Surannée

Outdated, like a ballerina
From the Opéra Garnier, timeless, but
Outdated, a poplin shirt
Mallarmé's sonnets, not insignificant, but

Outdated, after the swan song
Outmoded, left in the cloakroom
Of the Grand Hotel, not far from the pier
A memory of a memory

Outdated, like the divine beauty
Of an infanta in a corset, unforgettable, but
Outdated, the smoke of the dance halls
The scent of sorbets, irreplaceable, but

Outdated, after the swan song
Outmoded, left in the cloakroom
Of the Grand Hotel, not far from the pier
Laugh, since it's better to laugh

Outdated, like a large glass of gin
At the Plaza Athénée, unforgettable, but
Outdated, like a ballerina
From the Opéra Garnier, timeless, but