Poems by Paul Verlaine

En Français – In English – На Русском Языке – Bilingual

French literature – Bilingual books – Fairy tales and Children’s books – French Poetry – Paul Verlaine

Fêtes Galantes

Clair De Lune
Your soul is as a moonlit landscape fair,
Peopled with maskers delicate and dim,
That play on lutes and dance and have an air … Continue Reading …

Sur L’herbe
“The abbé rambles.”—”You, marquis,
Have put your wig on all awry.”—
“This wine of Cyprus kindles me … Continue Reading …

L’ Allée
Powdered and rouged as in the sheepcotes’ day,
Fragile ‘mid her enormous ribbon bows,
Along the shaded alley, where green grows … Continue Reading …

A La Promenade
The milky sky, the hazy, slender trees,
Seem smiling on the light costumes we wear,—
Our gauzy floating veils that have an air … Continue Reading …

Le Faune
An ancient terra-cotta Faun,
A laughing note in ‘mid the green,
Grins at us from the central lawn, … Continue Reading …

Mandoline
The courtly serenaders,
The beauteous listeners,
Sit idling ‘neath the branches … Continue Reading …

L’amour Par Terre
The wind the other night blew down the Love
That in the dimmest corner of the park
So subtly used to smile, bending his arc, … Continue Reading …

En Sourdine
Tranquil in the twilight dense
By the spreading branches made,
Let us breathe the influence … Continue Reading …

Colloque Sentimental
In the deserted park, silent and vast,
Erewhile two shadowy glimmering figures passed.
Their lips were colorless, and dead their eyes;… Continue Reading …

Since Shade Relents
Since shade relents, since ’tis indeed the day,
Since hope I long had deemed forever flown,
Wings back to me that call on her and pray, … Continue Reading …

Before Your Light Quite Fail
Before your light quite fail,
Already paling star,
(The quail … Continue Reading …

The Scene Behind The Carriage Window-Panes
The scene behind the carriage window-panes
Goes flitting past in furious flight; whole plains
With streams and harvest-fields and trees and blue … Continue Reading …

Ariettes Oubliées

Il Pleut Doucement Sur La Ville.—Arthur Rimbaud
It weeps in my heart
As it rains on the town.
What is this dull smart … Continue Reading …

Son Joyeux, Importun, D’un Clavecin Sonore.—Pétrus Borel
The keyboard, over which two slim hands float,
Shines vaguely in the twilight pink and gray,
Whilst with a sound like wings, note after note … Continue Reading …

Paysages Belges

Bruxelles
Hills and fences hurry by
Blent in greenish-rosy flight,
And the yellow carriage-light … Continue Reading …

Birds In The Night
You were not over-patient with me, dear;
This want of patience one must rightly rate:
You are so young! Youth ever was severe … Continue Reading …

Green
See, blossoms, branches, fruit, leaves I have brought,
And then my heart that for you only sighs;
With those white hands of yours, oh, tear it not, … Continue Reading …

Streets
Above all else I loved her eyes,
More clear than stars of cloudless skies,
And arch and mischievous and wise. … Continue Reading …

The False Fair Days
The false fair days have flamed the livelong day,
And still they flicker in the brazen West.
Cast down thine eyes, poor soul, shut out the unblest: … Continue Reading …

Give Ear Unto The Gentle Lay
Give ear unto the gentle lay
That’s only sad that it may please;
It is discreet, and light it is: … Continue Reading …

I’ve Seen Again The One Child: Verily
I’ve seen again the One child: verily,
I felt the last wound open in my breast,
The last, whose perfect torture doth attest … Continue Reading …

Sleep, Darksome, Deep
Sleep, darksome, deep,
Doth on me fall:
Vain hopes all, sleep, … Continue Reading …

The Sky-Blue Smiles Above The Roof
The sky-blue smiles above the roof
Its tenderest;
A green tree rears above the roof … Continue Reading …

Jadis et Naguère

Jadis

Prologue (Jadis)
Off, be off, now, graceless pack:
Get you gone, lost children mine:
Your release is earned in fine: … Continue Reading …

Langueur
I am the Empire in the last of its decline,
That sees the tall, fair-haired Barbarians pass,—the while
Composing indolent acrostics, in a style … Continue Reading …

NAGUÈRE

Prologue (Naguère)
Glimm’ring twilight things are these,
Visions of the end of night.
Truth, thou lightest them, I wis, … Continue Reading …

PARALLÈLEMENT

Impression Fausse
Dame mouse patters
Black against the shadow grey;
Dame mouse patters … Continue Reading …

POÈMES SATURNIENS

Prologue (Poèmes Saturniens)
The Sages of old time, well worth our own,
Believed—and it has been disproved by none—
That destinies in Heaven written are, … Continue Reading …

MELANCHOLIA

Nevermore
Remembrance, what wilt thou with me? The year
Declined; in the still air the thrush piped clear,
The languid sunshine did incurious peer … Continue Reading …

PAYSAGES TRISTES

Chanson D’automne – (Chanson d’automne fr)
Leaf-strewing gales
Utter low wails
Like violins,— … Continue Reading …

Il Bacio
Kiss! Hollyhock in Love’s luxuriant close!
Brisk music played on pearly little keys,
In tempo with the witching melodies … Continue Reading …

Épilogue (Paysages Tristes)
The sun, less hot, looks from a sky more clear;
The roses in their sleepy loveliness
Nod to the cradling wind. The atmosphere … Continue Reading …

French literature – Bilingual books – Fairy tales and Children’s books – French Poetry – Paul Verlaine