| Original | English Version by Riccardo Venturi
|
| GUILLAUME SEZNEC: [3] LE PROCÈS DE GUILLAUME SEZNEC | GUILLAUME SEZNEC’S TRIAL |
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| Écoutez jeunes gens, | Hearken ye young people, |
| vous aussi vieilles gens ; | and hearken, ye old people |
| c’est d’un Cornouaillais le procès, | of the trial of a Cornishman, |
| maître de scierie à Morlaix. | a skilled carpenter in Morlaix. |
| Est-il une victime ? | Do you think he is a victim ? |
| Est-il l’auteur d’un crime ? | Or do you think he is a murderer ? |
| Est-il honnête, est-il un tueur ? | Is he honest ? Is he a criminal ? |
| Mais qu’est devenu Quémeneur ? | But what has become of Quémeneur ? |
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| Soldats casqués dedans Quimper, | Helmeted soldiers in Quimper, |
| la foule rue de Pen ar Steir, | the crowd is swarming from Pen ar Steir. |
| Seznec descend mains dans les poches, | Seznec arrives with his hands in his pockets, |
| - Sale impression, que ça fait moche | what a bad impression, what a shame. |
| de n’être pourtant cette allure | But his attitude is not due |
| ni orgueil ni désinvolture, | either to pride or impudence, |
| mais c’est la honte des deux menottes | but to his shame of being handcuffed |
| qui le rattachent à son escorte. | to the policemen escorting him. |
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| Haine injure et colère | Hate, insults and wrath |
| sur les quais de Quimper | all along Quimper riverside, |
| et foule le long de l’Odet | the crowd fills the Odet banks |
| et foules aux marches du palais. | and the steps of the Court House. |
| Haine frissons colère, | Hate, shivering and wrath, |
| pères fils filles et mères, | fathers, sons, daughters and mothers |
| en foule serrée sur les quais | milling around on the riverside |
| et dans les couloirs du palais. | and in the Court corridors. |
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| La salle d’audience est survoltée. | The courtroom is electrified. |
| « Gardes, faites entrer l’accusé ! » | « Guards, let the prisoner in ! » |
| Costume bleu un petit peu trop neuf, | With his blue jacket, somewhat too new, |
| - Sale impression, pas naturel. | he looks innatural, what a bad impression ! |
| Sombre public et regards durs, | Gloomy audience, hard-looking eyes, |
| Lambris sombre et dessus les murs, | dark flooring, and bordeaux red |
| tentures bordeaux ; ce tribunal | walls : this courtroom, good God, |
| Dieu on dirait un vrai catafalque ! | has such a gloomy and sombre look ! |
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| Seznec est-il victime ? | Do you think Seznec is a victim ? |
| Le coupable d’un crime ? | Or do you think he is guilty ? |
| Est-il faussaire, est-il menteur ? | Does he tell the truth, or lies ? |
| Aurait-il tué Pierre Quémeneur ? | Is it he who killed Pierre Quémeneur ? |
| Haine insultes et colère, | Hate, insults and wrath, |
| est-il bouc-émissaire ? | is he maybe a scapegoat ? |
| Est-il un monstre meurtrier | Is he a monster, a murderer, |
| et l’assassin du Conseiller ? | did he kill the Councillor ? |
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| Dollin du Fresnel président, | The Chief Judge is Dollin du Fresnel |
| col d’hermines et robe de sang, | with his ermine stole and his red robe : |
| aboie « Accusé levez-vous ! | he barks : « The accused will rise ! |
| Nom prénom âge et profession ? » | Your name, age and profession ? » |
| « Seznec Joseph Marie Guillaume, | « Seznec Joseph Marie Guillaume, |
| quarante six ans, marchand de bois. » | forty six years old, timber dealer. » |
| Et là de prendre un ton bougon, | Then he starts mumbling and grumbling |
| fierté blessée – ça fait sale impression. | with his wounded pride –what a bad impression ! |
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| Le rapport de moralité | The Morality Report |
| enfonce un peu plus l’accusé : | gets the accused into some trouble : |
| « Sournois ficelle et puis rusé, | «A sly, crafty, cunning fellow |
| unanimement détesté. » | making himself disliked by everyone. » |
| C’est pas qu’un interrogatoire, | It is no simple interrogation, |
| c’est même un vrai réquisitoire, | but a true bill of indictment, |
| sous les coups de sang sous les coups de dents | the Chief Judge Dollin du Fresnel |
| de Dollin du Fresnel président. | bits the accused like a dog ! |
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| Une valise au Havre, | A suitcase in Le Havre, |
| un crime sans cadavre, | a murder without a body, |
| et l’accusé de répéter : | and the accused repeating : |
| « Au Havre suis jamais allé ! » | « I’ve never been in Le Havre ! » |
| La machine à écrire, | That mysterious typewriter [*] |
| la machine à détruire ; | and the wrecked car to destroy ; |
| mensonges et tires, ce tribunal, | lies and nasty tricks, good God, |
| Dieu quel sinistre carnaval. | this Court’s some kind of a grim joke ! |
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| 29 octobre – mercredi, | Wednesday, 29 October, |
| les témoins d’être en appétit : | witnesses by heaps : |
| c’est d’abord le frère et la sœur, | first, the victim’s brother and sister, |
| Louis et Jenny Quémeneur, | Louis and Jenny Quémeneur. |
| et Jean Pouliquen le beau-frère, | Then his brother-in-law, Jean Pouliquen, [**] |
| il en sait beaucoup, le notaire. | he knows what’s what, that notary public. |
| Et comme c’est à lui que le crime profite, | And as he benefits from the crime |
| il y va a la dynamite : | he shouts his heavy accusations : |
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| « Seznec a tout monté, | « It’s Seznec who concocted everything, |
| tout fait, tout combiné. » | planned everything, done everything. » |
| Pluie vent tempête sur Quimper, | Rain, wind and storm over Quimper, |
| éclairs dans les yeux du notaire ; | the notary’s eyes are sparkling ; |
| vent pluie tempête et haine, | rain, wind, storm and hate |
| charges de Pouliquen ; | are Jean Pouliquen’s accusations ; |
| à Quémeneur on sait pourtant | but it is known that he owed |
| qu’il devait cent soixante mille francs. | Quémeneur 160,000 francs. |
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| Sur quarante-huit témoins cités | Of forty eight witnesses at the bar, |
| il y a quarante-trois policiers, | forty three are policemen. |
| hier mardi c’était Vidal, | Yesterday, Tuesday, there were Vidal, |
| Matois le « beau méridional » ; | that shrewd « Handsome guy from the South », |
| et Bonny qui se prend pour un superflic, | and Bonny, professing to be a supercop, |
| mais la magouille c’est sa tactique ; | but his way is only intrigue and swindle ; |
| on le retrouvera bientôt | and we’ll meet him soon again |
| à Paris, chef de la Gestapo ! | in Paris, as a Gestapo leader ! [***] |
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| 30 octobre – témoin suivant : | 30 October : next witness at the bar |
| Marie-Jeanne qu’il aime tant, | is Marie-Jeanne, Seznec’s beloved wife |
| coiffe blanche, robe noire, | dressed in black, with her white bonnet [****] |
| parapluie à manche d’ivoire, | and her umbrella with an ivory handle. |
| - maladroit, ça fait trop riche, | Showing so rich is not so wise, yet |
| elle répond sans hésiter, | she answers without hesitation |
| défend son homme pied à pied, | unremittingly pledging for her husband, |
| tant qu’elle finit par s’énerver. | but finally, she cannot help bursting out : |
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| De dire et de redire : | She keeps on saying to the Court : |
| « La machine à écrire, | « The typewriter is false evidence, |
| c’est manigance des policiers ! » | it was put there by the police ! » |
| - Sale impression sur les Jurés, | What a bad impression on the Jury, |
| ils ne le trouvent pas drôle, | they do not find it that amusing. |
| elle n’est pas dans le rôle, | Sure, they did not expect her to be |
| ils voudraient la voir effondrée, | such a fierce opponent ; rather, |
| elle est battante et décidée. | they believed she would soon break down. |
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| Guillaume de voir le lendemain | Next day, Guillaume is watching |
| sa mère assise dans un coin : | his mother sitting in a corner, |
| corps voûté et sous sa coiffe | bowed with age under her bonnet, |
| visage ridé comme une vieille pomme. | her face wrinkled like a wither’d apple. |
| Là ses deux mains sur ses genoux, | Holding his hands on his knees |
| Guillaume sourit à Marie-Anne | Guillaume smiles at Marie-Anne, |
| et des larmes de ses deux yeux | and tears from his eyes |
| viennent ses joues mouiller. | are running down his cheeks. |
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| Suivent les témoins qui auraient vu | Next come the witnesses supposed |
| Quémeneur après que disparu. | to have seen Quémeneur after disappearance. |
| Le Président de s’acharner | The Chief Judge is ruthless to them |
| à les tous ridiculiser… | and tries to ridicule them all… |
| Pour Le Her ce sera plus dur, | But Le Her [*****] is a tough nut to crack, |
| celui-là est tellement sûr ! | he is really sure of what he says ! |
| Le procès change d’accusé : | There’s another under trial, now, |
| il faut Le Her discréditer. | Le Her must be discredited ! |
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| L’accusation prend peur : | The Public Prosecutor is getting afraid : |
| on-dit, bruits et rumeurs, | a stream of hearsay and rumours, |
| François Le Her est un gêneur ! | François Le Her is such a nuisance ! |
| Il est démoli sans pudeur. | He is destroyed without mercy, |
| Ragots repris en chœur, | gossip, tittle-tattle in choir, |
| on en fait un farceur : | he’s an unreliable witness : |
| « N’a-t-il pas croisé par erreur | « Are you sure you’ve seen him, |
| un sosie de Quémeneur ? » | and not Quémeneur’s double ? » |
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| 2 novembre – les jours des morts : | 2 November, All Souls’ Day, |
| les plaidoiries, le corps à corps, | the pleadings, hand-to-hand struggle. |
| Guillot l’avocat général | Guillot, the Public Prosecutor, |
| demande la peine capitale ! | invokes capital punishment ! |
| Puis c’est le tour de Maître Kahn | Then, the word is to maître Kahn, [******] |
| de plaider avec force et flamme, | truly, his pleading is fire and flames ! |
| mais pour contrer le président | But he’d rather have opposed |
| il aurait fallu s’y prendre avant… | the Chief Judge at the right time… |
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| Et sans preuve voire sans crime, | Without evidence nor a crime, |
| sans aveux sans victime, | without a confession nor a victim, |
| Seznec au bagne est condamné | seven members of the Jury |
| par sept des douze jurés. | sentence Seznec to penal servitude. |
| Est-il une victime ? | Do you think he is a victim ? |
| Est-il l’auteur d’un crime ? | Do you think he is a murderer ? |
| C’est coupable condamnation, | But this is an unjust sentence, |
| malheur à vous jurés bretons ! | curse upon you, Breton jurors ! |
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[*] Among the few pieces of evidence for Seznec’s prosecution, there was a typewriter that Quémeneur was supposed to have bought in Le Havre, and to have used for typing of an agreement between Quémeneur and Seznec to sell a cottage farm in Traou-Nez. This was supposed to be the motive of the crime. The typewriter was found in Seznec’s house. It had been probably placed there by inspector Bonny to falsify evidence.
[**] Quémeneur’s brother-in-law, the notary public Jean Pouliquen, is Seznec’s main accuser. In fact, Pouliquen profits much from his brother-in-law’s murder, as expressly stated in this most detailed of ballads : Pouliquen owes Quémeneur 160,000 francs, not to mention that Quémeneur has no children and, thus, his brother-in-law becomes his heir apparent as the administrator of his wife’s property (i.e. Quémeneur’s sister). All this is not taken into account by the Court, if not plainly ignored. Later, Pouliquen would become a suspect in the murder (if any).
[***] The facts are real. During German occupation of France, inspector Bonny turns into an enthusiastic collaborationist and forms, together with his acolyte Lafont, a gang of torturers (the Bonny-Lafont gang) in the Gestapo’s pay. On France’s liberation, while Seznec is still in Guyana, Bonny is arrested. After a speedy trial, he is sentenced to death and shot in the back.
[****] François Le Her knows Quémeneur well. He often talks with him on the tramway where he is a conductor. Being one of the few witnesses for Seznec’s defence, he is discredited any way possible ; but he does not give up. Later, he married Seznec’s daughter, Jeanne ; this is why Seznec’s grandson, who has been successfully fighting for the review of the trial, bears the complete name of Denis Le Her-Seznec.
[*****] It is the typical (and often definitely oversized) traditional bonnet that Breton women used to adorn themselves with. Nowadays it is to be observed only on some elderly woman’s head, or in folk feasts. Here’s one of smaller size, and here’s another.
[******] It should be pointed out that Seznec’s attorney for the defense was a Jew. He was to become a prince among French lawyers. Seznec’s trial was his first important case.