Chanson d'automne
(1866)
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Des violons
De l'automne
Blessent mon coeur
D'une langueur
Monotone.
Tout suffocant
Et blême, quand
Sonne l'heure,
Je me souviens
Des jours anciens
Et je pleure;
Et je m'en vais
Au vent mauvais
Qui m'emporte
Deçà, delà,
Pareil à la
Feuille morte.
Autumn Song
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
The violins
Of autumn
Wound my heart
With languorous
Monotony.
All choking
And pale, when
The hour sounds,
I remember
Departed days
And I weep;
And I go
Where ill winds blow,
Buffeted
To and fro,
Like a
Dead leaf.
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Chanson d'automne
(1866)
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Autumn Song
English source:
Richard Stokes
Les sanglots longs
With long sobs
Des violons
The violins
De l'automne
Of autumn
Blessent mon coeur
Wound my heart
D'une langueur
With languorous
Monotone.
Monotony.
Tout suffocant
All choking
Et blême, quand
And pale, when
Sonne l'heure,
The hour sounds,
Je me souviens
I remember
Des jours anciens
Departed days
Et je pleure;
And I weep;
Et je m'en vais
And I go
Au vent mauvais
Where ill winds blow,
Qui m'emporte
Buffeted
Deçà, delà,
To and fro,
Pareil à la
Like a
Feuille morte.
Dead leaf.
Composer
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…