Il pleure dans mon cœur
Comme il pleut sur la ville;
Quelle est cette langueur
Qui pénètre mon cœur?
Ô bruit doux de la pluie
Par terre et sur les toits!
Pour un cœur qui s’ennuie,
Ô le chant de la pluie!
Il pleure sans raison
Dans ce cœur qui s’écœure.
Quoi? nulle trahison?…
Ce deuil est sans raison.
C’est bien la pire peine
De ne savoir pourquoi
Sans amour et sans haine
Mon cœur a tant de peine!
Glossary
|
WORD
|
DEFINITION
|
POSSIBLE SYNONYMS
|
|---|---|---|
| a (v.) | from the verb avoir—to have | has, possesses, contains, holds |
| amour (n.) | an intense feeling of deep affection | love, affection, endearment, ardor, tenderness |
| bien (adv.) | used to emphasize a statement or response confirming something already suggested | indeed, certainly, surely, truly, easily, very well |
| bruit (n.) | vibrations that are heard | sound, noise, patter, din |
| c’est (pron + v.) | from the verb être—to be | it is, it’s, that is, this is |
| ce, cette (adj.) | referring to a specific idea, person, place, or object | this |
| chant (n.) | the act or art of singing; a musical composition | song, singing, crooning, hymn, chant, tune, melody, ballad, ditty |
| cœur (n.) | regarded as the center of a person’s thoughts and emotions | heart, soul, spirit |
| comme (conj.) | used to indicate by comparison the way that something happens or is done; used to indicate that something happens during the same time | as, like, just as, the same way, while, even as, at the same time that |
| dans (prep.) | enclosed or surrounded by something else | in, inside, within, enclosed by |
| de (prep.) | expressing the relationship between a part and a whole | of |
| de ne savoir (v.) | from the verb savoir—to be familiar with | to not know, not knowing, to not be aware, not being aware of |
| deuil (n.) | a deep sadness, especially one caused by someone’s death | grief, pain, sorrow, misery, mourning |
| doux (adj.) | pleasing in general | sweet, soft, gentle, pleasant, light, delightful |
| est (v.) | from the verb être—to be | is |
| et (conj.) | in addition to | and |
| haine (n.) | strong dislike | hate, hatred, malice, contempt, aversion, ill will, bitterness |
| il pleure (v.) | from the verb pleurer—to cry | there is crying, there is sobbing, there is weeping, it cries, it sobs, it weeps |
| il pleut (v.) | from the verb pleuvoir—to rain | it rains, it is raining, there is rain |
| la, le (art.) | distinguishing one from another | the |
| langueur (n.) | the state or feeling of tiredness or stillness | languor, lethargy, sluggishness, fatigue, weariness, sleepiness, drowsiness, laziness, apathy |
| les (art.) | distinguishing some from others | the |
| mon (adj.) | belonging to the speaker | my |
| nulle (adj.) | negative; not any | no, not, not at all, by no means |
| ô (exclamation) | a statement of excitement or surprise | oh, what, such |
| par (prep.) | indicating location or means of | on, upon, by, via, through, to |
| peine (n.) | mental or emotional suffering | mental or emotional suffering |
| pénètre (v.) | from the verb pénétrer—to get into | penetrates, enters, seeps into, soaks into, infiltrates |
| pire (adj.) | the opposite of the best | worst |
| pluie (n.) | water that falls in droplets from the sky | rain, shower, raindrops, deluge, drizzle, downpour, rainfall |
| pour (prep.) | a word used to indicate purpose | for |
| pourquoi (adv.) | for what reason or purpose | why |
| quelle (pron.) | asking for information specifying something | which, what |
| qui (pron.) | referring to a specific person or thing | that, which, who |
| quoi (interj.) | used to express surprise | what, huh |
| raison (n.) | an explanation of why something is the way it is | reason, sense, motive |
| s’écœure (v.) | from the verb s’écœurer—to lose hope or enthusiasm | is discouraged, is disheartened, is dejected, is dismayed, is dispirited |
| s’ennuie (v.) | from the verb s’ennuyer—to be bored | is bored, is sick and tired, is fatigued, is disinterested, is spiritless |
| sans (prep.) | not having or including | without, lacking, missing, free of |
| sur (prep.) | physically in contact with and being supported by | upon, on, on top of, onto |
| tant (adv.) | a lot of | so much, such |
| terre (n.) | the surface of the earth | ground, earth, land, floor, soil |
| toits (n.) | the structure forming the upper covering of a building or vehicle | roofs, canopies, rafters, ceilings |
| trahison (n.) | the harmful act of deceiving someone | betrayal, treason, disloyalty, infidelity, treachery, deceit |
| un (art.) | one single; any | a, an, one, any, a certain |
| ville (n.) | a place where people live | town, city, village |
Background
About Quatrains
A quatrain is a four-line stanza, rhyming with various forms for example:
- ABAC or ABCB (known as unbounded or ballad quatrain), as in Samuel Taylor
Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”
It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
Now wherefore stopp’st thou me?
The Bridegroom’s doors are opened wide
And I am next of kin
The guests are met, the feast is set:
May’st hear the merry din.
- AABB (a double couplet); see A.E. Housman’s “To an Athlete Dying Young.”
The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by.
And home we brought you shoulder-high
Today the road all runner come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home.
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.
Bio
Like other French Symbolist poets, Paul Verlaine was inspired by spirituality, imagination, and dreams. After publishing his first book of poetry in 1866, he enjoyed a few years of success before running off on a disastrous adventure with fellow poet Arthur Rimbaud. The two poets fell in love, but their relationship ended a year later after a passionate and violent argument. Verlaine taught French, Latin, and Greek in England for a few years before returning to Paris, poor and lonely. Despite the difficulties of his personal life, Verlaine never stopped writing. In 1894 his fellow writers elected him “Prince of Poets,” and by the time of his death he had published two-dozen collections of poetry. His poetry is known for its musical quality and its ability to capture moods and feelings.