[L. 39.] Son nom, sa voix absente errent dans mon oreille. Chénier had put the verb in the singular, as is his constant practice (see note to p. 25, l. 74), and the correction was not necessary. This metaphor Chénier seems to have delighted in. He repeats it in Hermès: 'Autour du demi-dieu, les princes immobiles Aux accents de sa voix demeuraient suspendus, Et l'écoutaient encore quand il ne chantait plus.' Cf. Milton, Par. Lost, viii, 1-3.
[L. 48], à ses lèvres saisie, snatched from her lips.
[L. 58.] longtemps. Longuement would be clearer, or lentement, as below, l. 74.
[L. 66.] n'aimer plus. With an infinitive, the expletives pas, point, and plus come immediately after ne: ne plus aimer. Yet the construction we find here is also to be met with, though not so frequent: 'ils s'enveloppaient là-dedans, bien décidés à ne penser plus.'—MICHELET. Ayer, p. 563; Haase, § 156, Rem, ii.
[L. 71.] en riant, deriding me.
IX. TEL J'ÉTAIS AUTREFOIS...
[L. 1.] et tel... See note to p. 40, l. 15.
[L. 2.] Quand ma main... A quaint periphrasis for 'When I am out of cash.'
[L. 4.] m'a fermé le seuil. Chénier had first written, 'Je vois qu'on m'a fermé la porte inexorable.' On reconsidering it, he must have thought fermer le seuil a more novel alliance of words, giving more force to the whole group fermer le seuil inexorable. Cf. élever sa langue for élever la voix, p. 14, l. 203.
[L. 7.] O soins... Persius, Sat. i. 'O curas hominum! O quantum est in rebus inane.'