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Duparc - Soupir

Soupir

Duparc (1869)

Ne jamais la voir ni l'entendre,
Ne jamais tout haut la nommer,
Mais, fidèle, toujours l'attendre,
Toujours l'aimer.

Ouvrir les bras et, las d'attendre,
Sur le néant les refermer,
Mais encor, toujours les lui tendre,
Toujours l'aimer.

Ah! ne pouvoir que les lui tendre,
Et dans les pleurs se consumer,
Mais ces pleurs toujours les répandre,
Toujours l'aimer.

Ne jamais la voir ni l'entendre,
Ne jamais tout haut la nommer,
Mais, d'un amour toujours plus tendre,
Toujours l'aimer.

Sully Prudhomme

Sigh

 

Never to see her nor to hear her,
never to name her aloud,
but, faithful, ever to wait for her,
ever to love her.

To open my arms and, weary of waiting,
to close them on the void,
but again, ever to stretch them out to her,
ever to love her.

Ah! Only to be able to stretch them out to her,
and to be consumed in tears,
yet ever to scatter these tears,
ever to love her.

Never to see her nor to hear her,
never to name her aloud,
but, with an ever more tender love,
ever to love her.

© translated by Christopher Goldsack

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