April is National poetry month!!! I will share few of my favorite poems.Today, it will be about Alfred de Musset. He has a particular elegance in his prose, a sensibility that glorifies his conflicted personality. His capricious and passionate approach to love is tormenting. It is like; he does everything we should not do just for us to know that: On ne badine pas avec l'amour /Don't Trifle with Love!!
In my opinion, his message is that libertine pleasures offer illusion of happiness but indulging in earthly pleasure of living might equate with a loveless life. I like the dramatic romance between Musset and his mistress George Sand. It is intense, sad and real.
I think that you must love yourself, to love someone else because the bliss of love is full of struggle, tribulations and torments! To conclude here a quote from George Sand aka Amandine Lucile Aurore Dupin: “One is happy as a result of one's own efforts once one knows the necessary ingredients of happiness simple tastes, a certain degree of courage, self denial to a point, love of work, and above all, a clear conscience.”
Enjoy...
August Night
O Muse! What does it matter, life or death?
I love, and want pallor, I love and want the pain;
I love, my genius for a kiss I won’t disdain;
I love, and want to feel on my cheek wan
That stream from endless spring forever drawn.
I love, and want to sing of joy and laziness
Of my crazed life and cares of just one day.
I want to tell and say forever and ceaseless
That once vowing to live without mistress,
Only of love I vow to live and die.
Renounce to all your pride that’s killing you
The bitter-filled heart that you thought was closed.
Love and revive; to blossom be a flower.
Having suffered, even more you must suffer,
And keep loving, after having so loved.
Translated by Thomas D. Le
19 November 2004
Nuit d’Août -Alfred de Musset (1810-1857)
O Muse! que m’importe ou la mort ou la vie ?
J’aime, et je veux pâlir; j’aime et je veux souffrir ;
J’aime, et pour un baiser je donne mon génie ;
J’aime, et je veux sentir sur ma joue amaigrie
Ruisseler une source impossible à tarir.
J’aime, et je veux chanter la joie et la paresse,
Ma folle experience et mes soucis d’un jour,
Et je veux raconter et répéter sans cesse
Qu’après avoir juré de vivre sans maîtresse,
J’ai fait serment de vivre et de mourir d’amour.
Dépouille devant tous l’orgueil qui te dévore,
Coeur gonflé d’amertume et qui t’es cru fermé.
Aime, et tu renaîtras; fais-toi fleur pour éclore.
Après avoir souffert, il faut souffrir encore ;
Il faut aimer sans cesse, après avoir aimé.
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