by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Translation Singable translation by John Alden Carpenter (1876 - 1951)

Calmes dans le demi‑jour
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  CAT CAT ENG ENG GER GER GRE SPA SPA
Calmes dans le demi-jour
Que les branches hautes font,
Pénétrons bien notre amour
De ce silence profond.

[Fondons]1 nos âmes, nos cœurs
Et nos sens extasiés,
Parmi les vagues langueurs
Des pins et des arbousiers.

Ferme tes yeux à demi,
Croise tes bras sur ton sein,
Et de ton cœur endormi
Chasse à jamais tout dessein.

Laissons-nous persuader
Au souffle berceur et doux,
Qui vient à tes pieds rider
Les ondes des gazons roux.

Et quand, solennel, le soir
Des chênes noirs tombera,
Voix de notre désespoir,
Le rossignol chantera.

About the headline (FAQ)

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Confirmed with Paul Verlaine, Fêtes galantes, Paris: Alphonse Lemerre, 1869, pages 49-50. Note: first appeared in the journal L'Artiste, July 1, 1868, and then in 1869 in Fêtes galantes, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre.

Note: The ampersands (&) as appear in the first publication are changed to "et".

1 Fauré: "Mêlons"

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Anna Brull Piñol) , "Calms, dins el capvespre", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CAT Catalan (Català) [singable] (Núria Colomer) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Muted", copyright ©
  • ENG English (Laura Claycomb) (Peter Grunberg) , "Muted", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Elaine Marie Ortiz-Arandes) (Julie Nezami-Tavi) , copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Gedämpften Tons", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) [singable] (Christakis Poumbouris) , "Απαλή αγάπη", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Pablo Sabat) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , "En voz baja", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Didier Pelat , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 91

Language: English  after the French (Français) 
When the misty shadows glide,
At the tranquil end of day,
Then let the soul of silence come,
And in our love abide.

Let then thy heart, thy soul, 
Thy ev'ry sense be merged in me,
Amid the languorous breath of pine,
And sweet arbutus tree.

Close then thine eyes, my beloved.
On thy soft breast hands recline,
And from thy heart submissive
Drive forth all plan, all design.

Soft and gentle breezes, 
Sweet lullaby breezes stir,
And stealing thro' the sunburnt grass 
Their murmuring whispers bring,

And when twilight falls, with dark 
And solemn shadows creeping by,
Voice of our despair!
The nightingale shall sing.

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2012-01-20
Line count: 20
Word count: 106