Tomorrow, at dawn, at the hour when the countryside whitens,
I will set out. You see, I know that you wait for me.
I will go by the forest, I will go by the mountain.
I can no longer remain far from you.
I will walk with my eyes fixed on my thoughts,
Seeing nothing of outdoors, hearing no noise
Alone, unknown, my back curved, my hands crossed,
Sorrowed, and the day for me will be as the night.
I will not look at the gold of evening which falls,
Nor the distant sails going down towards Harfleur,
And when I arrive, I will place on your tomb
A bouquet of green holly and of flowering heather.
Notes
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/26206-Victor-Marie-Hugo-Demain--d-l-aube---
Victor Hugo's daughter Leopoldine was married to Charles Vacquerie in February 1843, and in September she drowned with her husband. In this poem, 'Tomorrow, At Dawn', written on the fourth anniversary of her death, Hugo depicted his walk to the place where she was buried:
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Comments
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From guest Sarah (contact)
This is a beautiful poem. It is wonderful in English (but especially moving in the original French, if anyone has a chance to read it that way). One thing that I found a little awkward about this particular English translation was line two of the second stanza, "Seeing nothing of outdoors" ... it feels to me like "outside" would be a better translation for "au dehors" than "of outdoors", and it would certainly sound smoother to an English-speaking ear. But this is a wonderful poem no matter how it's translated. -
From guest rena (contact)
i like the poem its just remebering the one whom you really love so much! it's a best example to all of us if we only comprehend... -
From guest DrStef (contact)
I am a French man living in Canada. I wanted to share this poem with one of my English Canadian friend. Thank you for posting this translation... In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful and moving poem ever written in French. -
i like this poem,its a romantic poem. however. i cannot fully understood the analysis with this peom
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Thank you for included the additional info in the note section. This poem is touching. The flowers are simple tokens-holly and heather. It's the simple flowers and the determination of Hugo not to be sidetracked by the landscape and the "gold of evening" that just get me.
Stanzas 1 and 2 made me think this was going to be a romance poem and to see the revelation of line 11 just caused me to stop reading. I had to start the whole poem over again.
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