To the Sick Child During the Siege, Poem by Victor Hugo

Poem by Victor Hugo Collection Soleil de nuitThemes ChildhoodPeriod 19th century

If you continue to be so pale
In our stifling air,
If I see you enter into my fateful shadow,
I an old man, you a child;

If I see the chain of our days become entangled,
I who on my knees
Contemplate you, and who wish death near for me,
And far for you;

If your hands are still diaphanous and frail,
If, in your cradle,
Trembling, you look like you are waiting for wings
Like a little bird;

If you do not seem to take on our earth
Root for long,
If you let wander, Jeanne, in our mystery
Your sweet discontented eyes;

If I do not see you cheerful and pink and very strong,
If, sad, you dream,
If you do not close behind you the door
Through which you arrive;

If I do not see you like a beautiful woman
Walk, carry yourself well,
Laugh, and if you seem to be a little soul
That does not want to stay,

I will believe that in this world where the shroud to the swaddling clothes
Sometimes may border,
You come to leave, and that you are the angel
Charged with taking me away.

Victor Hugo

Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.

Text published on Poésies 123: https://www.poesies123.com/en/poem-to-the-sick-child-during-the-siege-victor-hugo/