose sans prayer. Take it,she said,you are tired.—Madam,replied the German soldier in French,I thank you—and he searched his pocket and found ten sous. No,no,said the young girl,I don’t want any money;I give it willingly—Excuse me,Madam,said the soldier,you must know that it is forbidden for a German soldier to take something without paying.
Prenez,monsieur Take it,sir
Prenez votre paillasse. Take your mattress.
prisonnier male prisoner
prisonnière female prisoner
promenade walk, stroll, exercise
promenade de hommes et des femmes men’s and women’s exercise
peu little
punition punishment
putain whore
Q
Quand meme Nevertheless
Quand vous arrachez ma barbe,il faut couper ma tête When you tear out my beard,you must cut off my head
Quatre heures. Four o’clock
quel idiot what an idiot
quelle heure qu’il est? what time is it?
Quelque chose à boire,s’il vous plaît. Something to drink,please.
quelques sous a little money
Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire?* * *m’en vais à Calais,moi,travailler à Calais,très bon! What does that mean?* * * me going to Calais,to work in Calais,very good!
Qu’est-ce que c’est! What is it!
Qu’est-ce que vous avez foutu avec cette machin-là? What the hell are you doing with that contraption?
Qu’est-ce que vous faites là? Nom de Dieu!—Pardon. Les douches What are you doing there? God’s name!—Excuse me. The showers
Qu’est-ce que vous foutez What are you doing
Qui dit ça? Moi? Jean? Jamais,ja-MAIS. MERDE à la France! Who said that? Me? Jean? Never,nevER. SHIT on France!
Qui m’appelle? Mexique? Est-ce que tu m’appelles,Mexique * * * —Est-ce tu m’appelles,toi? Who’s calling me? Mexique? Are you calling me,Mexique? * * *—Are you calling me,you?
qui n’aime que son mari,qui n’attend que son mari who loves only her husband,who’s only waiting for her husband
qui se trouvaient dans la zone des armées that are found in the battle zone
qui vaut trois fois that is worth three times
quinze jours fortnight, two weeks
R
réformé invalid; invalided, war wounded, disabled
rien à faire nothing to do
rixe fig
ht
rue street
S
sabot wooden shoe
sac bag
Sais pas. Don’t know.
salle à manger dining room, dining hall
sans without
sans blague no crap ( slang )
Sar va,Sar marche,Deet donk moan vieux O.K.,It’s all right,I say,old friend ( phonetic spelling of A.’s badly spoken French )
saucisse,fromage,pain,chocolate,pinard rouge sausage,cheese,bread,chocolate,red wine
savez-vous do you know
se promener to go for a walk, to take the air
se trouvait was to be found
seau pail
secrétaire secretary
section sanitaire medical section
see-cent francs 600 francs
seidel large beer mug with hinged lid
sensibilité sensitivity
sergent de gendarmerie sergeant of gendarmes
sergent de plantons sergeant of guards
sergent de plantons lui-même sergeant of guards himself
serviette towel
si if
Si tout-le-monde marche dou-ce-ment nous al-lons ar-ri-ver plus tôt! Il faut pas faire comme ça! If everyone walks slowly we’ll get there sooner! You mustn’t act like that!
Si vous avez une lettre,sais-tu,il faut dire. If you have a letter,you know,you must say so.
Si vous met-tez vos chaus-sures au de-sous de la pail-lasse***vouz al-lez bien dor-mir. If you put your shoes under the mattress***you’ll sleep well.
Si vous passez par ma vil-le/n’oubliez pas ma maison:/on y mang-e de bonne sou-pe Ton Ton Tay-ne;/faite de merde et les onions,Ton Ton Tayne Ton Ton Ton if you pass by my town/don’t forget my house:/there’s good soup to eat Ton Ton Tay-ne;/made of shit and onions,Ton Ton Tayne Ton Ton Ton
S’il vous plaît please
SIX CENT SIX 606 ( Salvarsan or arsphenamine), specific remedy for syphilis discovered by Dr. Paul Ehrlich in 1909
soi-même oneself
soirée evening party
soldat soldier
sont fait de la poussière du tabac are made of tobacco dust
soupe soup, meal
sou five centimes
sous-lieutenant second-lieutenant
Soyez prêts partir demain matin de bonne heure Be ready to leave tomorrow morning early
Surveillant Superintendent
suspecte suspect
T
Ta gueule Shut up
Ta môme. Your gal.
tête de cochon pig head
têtes d’obus shell heads
Tiens. Prends ça. Vite. Look here. Take this. Quick.
Tombé pour désert. Six ans de prison—dégradation militaire. Condemned for desertion. Six years prison—military degradation.
toujours l’enfer always hell
tous all of them
tous les généraux,tous all the generals,all of them
tous les matins every morning
tous les trois mois every three months
tout-à-coup suddenly
tout de suite immediately, right away
tout le monde everyone
Tout le monde en bas Everyone downstairs
Tout le monde en haut Everyone upstairs
Tout le monde me fout au cabinot parce que je suis noir. Everyone throws me in solitary because I’m black.
travaux forces à perpetuité—verbum sapientibus hard labour for life—a word to the wise
très ennuyé very annoyed
très fâché very angry
très gentil very nice
troisième classe third class
troisième étage third floor
Trop tard pour la soupe! Too late for soup!
tu comprends,le matin il ne fait pas chaud you understand,in the morning it’s not warm
tu sais you know
Tu vas au cabinot,mais tu vas revenir tout de suite. Je sais bien que tu as parfaitement raison. Mets cela—***Voici mes cigarettes,Jean;tu peux fumer comme tu veux You’re going to solitary,but you’re coming back right away. I know very well that you are perfectly right. Put that on—***Here are my cigarettes,Jean;you can smoke as much as you want
tuyau pipe, tube
U
Übermensch superman
Un ami de son père,un anglais,bon! A friend of his father,an Englishman,good!
Un canard,déployant ses ailes/Il disait à sa cane fidèle/Il chantait/Il faisait/Quand/finiront nos desseins A drake,unfolding his wings/He said to his faithful duck/He sang/He made a noise/When/our plans are completed
Un Mangeur de Blanc A Pimp ( slang )
Un peu,Monsieur A little,Sir
un section pour les femmes a section for the women
Une cuiller,s’il vous plaît. A spoon,please.
Une femme entre. Elle se lève les jupes jusqu’au menton et se met sur le banc. Le médecin major la regarde. Il dit de suite ‘Bon. C’est tout.’ Elle sort. Une autre entre. Le même chose. ‘Bon. C’est fini’...M’sieu’Jean : prenez garde! A woman comes in. She raises her skirts up to her chin and gets onto the bench. The staff doctor eyes her. He says at once ‘Good. That’s all.’ She leaves. Another comes in. The same thing. ‘Good. That’s all’...Mr. John : take care!
Une section mesdames! A la gare! Aux armes tout le monde! A ladies’ section! To the station! Everyone to arms!
V
va attraper quinze jours de cabinot going to get two weeks of solitary
verger orchard
vespasienne street urinal, pissoir
veuve widow
viande meat
vieux old man
ville town
vin rouge red wine
vingt twenty
vingt diplômes twenty diplomas
Vingt-et-Un twenty-one, XXI
vis-à-vis person opposite, partner
Vive Jean Long live Jean
Vive la bourgeoisie Hurrah for the middle class
Vive la liberté Hurrah for freedom
Vive le patriotisme Hurrah for patriotism
Vive les plantons Long live the guards
Vive la Pologne Long live Poland
voiture vehicle, cart
voleur thief
Voo parlez bien You speak well
Voo parlez français. You speak French.
Voo poovez aller. Je vooz appelerai. You can go. I’ll call you.
Votre ami est mauvais,très mauvais,SAVEZ-VOUS? Your friend is bad,very bad,YOU KNOW THAT?
votre camarade your buddy
Voulez-vous me prêter dix sous? Je vais acheter du tabac à la cantine. Will you lend me ten sous? I am going to buy some tobacco at the canteen.
Vous allez partir? You’re going to leave?
Vous avez faim? Are you hungry?
Vous en aurez besoin,croyez-moi. You will need it,believe me.
Vous êtes chef de chambre You are room leader
Vous êtes KEW-MANGZ? You are KEW-MANGZ?
Vous êtes le nouveau? You’re the new arrival?
Vous êtes libres,mes enfants,de faire l’immortalité—Songez,songez donc—L’Eternité est une existence sans durée—Toujours le Paradis,toujours l’Enfer***Le ciel est fait pour vous You are free,my children,to become immortal—Think,think now—Eternity is an existence without duration—Always Paradise,always Hell***Heaven is made for you
Vous êtes uh-ah l’am-é-ri-cain? You are,uh-ah,the American?
Vous êtes un nouveau? You are a new one?
Vous n’avez pas de tasse?—Non Do you have a cup?—No
Vous ne voulez pas de café? You don’t want any coffee?
Vous parlez anglais? Moi parlez anglais. You speak English? Me speak English.
vous savez you know
vraiment really
W
Wie geht’s How are you
Wilhelm,Ober,Olles Wilhelm,Above,All ( play on the name of the German Kaiser and the national anthem,“Deutschland über alles” as well as “double O�
�—“OO”—German symbol for a public toilet )
Z
zone des armées battle zone
Afterword
RICHARD S. KENNEDY
The Enormous Room, along with John Dos Passos’ Three Soldiers and Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, is one of the classic American literary works which emerged from World War I. It has been in print continuously since 1922 when it first appeared in an edition which, by omission and alteration, did not follow the author’s manuscript. When E. E. Cummings saw his first copy, he was outraged and demanded that the book either have the original text restored or that it be “immediately suppressed,thrown in a shittoir.” His angry message, sent from Paris, never reached his American publisher, and it was not until 1928, when Cummings prepared a completely new typescript for an English edition, that the corrections were made, including the restoration of some of the original French phrases. Over the years both of these versions in varying editions have been on sale in American bookstores, but no publisher ever agreed to include any of the sketches which Cummings offered to supply for the book. It is, therefore, a great pleasure to have the book available now in the form the author intended, including a generous sampling of the drawings from his sketchbooks and featuring a definitive text prepared by George Firmage, Cummings’ official bibliographer. This new edition also retains the Introduction to the first edition by Edward Cummings, who describes, largely by means of letters, the bureaucratic drama that was enacted before he could get his son released from the French Depôt de Triage where he had been imprisoned.
Besides having the new text and the drawings to enhance our reading of The Enormous Room, we can respond more fully today to the experiences Cummings describes in his book because we know a great deal more about the author now. It is possible to recreate the E. E. Cummings of 1917 so that the reader can be aware of the attitudes he held and can better understand what he has to tell us and why he tells his story in the unusual way that he does. He had been living happily in New York, seriously at work as a cubist painter. He had just completed five years at Harvard (B. A. 1915; M. A. 1916), where Greek and English literature had been his specialties. He had recently been experimenting with poetry and developing new styles of expression. Some were colloquial, even slangy; others adopted a syntactically radical method of literary cubism which wrenched words into new meanings and created startling juxtapositions of phrasing. He was not interested in politics or international affairs. Nevertheless, the controversies about neutrality, sympathy for the Allied cause, “preparedness,” and atrocities in Belgium which were then raging did make their impact upon him.