Paul Verlaine

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

"Il pleut doucement sur la ville" -Arthur Rimbaud

—

Il pleure dans mon coeur
Comme il pleut sur la ville,
Quelle est cette langueur
Qui penetre mon coeur?

O bruit doux de la pluie
Par terre et sur les toits!
Pour un coeur qui s'ennuie,
O le chant de la pluie!

Il pleure sans raison
Dans ce coeur qui s'ecoeure.
Quoi! nulle trahison?
Ce deuil est sans raison.

C'est bien la pire peine
De ne savoir pourquoi,
Sans amour et sans haine,
Mon coeur a tant de peine!

Comments

[ex-mahuika7289.livejournal.com]

I don't even pretend to claim that this is a decent translation, but this is a pretty direct translation:

It rains in my heart
Like it rains in the city.
What is the langeur
That penetrates my heart?

Oh soft sound of the rain
On the ground and on the rooves!
For a heart who saddens itself
Oh, the song of the rain!

It rains without reason.
In this heart that pierces
What! No treason?
This dirge is without reason.

It's by far the worst pain
To not know why,
Without love, without hate,
My heart feels so much pain.


That's as word for word as I could get, but it's not that poetic. Just reread the poem, now that you know the subject, ;-)

Here's another translation ...

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

"It rains gently on the town" -Arthur Rimbaud

—

It rains in my heart
Like it rains on the town
What is this pallor
That sinks through my heart?

O rain's gentle sound
Against the earth and on the rooftops!
For the restless heart
O the aria of the rain!

It rains without thought
In this heart without a soul
What! Is it not betrayal?
This requiem is without reason.

It is indeed the greatest sorrow
To not understand why,
Without love and without hate,
My heart feels such pain.

Re: Here's another translation ...

[sapience.livejournal.com]

Oh, these translations are so much fun! I want to play, too.


"The rain falls softly upon the town." -Arthur Rimbaud

Tears fall in my heart
As rain falls on the town,
Whence comes this languor
That's pervading my heart?

O sweet sound of the rain
On the earth and rooftops!
For a self-weary heart,
O the song of the rain!

It weeps without reason,
This self-sickened heart.
What! no betrayal?
It mourns without reason.

The worst of the pain
Is not knowing why,
With no love and no hatred,
My heart feels so much pain!

-Paul Verlaine

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

They are fun!