That is how you are
Your flesh, mingled with soul, Your tangled hair, Your feet pursuing time, Your shadow which stretches And whispers close to my temple. There, that is your portrait, That is how you are, And I shall write it down for you So that when night comes, You may believe and say That I knew you well.
-Louise de Vilmorin
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
C'est ainsi que tu es
Ta chair d’âme mêlée Chevelure emmêlée, Ton pied courant le temps, Ton ombre qui s’étend Et murmure à ma tempe. Voilà , c’est ton portrait, C’est ainsi que tu es Et je veux te l’écrire Pour que la nuit venue Tu puisses croire et dire Que je t’ai bien connue.
Happy Birthday!
CPW