Dawn at the Edge of the Woods

Listen! Mixed with twittering from an invisible nest
nearby, confused noise drifts with laughter,
voices, footsteps, swimming out of a hidden dark,
and shadows fill with ghostlight from the moon.
That sweet shiver making the whole woods tremble
is a guitar that vibrates somewhere, as the bell
on a sleeve is plucked by a falling pebble of sand.
The voice of a man takes shape in the ear, and he sings:

 

If you want, we can pretend,
on two palfreys side by side,
you lead me off, as I do you,
under the blackbirds’ choristry.

 

I am your captor and your prey:
wherever we go in the dark,
my horse being your delight,
yours, my pleasure.

 

If we want them to touch heads,
we let go the reins like this,
and coax the animals together
with no oats but kisses.

 

Come! the horses stamp their hooves,
the two of them, unreal,
mine against the floor of dreams,
yours on the floor of heaven.

»Un bagage est nécessaire;
Nous emporterons nos vœux,
Nos bonheurs, notre misère,
Et la fleur de tes cheveux.

 

»Viens, le soir brunit les chênes;
Le moineau rit; ce moqueur
Entend le doux bruit des chaînes
Que tu m’as mises au cœur.

 

»Ce ne sera point ma faute
Si les forêts et les monts,
En nous voyant côte à côte,
Ne murmurent pas: «Aimons!»

 

»Viens, sois tendre, je suis ivre.
O les verts taillis mouillés!
Ton souffle te fera suivre
Des papillons réveillés.

 

»L’envieux oiseau nocturne,
Triste, ouvrira son œil rond;
Les nymphes, penchant leur urne,
Dans les grottes souriront,

 

»Et diront: «Sommes-nous folles!
»C’est Léandre avec Héro;
»En écoutant leurs paroles
»Nous laissons tomber notre eau.»

 

»Allons-nous-en par l’Autriche!
Nous aurons l’aube à nos fronts;
Je serai grand, et toi riche,
Puisque nous nous aimerons.

All we need to bring along
are the true vows of desire,
and happiness, and misery,
and the loose flower of your hair.

 

Now, while the night swells
into the oaks, the first sparrow
jeers at the pinging of the chain
you hung about my heart.

 

It will not be my fault at all
if the woods and hills around us
fail to echo with my song.
Listen! Your cry answers mine!

 

You, be tender. Me, I’m drunk.
But o! the damp green underwoods!
where the heart’s breath bears
the two of us and startled moths.

 

And the envious nightbirds open
their sad little eyes, while nymphs
pour sweet stuff from great urns
in sacred caves, and smile, and say:

 

We are possessed, like you two,
by the ancient myths of love!
and we listen to your song
and pour forth nectar none may drink.

 

No! I want out of the mythic woods!
The stain of dawn has spread on my brow.
And I am the Poet, and you my Muse.
What will we do here in broad daylight?

»Allons-nous-en par la terre,
Sur nos deux chevaux charmants,
Dans l’azur, dans le mystère,
Dans les éblouissements!

 

»Nous entrerons à l’auberge,
Et nous paîrons l’hôtelier
De ton sourire de vierge,
De mon bonjour d’écolier.

 

»Tu seras dame, et moi comte;
Viens, mon cœur s’épanouit;
Viens, nous conterons se conte
Aux étoiles de la nuit.»

 

La mélodie encor quelques instants se traîne
Sous les arbres bleuis par la lune sereine,
Puis tremble, puis expire, et la voix qui chantait
S’éteint comme un oiseau se pose; tout se tait.

We could ride into eternal blue!
Or, up the road, there is an inn,
where if you give the clerk a smile,
and I am charming, and give him cash,

 

while the heart’s blood is in bloom,
we can shut the heavy drapes,
and count stars all day long
on the ceiling of the night.

 

Still the melody plays for a moment
under the trees made blue by the moon,
and after one last chord, where the voice
like a bird alights, silence clears the air for dawn.