My Mazamet

Life at № 42 by E.M. Coutinho

Words. So many words. Rosemonde Gérard.

plusquhier-augis

Lorsque tu seras vieux et que je serai vieille,

Lorsque mes cheveux blonds seront des cheveux blancs,

Au mois de mai, dans le jardin qui s’ensoleille,

Nous irons réchauffer nos vieux membres tremblants,

Comme le renouveau mettra nos cœurs en fête,

Nous nous croirons encor de jeunes amoureux,

Et je te sourirai tout en branlant la tête,

Et nous ferons un couple adorable de vieux ;

When you are old, and I am also old,

When my blond hair will be grey hair,

In the month of May in the sunny garden

We will heat up our shaky old limbs,

Like a new lease of life will put our hearts in celebration,

We would think ourselves to be still young lovers

And I will smile at you while nodding my head

And we will make an adorable old couple;

Sur le banc d’autrefois nous reviendrons causer ;

Nous aurons une joie attendrie et très douce,

La phrase finissant souvent par un baiser,

Combien de fois jadis j’ai pu dire ‘Je t’aime !’

On the old bench we will go back to chatting;

We will have a sweet and tender happiness,

The sentences often finishing with a kiss,

How many times in the past have I said ‘I love you’

Et comme chaque jour je t’aime davantage,

-Aujourd’hui plus qu’hier et bien moins que demain-

Qu’importeront alors les rides du visage,

And as each day I love you more,

-Today more than yesterday but much less than tomorrow-

What does it matter the wrinkles on the face…

….Mes souvenirs a moi seront aussi les tiens,

Ces communs souvenirs toujours plus nous enlacent

…Mais plus fort chaque jour je serrerai la main,

Car, vois-tu, chaque jour je t’aime davantage :

Aujourd’hui plus qu’hier et bien moins que demain !

….My memories will be also yours,

These joint memories will always bind us more

….But every day I will hold your hand tighter

Because, you see, every day I love you more:

Today more than yesterday and much less than tomorrow!

Et de ce cher amour que passe comme un rêve

Je veux tout conserver dans le fond de mon cœur,

Retenir, s’il se peut, l’impression trop brève,

Pour la ressavourer plus tard avec lenteur ;

And of this dear love that passes like a dream

I want to keep everything in the depths of my heart,

Hold, if I can, its fleeting effect

To savour it later with plenty of time;

…Je serai riche alors d’une richesse rare,

J’aurai garde tout l’or de mes jeunes amours ;

Ainsi, de ce passe de bonheur qui s’achève,

Ma mémoire parfois me rendra la douceur,

Et de cher amour que passe comme un rêve

J’aurai tout conservé dans le fond de mon cœur.

 

I will be rich, but with a rare wealth,

I will have stored all the gold from my young loves

So that if this happiness ever passes,

My memory will sometimes give me back the sweetness,

And of this sweet love which passes like a dream

I will have kept everything in the bottom of my heart.

8 comments on “Words. So many words. Rosemonde Gérard.

  1. Hariod Brawn
    January 8, 2017

    “My dear young man, don’t take it too hard. Your work is ingenious. It’s quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that’s all. Just cut a few and it will be perfect.”

    Liked by 1 person

  2. clubschadenfreude
    January 9, 2017

    thank you, Mr. M. a very nice thing to send to my spouse 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Esme upon the Cloud
    January 9, 2017

    So touching. I like this the best;

    “….But every day I will hold your hand tighter

    Because, you see, every day I love you more:”

    The whole this is just full of love. The real thing.

    – esme wiping a tear away upon the Cloud

    Liked by 4 people

  4. Clare Flourish
    January 9, 2017

    Thank you for your translation, and sharing the original. I puzzled out parts of the French, but needed the English.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. makagutu
    January 10, 2017

    Very beautiful and thank you for the translation

    Like

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This entry was posted on January 8, 2017 by in life and tagged , , , , .