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Poulenc - Épitaphe

Épitaphe

Poulenc (1930)

Belle âme qui fus mon flambeau,
Reçois l'honneur qu'en ce tombeau
Le devoir m'oblige à te rendre:
Ce que je fais te sert de peu;
Mais au moins tu vois en la cendre,
Que j'en aime encore le feu.

François de Malherbe

Epitaph

 

Beautiful soul who was my torch,
accept this homage which, in this tomb,
duty obliges me to offer unto you:
that which I do is of little use to you;
but at least you see in the ashes,
that I still love their fire.

© translated by Christopher Goldsack

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