In Roman myth the three Fates — Parcae in Latin, Moirai in Ancient Greek — are referred to as sisters: Clotho, the youngest, is the spinner of a person’s life thread, Lachesis measures the final thread of life, and the dreaded Atropos cuts the thread of life. Because of their absolute and unpredictable authority over all life—even Jupiter is subjected to their decisions—they are feared and rarely spoken about except in passing references. Valéry writes this 512-line poem about Clotho, the youngest of these fates. After a successful career as a poet he suddenly takes a break from publishing his works for more than 20 years. La Jeune Parque, a poem as perplexing and enigmatic as the Fates themselves, is the first piece of writing that he publishes after this extended period of silence.
First published in 1917 in French. Translated into English by Alistair Elliot, Bloodaxe Books, 1997
A Personal Anthology 