With thanks to Yetkin İşcen who posted information about this poet on the Facebook page Artists of the First World War And to Lyn Edmonds via Twitter - @edmondslynEric Ingouf via Twitter - @misteringouf – for considerable additional information
Edouard Paul Chiesa was born in Marseille, France on 30th January 1887. During his milirary service in the 2nd Regiment of Mountain Artillery (2e Régiment d’Artillerie de Montagne), Edouard reached the rank of Maréchal de Logis (Tr. 'marshal of lodgings').
When his military service ended in 1913, Edouard became a Reserve Second Lieutenant and went to work in an office. He continued writing poetry and articles, sending them to local newspapers. The Bulletin des Écrivains of 1914 identifies Edouard Chiesa as a regular contributor to newspapers in the South of France.
Maréchal de Logis is a sub-officer rank used by some units of the French Armed Forces. It is traditionally a cavalry unit rank. There are three distinct ranks of maréchal des logis, which are generally the equivalents of sergeant ranks (although they generally have less responsibility than a British or Commonwealth sergeant).
When war broke out in 1914, Edouard rejoined his Regiment and served in France until he was posted to Gallipoli, where he was killed on 7th August 1915.
AU JOUR LE JOUR (IMPRESSIONS ET FRAGMENTS)
1. APRÈS LE DÉPART :
Le navire s'est éloigné. L'espace est large.
On aperçoit la ville au loin telle une marge.
Le ciel, qui joint la mer au bord de l'horizon,
Semble, sous le soleil couchant, en fusion,
L'air est tout rose où vont en planant les mouettes.
Les brises ont fraîchi. Mais, les lèvres muettes,
Les passagers assis songent, les yeux sur l'eau,
Comme songent ceux qui s'en vont. Un matelot
Furtivement passe, pieds nus, dans le silence
Où la machine bat, semblant un cœur immense.
English trnslation:
DAY BY DAY (PRINTS AND FRAGMENTS)
1. AFTER DEPARTURE:
The ship has moved away. The space is wide.
We can see the city in the distance like a margin.
The sky, which joins the sea to the edge of the horizon,
Seems, under the setting sun, in fusion,
The air is all pink where the seagulls glide.
The breezes have freshened. But, with silent lips,
The seated passengers are thinking, their eyes on the water,
As those who leave think. A sailor
Furtively passes, barefoot, in silence
Where the engine beats, resembling an immense heart.
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| Gravestone found by Yetkin İşcen |
Yetkin İşcen found Edouard Chiesa's grave stone in an olive grove in Gelibolu Seddülbahir, near today's Turkish monument.
Sources:
Information supplied by Yetkin İşcen via https://www.facebook.com/groups/385353788875799
https://pgg.parisnanterre.fr/lesindividus2/brouillon-auto-86
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k10409590/f2.image.r=%22bulletin%20des%20%C3%A9crivains%22
CROSS, Tim. "The Lost Voices of World War 1 An International Anthology of Writers, Poets and Playwrights" (Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd., London, 1989), p. 391
Poems and prose by Edouard Chiesa were included in “Anthologie des écrivains mort à la guerre 1914-18 (Association des écrivains combattants, Amiens, 1924 – 26 – 5 volumes) – Volume 3 – pp. 167 - 170
https://books.google.co.uk/books?redir_esc=y&hl=fr&id=Woc6AAAAMAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Chiesa+
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015065457205
