Prayer, Translation of Paul Verlaine's Poem: Priere

Prayer, Translation of Paul Verlaine’s poem : Prière (One of Paul Verlaine’s later poems, after having gone through early success as a poet, love, family life, and yet another kind of relationship with Rimbaud, crime, prison, drunkenness, unrequited love, divorce, and intense inner turmoil. T. Wignesan) Here am I at Your feet, conscience-stricken as I should be. I have known all the misfortune for having lost the way And I have no more hope, and I’m without joy anyway Excepting for one woman in whom I place holy trust, and whose worth be In my eyes more than anything else: hope and well-being so gay. She’s goodness itself, she knows me from years and years ago We shared days of gloom, bitterness, jealousy and guilt, But we kept on going together, without any truce, towards the ineluctable hilt. Swayed from side to side, buffeted, at the mercy of all ebb and flow Over the sea where dazzled the twinkle of stars’ favourable lilt : Openness, the awful lassitude of sin Without ever having to repent, nor wishing for either of us any pardon… Well, this sprouting sense of peace, wasn’t it after all Your kingdom, Jesus, whether you wish I repent withdrawn, hidden ? Grant us our wish which cannot but be Your own. © T. Wignesan – Paris, 2013