Spleen
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Comme il pleut sur la ville.
Quelle est cette langueur
Qui pénètre mon cœur?
Ô bruit doux de la pluie,
Par terre et sur les toits!
Pour un cœur qui s’ennuie,
Ô le chant de la pluie!
Il pleure sans raison
Dans mon cœur qui s’écœure.
Quoi! nulle trahison?
Mon deuil est sans raison.
C’est bien la pire peine,
De ne savoir pourquoi,
Sans amour et sans haine,
Mon cœur a tant de peine.
Spleen
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
As rain falls on the town;
What is this torpor
Pervading my heart?
Ah, the soft sound of rain
On the ground and roofs!
For a listless heart,
Ah, the song of the rain!
Tears fall without reason
In this disheartened heart.
What! Was there no treason? …
This grief’s without reason.
And the worst pain of all
Must be not to know why
Without love and without hate
My heart has so much pain.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Spleen
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Spleen
English source:
Richard Stokes
Il pleure dans mon cœur
Tears fall in my heart
Comme il pleut sur la ville.
As rain falls on the town;
Quelle est cette langueur
What is this torpor
Qui pénètre mon cœur?
Pervading my heart?
Ô bruit doux de la pluie,
Ah, the soft sound of rain
Par terre et sur les toits!
On the ground and roofs!
Pour un cœur qui s’ennuie,
For a listless heart,
Ô le chant de la pluie!
Ah, the song of the rain!
Il pleure sans raison
Tears fall without reason
Dans mon cœur qui s’écœure.
In this disheartened heart.
Quoi! nulle trahison?
What! Was there no treason? …
Mon deuil est sans raison.
This grief’s without reason.
C’est bien la pire peine,
And the worst pain of all
De ne savoir pourquoi,
Must be not to know why
Sans amour et sans haine,
Without love and without hate
Mon cœur a tant de peine.
My heart has so much pain.
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…