Delfica

Poem by Gérard De Nerval Period 19th century

Do you know it, Daphne, that ancient romance
At the foot of the sycamore, or beneath the white laurels,
Under the olive tree, the myrtle, or the trembling willows,
That love song that always begins again? …

Do you recognize the TEMPLE with its immense peristyle,
And the bitter lemons where your teeth left their mark,
And the grotto, fatal to imprudent guests,
Where the antique seed of the conquered dragon sleeps? ..

They will return, these Gods you forever weep for!
Time will bring back the order of ancient days;
The earth has trembled with a prophetic breath …

Meanwhile the sibyl with the Latin face
Is still asleep beneath the arch of Constantine
– And nothing has disturbed the severe portico.

Gérard de Nerval

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-delfica-gerard-de-nerval/