Resignation

Poem by Gérard De Nerval Period 19th century

When the fires of the sun flood all nature with light,
When all shines in my eyes with both life and with love,
If I see a flower opening, fresh and pure,
Beneath the rays of a fair day;

If joyful herds leap across the plain,
If the bird sings in the woods where I go wandering,
I am sad, and my soul feels so full of mourning
That I would like to weep.

But when I see the meadow grass withering,
When the woodland leaf falls yellow at my feet,
When I see a pale sky, a faded rose,
I sit down dreaming.

And I feel less sad, and my hand gathers them,
These leaves, these remnants of green and of flowers.
I love to look at them, my mouth kisses them…
I say to them: O my sisters!

Is she not my sister, this leaf that falls,
Broken before its time by a cruel breath?
Shall I not also descend into the tomb,
In the days of my spring?

Perhaps, like me, this dying flower,
Opening with rapture to the sun’s ardors,
Held within its breast the devouring flame
That gave it death.

It must be so; here below all withers, all passes.
Why fear a fate that everyone must undergo?
Death is but a sleep. Since my soul is weary,
Let it fall asleep.

My mother!… Oh! for pity’s sake, since I must die,
Friends, spare her needless sorrows,
Soon she will come to my sad dwelling,
But I shall no longer be there.

And you, adored dream of my lonely heart,
Beautiful and laughing child whom I loved without hope,
Your memory in vain binds me to the earth;
I must see you no more.

But if for a long time, like a vain image,
My shadow appears to you… oh! remain without fear:
For my shadow must long follow you, uncertain
Between the sky and you.

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-resignation-gerard-de-nerval/