En sourdine, Poem by Paul Verlaine

Calm in the half-light
That the high branches make,
Let us steep our love deeply
In this profound silence.

Let us merge our souls, our hearts
And our enraptured senses,
Amid the vague languors
Of the pines and the strawberry trees.

Close your eyes half-way,
Cross your arms over your breast,
And from your sleeping heart
Drive away all intent forever.

Let us be persuaded
By the soothing, gentle breath
That comes to wrinkle at your feet
The waves of russet grass.

And when, solemn, the evening
Falls from the dark oaks,
Voice of our despair,
The nightingale will sing.

Paul Verlaine

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-en-sourdine-paul-verlaine/