À Clymène
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Romances sans paroles,
Chère, puisque tes yeux,
Couleur des cieux,
Puisque ta voix, étrange
Vision qui dérange
Et trouble l’horizon
De ma raison,
Puisque l’arome insigne
De ta pâleur de cygne,
Et puisque la candeur
De ton odeur,
Ah! puisque tout ton être,
Musique qui pénètre,
Nimbes d’anges défunts,
Tons et Parfums,
A, sur d’almes cadences,
En ces correspondances
Induit mon cœur subtil,
Ainsi soit-il!
To Clymène
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Songs without words,
Sweet, since your eyes,
The colour of skies,
Since your voice,
Strange vision that unsettles
And troubles the horizon
Of my reason,
Since the rare scent
Of your swan-like pallor,
And since the candour
Of your fragrance,
Ah! since your whole being –
Pervading music,
Haloes of departed angels,
Sounds and scents –
Has in sweet cadences
And correspondences
Led on my receptive heart –
So be it!
À Clymène
French source:
Paul Verlaine
To Clymène
English source:
Richard Stokes
Mystiques barcarolles,
Mystical barcarolles,
Romances sans paroles,
Songs without words,
Chère, puisque tes yeux,
Sweet, since your eyes,
Couleur des cieux,
The colour of skies,
Puisque ta voix, étrange
Since your voice,
Vision qui dérange
Strange vision that unsettles
Et trouble l’horizon
And troubles the horizon
De ma raison,
Of my reason,
Puisque l’arome insigne
Since the rare scent
De ta pâleur de cygne,
Of your swan-like pallor,
Et puisque la candeur
And since the candour
De ton odeur,
Of your fragrance,
Ah! puisque tout ton être,
Ah! since your whole being –
Musique qui pénètre,
Pervading music,
Nimbes d’anges défunts,
Haloes of departed angels,
Tons et Parfums,
Sounds and scents –
A, sur d’almes cadences,
Has in sweet cadences
En ces correspondances
And correspondences
Induit mon cœur subtil,
Led on my receptive heart –
Ainsi soit-il!
So be it!
Composer
Gabriel Fauré
"Gabriel Urbain Fauré (12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. Among his…
Poet
Paul Verlaine
Paul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry. Born in Metz, Verlaine was educated at the Lycée Impérial…