Sonnet to Sleep by Salomon Certon, translator Alex McKeown (September 2026)

Sonnet to Sleep

After Salomon Certon
Who composed it while suffering from insomnia, attempting to avoid the letter e

Jason, who’d run so much to snatch that wool,
Finally caught it without any harm
From flaming dragons; but not by his strong arm,
Nor fatal ship, floating in Colchis’ pool!
No, without you, mild child of night, to cool
A burning brow with soft and artful balm
Things fail; Our champion floats through Styx’s calm
Although so grand, so good, so spiritful!
But his companion, you, with dark charm, laid
that dragon down to curl its lit-up tail
away. Happ’ly, through you his trophy’s won!
And so, O you who sprang such crucial aid
at such an hour, with soothing hands’ avail,
may adorations always spur you on.

Original:

Pour ravir la toison quand Jason courut tant,
Il y parvint pour vray, l’arrachant hors du sort
Aux dragons flamboyans : mais non par son bras fort,
Non par son bac fatal à Cholsos loing flottant.
Car sans ton fort pouvoir qui luy fut assistant
O doux fils à la nuict, par un subtil confort,
Son cas alloit fort mal : il y fust plustost mort,
Tant grand, tant bon fust-il, tant hardy combattant.
Mais tu luy fus amy, quand ton appast charmoit
Son dragon, qui sans fin son tison allumoit,
Il jouit donc par toy du prix ainsi conquis
Donc à toy qui luy fis un tant amy support,
Un tour tant à propos, un tant divin confort,
Soit un los immortel à tout jamais acquis.