Text & Translation
La Chanson du fou
French source:
Victor Hugo
Toi qui vas cherchant
Fortune,
Prends garde de choir;
La terre, le soir,
Est brune.
L'océan trompeur
Couvre de vapeur
La dune.
Vois, à l'horizon,
Aucune maison,
Aucune!
Maint voleur te suit,
La chose est, la nuit,
Commune.
Les dames des bois
Nous gardent parfois
Rancune.
Elles vont errer:
Crains d'en rencontrer
Quelqu'une.
Les lutins de l'air
Vont danser au clair
De lune.
The Song of the Madman
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
You who are seeking
Your fortune,
Take care you don't stumble;
In the evening
The earth is brown.
The deceptive ocean
Covers with spray
The dunes.
Look, on the horizon,
No houses,
Not one!
Thieves are following you –
At night that is
Normal.
The ladies of the woods
Sometimes bear us
Grudges.
They will be roaming:
Be fearful
Of meeting one.
The goblins of the air
Will be dancing
In the moonlight.
La Chanson du fou
French source:
Victor Hugo
The Song of the Madman
English source:
Richard Stokes
Au soleil couchant,
At sunset,
Toi qui vas cherchant
You who are seeking
Fortune,
Your fortune,
Prends garde de choir;
Take care you don't stumble;
La terre, le soir,
In the evening
Est brune.
The earth is brown.
L'océan trompeur
The deceptive ocean
Couvre de vapeur
Covers with spray
La dune.
The dunes.
Vois, à l'horizon,
Look, on the horizon,
Aucune maison,
No houses,
Aucune!
Not one!
Maint voleur te suit,
Thieves are following you –
La chose est, la nuit,
At night that is
Commune.
Normal.
Les dames des bois
The ladies of the woods
Nous gardent parfois
Sometimes bear us
Rancune.
Grudges.
Elles vont errer:
They will be roaming:
Crains d'en rencontrer
Be fearful
Quelqu'une.
Of meeting one.
Les lutins de l'air
The goblins of the air
Vont danser au clair
Will be dancing
De lune.
In the moonlight.
Composer
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet (25 October 1838 – 3 June 1875), registered at birth as Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before…
Poet
Victor Hugo
Victor Marie Hugo was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He is considered one of the greatest and best-known French writers. In France, Hugo's literary fame comes first from his poetry and then from his novels and his…