Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786-1859)

Born in Douai in 1786, it beco mes singer then commédienne and it marries in 1817 certain Valmore, actor of which it will make pass the name to the posterity.

Its poetry, simple but of a sincerity as moving as natural, was appreciated the romantic ones like Symbolists. Verlaine lute its poems on the consulting of Rimbaud, Saite Beuve known as of it: " It sang as the bird sings ".
Here an example of its poems:

The leafless crown

I will go, I will carry my leafl ess crown
With the garden of my father where live again any flower;
I will spread a long time my knelt heart there:
My father has secrecies to overcome the pain.

I will go, I will say to him, at least with my tears:
" Look at, I suffered... " He will look at me,
And under my changed days, my palenesses without charms,
Because he is my father, he will recognize me.

He will say to me: " They is thus you, dear sorry heart;
Does the ground miss with your stray steps?
Dear heart, I am God: be not disturbed any more;
Here your house, here my heart, enter! "

O leniency! O softness! O holy refuge! O Father!
Your child who cried, you heard it!
I obtain to you already, since I hope for you
And that you have all that I lost.

You do not reject the flower which is not beautiful any more;
This crime of the ground to the sky is forgiven.
You will curse your inaccurate child,
Not to have sold anything, but to have very given.

This poem has been translated by Altavista.

La couronne effeuillée

J'irai, j'irai porter ma couronne effeuillée
Au jardin de mon père oùrevit toute fleur;
J'y répandrai longtemps mon âme agenouillée:
Mon père a des secrets pour vaincre la douleur.

J'irai, j'irai lui dire, au moins avec mes larmes:
"Regardez, j'ai souffert..." Il me regardera,
Et sous mes jours changés, sous mes pâleurs sans charmes,
Parce qu'il est mon père, il me reconnaîtra.

Il me dira: "C'est donc vous, chère âme désolée;
La terre manque-t-elle à vos pas égarés?
Chère âme, je suis Dieu: ne soyez plus troublée;
Voici votre maison, voici mon coeur, entrez!"

O clémence! ô douceur! ô saint refuge! ô Père!
Votre enfant qui pleurait, vous l'avez entendu!
Je vous obtiens déjà, puisque je vous espère
Et que vous possédez tou t ce que j'ai perdu.

Vous ne rejetez pas la fleur qui n'est plus belle;
Ce crime de la terre au ciel est pardonné.
Vous ne maudirez pas votre enfant infidèle,
Non d'avoir rien vendu, mais d'avoir tout donné.

Another, counted among the six poems in patois (Picardy douaisien) which she wrote.

Other Marceline's poems are accessible on the Webnet company Poésie Française site.

To return in the welcome page (Home Page Patrick Castéra)