English translation for V. Hugo's "Lettre" from "Les Quatre Vents de l’esprit?" Thread poster: Anastasia Schüle
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Esteemed colleagues,
Does anyone have their hands on an English translation of this bit of "Les Quatre Vents de l’esprit" below, by Victor Hugo? It is entitled "Lettre" and can be found in full here: https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Lettre_(Les_Quatre_vents_de_l’esprit).
Ainsi s’en vont mes jours. Assis au bord des ondes,
Je contemple la mer dont les houles pr... See more Esteemed colleagues,
Does anyone have their hands on an English translation of this bit of "Les Quatre Vents de l’esprit" below, by Victor Hugo? It is entitled "Lettre" and can be found in full here: https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Lettre_(Les_Quatre_vents_de_l’esprit).
Ainsi s’en vont mes jours. Assis au bord des ondes,
Je contemple la mer dont les houles profondes
Ne s’arrêtent jamais, tumultueux troupeaux
Bondissant jour et nuit sans halte et sans repos ;
Et nous nous regardons, moi rêveur, elle énorme ;
Elle attend que je pleure et j’attends qu’elle dorme.
A pasted translation or a link to it would be hugely appreciated!
Or if someone is feeling creative...
▲ Collapse
| | | | | | | I rarely pass a chance to be creative... | Dec 12, 2015 |
...so here's my humble effort, since I couldn't find an official translation either:
And so my days are spent. By the edge of the shore
I sit and watch the sea, her wild waves that soar
Never stopping her endless, boisterous flock
Bouncing day and night without a break, non-stop;
She eyes me, the dreamer, waiting for me to weep
I watch her, the power, and wait for her to sleep.
[Edited at 2015-12-12 17:57 GMT]
[Edited ... See more ...so here's my humble effort, since I couldn't find an official translation either:
And so my days are spent. By the edge of the shore
I sit and watch the sea, her wild waves that soar
Never stopping her endless, boisterous flock
Bouncing day and night without a break, non-stop;
She eyes me, the dreamer, waiting for me to weep
I watch her, the power, and wait for her to sleep.
[Edited at 2015-12-12 17:57 GMT]
[Edited at 2015-12-12 17:58 GMT]
[Edited at 2015-12-12 17:59 GMT]
[Edited at 2015-12-12 19:26 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | That's really good, Katarina! | Dec 13, 2015 |
I think "bounding" would be more appropriate than "bouncing" (maybe that was a typo), and some of the lines have one extra syllable. But well done. And there's no "official" translation of any poem - I often find it more fun to do it myself than to copy someone else's.
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| Thank you so much! | Dec 14, 2015 |
Guys! And girls Thank you so much everyone for your responses - really helps!
Have a fabulous week everyone!
| | | | | Thank you Phil, | Dec 23, 2015 |
I see you are a fellow aficionado of translating poetry.
I really meant "bouncing" (of the boisterous flock of waves) as the "flock" reminded me of bouncing lambs...
You are right, I missed on the syllable count, but then I would have spent more time on it, probably spoiling my initial try, so...as long as the rhythm and the rhymes were there, I thought Anastasia could use it as is for her project...
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