Au cimetière
French source:
Jean Richepin
Ainsi
Que les oiseaux des champs!
Son corps près des amis
Est mis
Dans l’herbe et dans les chants.
Il dort d’un bon sommeil
Vermeil
Sous le ciel radieux.
Tous ceux qu’il a connus,
Venus,
Lui font de longs adieux.
À sa croix les parents
Pleurants
Restent agenouillés;
Et ses os, sous les fleurs,
De pleurs
Sont doucement mouillés.
Chacun sur le bois noir
Peut voir
S’il était jeune ou non,
Et peut avec de vrais
Regrets
L’appeler par son nom.
Combien plus malchanceux
Sont ceux
Qui meurent à la mé,
Et sous le flot profond
S’en vont
Loin du pays aimé!
Ah! pauvres, qui pour seuls
Linceuls
Ont les goémons verts
Où l’on roule inconnu,
Tout nu,
Et les yeux grands ouverts.
Happy he who dies here
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Even
As the birds of the fields!
His body near his friends
Is laid
Amid the grass, amid the songs.
He sleeps a good sleep,
Crimson
Beneath the radiant sky.
All those he has known
Are come
To bid him a long farewell.
By the cross his weeping
Parents
Remain kneeling,
And his bones beneath the flowers
With tears
Are gently watered.
On the black wood all
Can see
If he was young or not,
And can with true
Regret
Call him by his name.
How much more unfortunate
Are they
Who die at sea,
And beneath deep waters
Drift
Far from their beloved land!
Ah! poor souls! whose only
Shroud
Is the green seaweed,
Where they roll unknown,
Unclothed,
And with wide-open eyes.
Au cimetière
French source:
Jean Richepin
Happy he who dies here
English source:
Richard Stokes
Heureux qui meurt ici
Happy he who dies here
Ainsi
Even
Que les oiseaux des champs!
As the birds of the fields!
Son corps près des amis
His body near his friends
Est mis
Is laid
Dans l’herbe et dans les chants.
Amid the grass, amid the songs.
Il dort d’un bon sommeil
He sleeps a good sleep,
Vermeil
Crimson
Sous le ciel radieux.
Beneath the radiant sky.
Tous ceux qu’il a connus,
All those he has known
Venus,
Are come
Lui font de longs adieux.
To bid him a long farewell.
À sa croix les parents
By the cross his weeping
Pleurants
Parents
Restent agenouillés;
Remain kneeling,
Et ses os, sous les fleurs,
And his bones beneath the flowers
De pleurs
With tears
Sont doucement mouillés.
Are gently watered.
Chacun sur le bois noir
On the black wood all
Peut voir
Can see
S’il était jeune ou non,
If he was young or not,
Et peut avec de vrais
And can with true
Regrets
Regret
L’appeler par son nom.
Call him by his name.
Combien plus malchanceux
How much more unfortunate
Sont ceux
Are they
Qui meurent à la mé,
Who die at sea,
Et sous le flot profond
And beneath deep waters
S’en vont
Drift
Loin du pays aimé!
Far from their beloved land!
Ah! pauvres, qui pour seuls
Ah! poor souls! whose only
Linceuls
Shroud
Ont les goémons verts
Is the green seaweed,
Où l’on roule inconnu,
Where they roll unknown,
Tout nu,
Unclothed,
Et les yeux grands ouverts.
And with wide-open eyes.
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
Jean Richepin
Jean Richepin, French poet, novelist and dramatist, the son of an army doctor, was born at Médéa, French Algeria. At school and at the École Normale Supérieure he gave evidence of brilliant, if somewhat undisciplined, powers, for which he found…