Testament
(1883)
French source:
Armand Silvestre
Sur l’aile noire d’un remords,
J’écrirai sur la feuille morte
Les tortures de mon cœur mort!
Toute ma sève s’est tarie
Aux clairs midis de ta beauté,
Et, comme à la feuille flétrie,
Rien de vivant ne m’est resté;
Tes yeux m’ont brûlé jusqu’à l’âme,
Comme des soleils sans merci!
Feuille que le gouffre réclame,
L’autan va m’emporter aussi …
Mais avant, pour qu’il te les porte
Sur l’aile noire d’un remords,
J’écrirai sur la feuille morte
Les tortures de mon cœur mort!
Testament
(1883)
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
On the black wing of remorse,
I shall inscribe on the dead leaf
The torments of my dead heart!
All my strength has drained away
In the bright noon of your beauty,
And, like the withered leaf,
Nothing living is left for me.
Your eyes have scorched me to the soul
Like suns devoid of mercy!
The chasm will claim the leaf,
The south wind sweep me away...
But first, that it might bear them to you
On the black wing of remorse,
I shall inscribe on the dead leaf,
The torments of my dead heart!
Testament
(1883)
French source:
Armand Silvestre
Testament (1883)
English source:
Richard Stokes
Pour que le vent te les apporte
That the wind might bear them to you
Sur l’aile noire d’un remords,
On the black wing of remorse,
J’écrirai sur la feuille morte
I shall inscribe on the dead leaf
Les tortures de mon cœur mort!
The torments of my dead heart!
Toute ma sève s’est tarie
All my strength has drained away
Aux clairs midis de ta beauté,
In the bright noon of your beauty,
Et, comme à la feuille flétrie,
And, like the withered leaf,
Rien de vivant ne m’est resté;
Nothing living is left for me.
Tes yeux m’ont brûlé jusqu’à l’âme,
Your eyes have scorched me to the soul
Comme des soleils sans merci!
Like suns devoid of mercy!
Feuille que le gouffre réclame,
The chasm will claim the leaf,
L’autan va m’emporter aussi …
The south wind sweep me away...
Mais avant, pour qu’il te les porte
But first, that it might bear them to you
Sur l’aile noire d’un remords,
On the black wing of remorse,
J’écrirai sur la feuille morte
I shall inscribe on the dead leaf,
Les tortures de mon cœur mort!
The torments of my dead heart!
Composer
Henri Duparc
Eugène Marie Henri Fouques Duparc (21 January 1848 – 12 February 1933) was a French composer of the late Romantic period. Read more here.
Poet
Armand Silvestre
Paul-Armand Silvestre, French poet and conteur, was born in Paris. He studied at the École polytechnique with the intention of entering the army, but in 1870 he entered the department of finance. He had a successful official career, was decorated…