by Francis Jammes (1868 - 1938)
Translation © by Grant Hicks

Laisse les nuages blancs passer au...
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
Laisse les nuages blancs passer au soleil.
Il n'y a ici que toi, la terre et le ciel.
Ne pense à presque rien. Douces comme du miel,

auprès des cressons bleus les brebis viendront boire.
La fille chantera dans la métairie noire,
et sur la terre tiède il tombera des poires.

La vieille tremblera sur le rouet tremblant,
le bélier bêlera dans le troupeau bêlant
-- et la fille aimera l'amour de son amant.

Les ânes passeront en frissonnant de mouches.
La mère chantera sur l'enfant qu'elle couche,
et je t'embrasserai, la bouche sur la bouche.

Puis le ciel sera bleu, puis le ciel sera gris.
Les oiseaux chanteront et pousseront des cris
et auprès du vieux puits il poussera des buis.

Écoute, mon amie : il y a sous la grange
un nid d'hirondelles petites et criardes
et qui ont la douceur de la vie calme et sage.

Les grands chars sont passés. Sur leurs cornes luisantes
les bœufs avaient les longues fougères ombrageantes
des bois glacés d'Été qui ont des sources lentes.

On a coupé les blés qui dormaient au soleil ;
puis la pluie est venue, elle est venue du ciel :
elle a noyé le blé et a mangé le miel.

On a coupé mon cœur qui dormait au soleil...
Une fille est venue, elle est venue du Ciel :
elle a noyé mon cœur et a mangé le miel :

mais la douleur est douce et ton amour est doux.
Tu m'as donné ton cœur, ta tête et tes genoux :
nous ne faisons plus qu'un et ton cœur est à nous.

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Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "Let the clouds", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-11-04
Line count: 30
Word count: 260

Let the clouds
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
Let the white clouds pass in the sun.
Here there is nothing but you, the earth and the sky.
Empty your mind of thoughts.  Mild as honey,

the sheep will come to drink beside the blue watercress.
The girl will sing in the black farmhouse,
and pears will fall upon the warm earth.

The old woman will shudder over the shuddering wheel,
the ram will bleat amid the bleating flock
— and the girl will love her lover's love.

Asses will pass, quivering from the flies.
The mother will sing over the child she is putting to bed,
and I will kiss you, mouth upon mouth.

Then the sky will be blue, then the sky will be gray.
The birds will sing and cry out
and beside the old well, box trees will grow.

Listen, my dear:  there is, under the barn,
a nest of swallows, small and shrill,
who have the gentleness of a calm and wise life.

The big carts have gone by. On their gleaming horns
the oxen had the long, shady ferns
of Summer's icy woods with their lazy springs.

The wheat has been cut, that dozed in the sun;
then the rain came, it came from the heavens:
it drowned the wheat and ate up the honey.

My heart has been cut, that dozed in the sun...
A girl came, she came from Heaven:
she drowned my heart and ate up the honey:

But the pain is gentle and your love is gentle.
You've given me your heart, your head and your knees:
Together we make just one, and your heart is ours.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Grant Hicks, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2025-06-11
Line count: 30
Word count: 268