Affaire Rimbaud
Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine Lyrics

The song "Affaire Rimbaud" by Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine tells the story of the French poet Arthur Rimbaud's turbulent life. The first stanza refers to Rimbaud's leg, which he injured in a drunken fight with his lover, the poet Paul Verlaine. After the incident, Rimbaud returned to Marseille with his injured leg, "like a horrible cargo loaded with red excrements." The description of Rimbaud's leg as an "affreux cargo" suggests a sense of disgust and the idea that Rimbaud's life, much like the state of his leg, was in a state of deterioration. Despite this, the singer notes that beauty once sat on Rimbaud's leg, indicating that the poet was once revered for his aesthetic and artistic contributions.

The second stanza of the song discusses Rimbaud's time in Africa as a gunrunner, where he supported the emperor of Ethiopia by providing him with weapons to fight against the British invading forces. The lines "Horreur Harrar Arthur/ & tu l'as injuriée/ Horreur Harrar Arthur/ Tu l'as trouvée amère" suggest a sense of regret on Rimbaud's part, as he may have realized the horrors of war and the role he played as a supplier of arms. The stanza ends with the question, "la beauté?" which implies that Rimbaud's actions went against his own sense of aesthetic beauty.

The third stanza discusses the current state of poets, who sing songs of love and honor in exchange for profit. The line "C'est quand même un des leurs/ Qui fournissait les armes," shows that poets have become complicit in the violence and bloodshed currently occurring in the world. The song ends with the repeated lines, "Horreur Harrar Arthur/ où la lumière pleut," which suggests that Rimbaud's legacy continues to live on and that his contribution to society, both good and bad, cannot be easily forgotten.