Puisqu'ici bas toute âme
Donne à quelqu'un
Sa musique, sa flamme,
Ou son parfum;
Reçois mes vœux sans nombre,
O mes amours!
Reçois la flamme ou l'ombre
De tous mes jours!
Je te donne à cette heure,
Penché sur toi,
La chose la meilleure
Que j'ai en moi!
Mon esprit qui sans voile
Vogue au hasard,
Et qui n'a pour étoile
Que ton regard!
Reçois donc ma pensée,
triste d'ailleurs,
Qui comme une rosée,
T'arrive en pleurs!
Mes transports pleins d'ivresses,
purs de soupçons,
Et toutes les caresses
De mes chansons!
Since down here each soul
gives to someone
its music, its flame
or its perfume;
receive my countless wishes,
o my loves!
Receive the flame or the shadow
of all my days!
I give you at this hour,
leaning over you,
the best thing
that I have in me:
my spirit which, without sail,
drifts at random,
and which has for a star
only your gaze!
Receive then my thought,
which longs for other places,
and which like the dew,
comes to you in tears,
my transports intoxicated,
free of doubts,
and all the caresses
of my songs!
© translated by Christopher Goldsack
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