"Demain Dès L'aube" De Victor Hugo is read and thoroughly explained and analyzed in the 2nd volume of Easy French Poetry Readings And Analysis, for sale on FrenchToday.com. In this series, I read, paraphrase and analyze simply, using everyday French, the most famous French poems, and then talk about their author’s life. It's a great way to improve your French vocabulary and pronunciation while learning about French culture.
1- Poem
Demain, dès l’aube, à l’heure où blanchit la campagne,Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m’attends.
J’irai par la forêt, j’irai par la montagne.
Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps.
Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées,
Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit,
Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées,
Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit.
Je ne regarderai ni l’or du soir qui tombe,
Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur,
Et quand j’arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe
Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur.
2- Translation
Tomorrow, at dawn, in the hour when the countryside becomes white,I will leave. You see, I know that you are waiting for me.
I will go by the forest, I will go by the mountain.
I cannot stay far from you any longer.
I will walk the eyes fixed on my thoughts,
Without seeing anything outside, nor hearing any noise,
Alone, unknown, the back curved, the hands crossed,
Sad, and the day for me will be like the night.
I will not look at the gold of the evening which falls,
Nor the faraway sails descending towards Harfleur.
And when I arrive, I will put on your tomb
A green bouquet of holly and flowering heather.
