Text & Translation
Le soir
French source:
Alphonse de Lamartine
Assis sur ces rochers déserts,
Je suis dans le vague des airs
Le char de la nuit qui s’avance.
Vénus se lève à l’horizon ;
A mes pieds l’étoile amoureuse
De sa lueur mystérieuse
Blanchit les tapis de gazon.
Tout à coup, détaché des cieux,
Un rayon de l’astre nocturne,
Glissant sur mon front taciturne
Vient mollement toucher mes yeux.
Doux reflet d’un globe de flamme,
Charmant rayon, que me veux-tu ?
Viens-tu dans mon sein abattu
Porter la lumière à mon âme ?
Descends-tu pour me révéler
Des mondes le divin mystère ?
Ces secrets cachés dans la sphère
Où le jour va te rappeler ?
Viens-tu dévoiler l’avenir
Au coeur fatigué qui l’implore,
Rayon divin, es-tu l’aurore
Du jour qui ne doit pas finir ?
Evening
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Seated on the these lonely rocks
I follow in the vacant air
The chariot of approaching night.
Venus rises above the horizon;
At my feet the star of love
With her mysterious light
Whitens the carpets of lawn.
Suddenly from the heavens
A beam from the evening star,
Gliding across my solemn face,
Softly comes to touch my eyes.
Sweet reflection of a ball of flame,
Charming ray, what is your wish?
Are you come to my despondent heart
To illuminate my soul?
Are you come down to show me
The divine mystery of the world?
Those secrets hidden in the sphere
To which day will recall you?
Are you come to disclose the future
To this tired heart which implores you?
Divine gleam, are you the dawn
Of the day that has no end?
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Le soir
French source:
Alphonse de Lamartine
Evening
English source:
Richard Stokes
Le soir ramène le silence.
Evening brings silence.
Assis sur ces rochers déserts,
Seated on the these lonely rocks
Je suis dans le vague des airs
I follow in the vacant air
Le char de la nuit qui s’avance.
The chariot of approaching night.
Vénus se lève à l’horizon ;
Venus rises above the horizon;
A mes pieds l’étoile amoureuse
At my feet the star of love
De sa lueur mystérieuse
With her mysterious light
Blanchit les tapis de gazon.
Whitens the carpets of lawn.
Tout à coup, détaché des cieux,
Suddenly from the heavens
Un rayon de l’astre nocturne,
A beam from the evening star,
Glissant sur mon front taciturne
Gliding across my solemn face,
Vient mollement toucher mes yeux.
Softly comes to touch my eyes.
Doux reflet d’un globe de flamme,
Sweet reflection of a ball of flame,
Charmant rayon, que me veux-tu ?
Charming ray, what is your wish?
Viens-tu dans mon sein abattu
Are you come to my despondent heart
Porter la lumière à mon âme ?
To illuminate my soul?
Descends-tu pour me révéler
Are you come down to show me
Des mondes le divin mystère ?
The divine mystery of the world?
Ces secrets cachés dans la sphère
Those secrets hidden in the sphere
Où le jour va te rappeler ?
To which day will recall you?
Viens-tu dévoiler l’avenir
Are you come to disclose the future
Au coeur fatigué qui l’implore,
To this tired heart which implores you?
Rayon divin, es-tu l’aurore
Divine gleam, are you the dawn
Du jour qui ne doit pas finir ?
Of the day that has no end?
Composer
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, best known for his Ave Maria, based on a work by Bach, as well as his opera Faust. Read more here.
Poet
Alphonse de Lamartine
Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, Knight of Pratz, was a French writer, poet and politician who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the Tricolore as the flag of France.