Pentelope in French alexandrines

Me levant ce matin

This is another pentelope offered by my super-talented French connection, GH. He remarked that those who have been through pre-seventies classical studies in France, find that 'alexandrines' come rather easily. An alexandrine is a syllabic metre of twelve syllables divided into two half-lines of six syllables each. It was the dominant long line in France from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

He noted that you can even find alexandrines in the public space, such as the following information on metro doors:

<<Le train ne peut partir que les portes fermees>> 

The train cannot depart unless the doors are closed. 

Our  equivalent might well be:

Stand clear of the closing doors, this train is about to depart.

Me levant ce matin, Dieu que j'avais la dalle!
Je n'avais sous la main qu'un peu de mortadelle;
Il fallait se résoudre à faire un tour en ville
Pour acheter bien vite une brioche molle
Et au bout d'une paille aspirer quelque bulle.
GH 2018

When rising this morning, God I was starving! All I had to hand was a bit of sausage. I resolved to walk into town to buy a soft brioche and to blow a bubble out of the end of a straw.

Any suggestions from my readers about the best translation of the last line?