Fine Flowers, Foamy as Sea-Foam

Poem by Emile Verhaeren Period 19th century

Fine flowers, foamy as sea-foam,
Grew along the edge of our paths;
The wind fell still and the air seemed to brush your hands
And your hair with feathers.

The shadow was kindly to our united steps
In their walking, beneath the foliage;
A child’s song came to us from a village
And filled all infinity.

Our ponds spread out in their autumn splendor
Under the guard of the long reeds,
And the beautiful brow of the woods reflected in the waters
Its tall and flexible crown.

And both of us, knowing that our hearts were forming
Together one same thought,
We mused that it was our life made peaceful
That this beautiful evening was revealing to us.

One final time, you saw the sky in celebration
Adorn itself and bid us farewell;
And for a long, long while you gave it your eyes
Filled to the brim with silent tenderness.

Emile Verhaeren

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-fine-flowers-foamy-as-seafoam-emile-verhaeren/