Desbordes-Valmore: My Fading Crown

The Crown With Its Leaves Falling Off

I will go with my crown, its leaves falling off,
To my father’s garden where flowers live again;
I will spread out at length my kneeling soul:
My father has secrets to conquer pain.

I will go, I will go tell him, at least with my tears:
“See, I have suffered…”  He will look at me,
And under my changed face, my charmless pallor,
Because he is my father, he will recognize me.

He will say, “It is you then, dear sad soul!
Do your wandering steps miss the mark?
Dear soul, I am God: be troubled no more;
Behold your home, behold my heart, come in!”

O mercy! O kindness! O holy refuge! O father!
You have heard your child who was weeping!
I have you already since I hope in you
And since you possess already all that I have lost.

You do not reject the flower no longer fair,
That crime of earth is forgiven in heaven.
You will not curse your unfaithful child,
Not for having sold nothing, but for having given all.

--Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786-1859)

[Her family was ruined by the Revolution and she lost her brothers, sisters, four of her five children, and a grandchild before she died; she lived in poverty most of her life.]

La couronne effeuillée

J’irai, j’irai porter ma couronne effeuillée
Au jardin de mon père où revit toute fleur;
J’y répandrai longtemps mon âme agenouillée:
Mon père a des secrets pour vaincre la douleur.

J’irai, j’irai lui dire, au moins avec mes larmes:
“Regardez, j’ai souffert…”  il me regardera,
Et sous mes jours changés, sous mes pâleurs sans charmes,
Parce qu’il est mon père, il me reconnaîtra.

Il dira: “C’est donc vous, chère âme désolée!
La terre manque-t-elle a vos pas égarés?
Chère âme, je suis Dieu: ne soyez plus troublée;
Voici votre maison, voici mon coeur, entrez!

Ô clémence! ô douceur! ô saint refuge! ô père!
Votre enfant qui pleurait vous l’avez entendu!
Je vous obtiens déjà puisque je vous espère
Et que vous possédez tout ce j’ai perdu.

Vous ne rejetez pas la fleur qui n’est plus belle,
Ce crime de la terre au ciel est pardonné.
Vous ne maudirez pas votre enfant infidèle,
Non d’avoir rien vendu, mais d’avoir tout donné.

Comments

[fazu]

I like this concept. It's also good marketing material. I hope you are guarding your work from plagiarism and copyright infringements!

[fazu]

And I find people who don't believe in evolution scary too!

[M. Alhydar-Kurdistan]

very nice translation. thank you.