Les châteaux de sable

I sing the little war
Of the brave children of yesteryear
Who battled on the beach
To save a sand castle
And its impregnable ramparts
That a wave was about to sweep away.
I was there: armed and ready
Entrenched in the citadel
We stood firm, waiting
For a Saracen horde
Coming from the neighboring coast
To assault our bastion.
A hundred steps away on the dune
Waiting for fortune
To smile upon the victors
Longing to be courted
Our promised ones, our fiancées
Softly prepared their hearts.
Suddenly, the savage Armada
Surged onto our shore
With its lances, its shields
To commit acts of plunder
And even take our Sabines
Prettier than theirs, by my faith.
The melee was worthy of Homer
And the defeat bitter
For the enemy, though numerous
Was soundly beaten
And fled in disarray
In rout, in every man for himself.
Yes, this horde of barbarians
Thrown into disarray by our fury
Retreated with their ships
Taking as trophies
Less than nothing, two burst balls
Three rackets, four hoops.
After the famous victory
Singing the tunes of 'Sambre et Meuse'
And 'La Marseillaise', oh boy
We ran towards the reward
That the fairer sex bestows
Upon the tired little heroes.
While in whispers to our Fanny
To our Mireille
We recounted our saga
Slipping a ring on their finger
A kind of wave emerged
That no one noticed.
Otherwise, it was just
A wave with no amplitude
A stray ripple
But upon reaching the shore
It caused more havoc
More damage than a tidal wave.
The treacherous wave
Swiftly invaded our fortress
Toppling it, destroying it.
Farewell keep, towers, and curtains
Erased by four harmless drops
Passing by.
Some time later we went
To lead among men
Other, more disappointing battles
To lead other campaigns
Where the castles are more Spanish
And more sandy than before.
When I see soldiers in the prime of life
Fighting on the beach
I do not discourage them
Although I know, having once
Fought this war myself
The fatal outcome of the battle.
I know that despite their defense
Their story is doomed
But I let them battle
To save a sand castle
And its impregnable ramparts
That a wave will sweep away.