Nocturne, Poem by Charles Cros

She

The nightingale complains in the black branches.
I gave you my body, and my soul, and my glory.

The tall trees are black against the green sky.
See this flower that dies in my open bodice

The wind is scented this evening like amber.
You know they found your dagger in my room.

Kiss me. The moon has tints of blood.
My father died, they say, yesterday cursing me.

Up there the nightingale weeps and despairs.
The bell we hear is my father’s death knell.

The perfumes of this evening make my knees bend,
I am weary. A moment, friend, let us rest.

How I love you! In the castle do you see that light?
It is a candle burning near my mother’s bed.

Ah! the stars!… It looks like golden sand.
Did I not tell you my father was dead?

Let us rise. Let us go near the lake. I am stronger.
Did I not tell you my mother was dead?

Hear the sound of the water… It is like songs,
It is like our kisses, when we kiss each other.

I do not want to know where you came from, nor even
To know what your name is… What does it matter to me? I love you.

The nightingale falls silent at the sound of this belfry.
My mother told me your heart was cold.

The moon makes the candle in the window grow pale.
My father told me you were nothing but a traitor.

Listen to this cricket. Look at this glowworm.
Enough bell. Enough candle – Let us go away.

I took diamonds as many as one sees stars,
Let us leave. Smell the good wind, which will swell our sails.

Come. What holds back your words and your steps?

Mademoiselle, but… I do not love you.

Languages
Russian is cold, almost cruel,
German hisses its consonants;
Italy, in vain you resound
With your perpetual kiss.

In English there is honey,
Mewlings of persons
Who call themselves sweet and good;
That serves, for the present time.

The languages of the East? regret
Or clucking without interest.
Dear, when you call me Charles,

With that blood-like accent
The language you speak to me,
It is French, sunlight clear.

Charles Cros

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-nocturne-charles-cros-2/