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10 French Poems With English Translations

Read ten complete French poems with an original English translation beside every line. Start with short poems by Verlaine and Rimbaud, then discover Hugo, Apollinaire, Desbordes-Valmore and La Fontaine. Each text comes from an identified historical edition; the reading notes explain imagery and older language.

10 entries · Updated

An open poetry book beside a flower, a fountain pen and a small cloud

Start here

  1. Autumn SongThe long sobs
  2. SensationOn blue summer evenings I will walk the paths,
  3. Tears in My HeartThere is weeping in my heart
  4. The Weather Has Shed Its CoatThe weather has shed its coat
  5. The Roses of SaadiThis morning I wanted to bring you roses;
  6. Tomorrow, at DawnTomorrow, at dawn, when the countryside turns pale,
  7. The Mirabeau BridgeBeneath the Mirabeau Bridge flows the Seine
  8. The Cicada and the AntThe cicada, having sung
  9. The Crow and the FoxMaster Crow, perched in a tree,
  10. The Sleeper in the ValleyIt is a hollow of greenery where a river sings,

Short French Poems About Nature

Clear images of rain, wind, paths and spring make useful starting points, even when the speaker’s feelings are complex.

Autumn leaves, a rain-washed roof, a grassy path and spring sunlight
1

Autumn Song

Les sanglots longs
The long sobs
Des
Of the violins
De l’
Of autumn
Blessent mon cœur
Wound my heart
D’une langueur
With a languor
Monotone.
That never changes.
Tout suffocant
Gasping for breath
Et blême,
And pale, when
Sonne l’heure,
The hour sounds,
Je me
I remember
Des anciens
The days gone by
Et je pleure ;
And I weep;
Et je m’en
And I drift away
Au mauvais
In the harsh wind
Qui m’emporte
That carries me
Deçà, delà,
Here and there,
à la
Like a
morte.
Dead leaf.

Full public-domain text · Paul Verlaine died in 1896; the cited text was published in 1866, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Paul Verlaine (1844–1896), Chanson d’automne, Poèmes saturniens (1866), pp. 57–58

Short lines and repeated nasal sounds imitate a sustained lament. Deçà, delà means here and there; the speaker finally becomes like a windblown leaf.

A brown leaf carried by the wind beside the silhouette of a violinSource note
2

Tears in My Heart

Il pleure dans mon cœur
There is weeping in my heart
Comme il pleut sur la ville,
As rain falls on the town;
Quelle est cette langueur
What is this languor
Qui pénètre mon cœur ?
That enters my heart?
Ô doux de la
O gentle sound of rain
Par et sur les !
On the ground and on the roofs!
Pour un cœur qui s’ennuie
For a heart that feels weary,
Ô le chant de la !
O the song of rain!
Il pleure sans
There is weeping without reason
Dans ce cœur qui s’écœure.
In this heartsick heart.
! nulle ?
What! No betrayal?
Ce deuil est sans .
This grief has no reason.
C’est la peine
It is indeed the worst pain
De ne pourquoi,
Not to know why,
Sans amour et sans ,
Without love and without hatred,
Mon cœur a tant de peine !
My heart is in such pain!

Full public-domain text · Paul Verlaine died in 1896; the cited text was published in 1891, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Paul Verlaine (1844–1896), Il pleure dans mon cœur, Romances sans paroles (1891), pp. 6–7

The near-echo of pleure and pleut links private sadness to rain. S’ennuyer here suggests weariness or melancholy, not merely having nothing to do. The separately printed Rimbaud epigraph is omitted.

Soft rain falling on slate roofs beside a faint heart-shaped reflectionSource note
3

Sensation

Par les soirs d’, j’irai dans les sentiers,
On blue summer evenings I will walk the paths,
Picoté par les blés, fouler l’ menue :
Pricked by the grain, treading the fine grass:
Rêveur, j’en sentirai la fraîcheur à mes pieds.
Dreaming, I will feel its coolness at my feet.
Je laisserai le baigner ma !
I will let the wind bathe my bare head!
Je ne pas, je ne penserai rien :
I will not speak, I will think nothing:
Mais l’amour infini me montera dans l’,
But boundless love will rise within my soul,
Et j’irai loin, bien loin, un bohémien
And I will go far, very far, like a wanderer
Par la Nature, — comme avec une .
Through Nature—happy as if with a woman.

Full public-domain text · Arthur Rimbaud died in 1891; the cited text was published in 1895, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Arthur Rimbaud (1854–1891), Sensation, Poésies complètes, Vanier (1895), p. 53

The future tense turns a walk into an imagined freedom. Bohémien is translated here for its literary wandering image; the historical word also carries an ethnic association.

A barefoot traveler on a narrow summer path through tall grainSource note
4

The Weather Has Shed Its Coat

Le a laissié son
The weather has shed its coat
De , de froidure et de pluye,
Of wind, of cold and of rain,
Et s’est vestu de brouderie,
And dressed itself in embroidery,
De luyant, cler et .
In shining sunlight, clear and beautiful.
Il n’y beste, ne oyseau,
There is no beast or bird
Qu’en son jargon ne chante ou crie :
That does not sing or call in its own language:
Le a laissié son
The weather has shed its coat
De , de froidure et de pluye.
Of wind, of cold and of rain.
Riviere, et ruisseau
River, fountain and stream
, en livrée jolie,
Wear, in lovely livery,
d’ d’orfavrerie,
Silver drops like a silversmith’s work;
Chascun s’abille de nouveau :
Everyone dresses anew:
Le a laissié son .
The weather has shed its coat.

Full public-domain text · Charles d’Orléans died in 1465; the cited text was published in 1915, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Charles d’Orléans (1394–1465), Rondeau LXIII, Poésies complètes, Flammarion (1915), p. 115

The medieval spelling is preserved: laissié = laissé, pluye = pluie, vestu = vêtu, chascun = chacun. A returning line is the rondeau’s refrain. Le temps means the weather here.

Spring sunlight dressing a river and fountain in sparkling silver dropsSource note

Explore these words: Weather (flashcards) · Clothes (flashcards) · Plants & trees (flashcards)

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French Poems About Love and Memory

These poems connect remembered love with a journey, flowers or a flowing river.

Roses floating on a river beside a bridge and a small sprig of holly
5

Tomorrow, at Dawn

, dès l’, à l’heure où blanchit la campagne,
Tomorrow, at dawn, when the countryside turns pale,
Je partirai. Vois-tu, je que tu m’attends.
I will leave. You see, I know that you are waiting for me.
J’irai par la , j’irai par la .
I will go through the forest, I will go over the mountain.
Je ne puis loin de toi longtemps.
I cannot remain far from you any longer.
Je marcherai les sur mes pensées,
I will walk with my eyes fixed on my thoughts,
Sans rien au , sans aucun ,
Seeing nothing outside, hearing no sound,
, , le dos , les mains croisées,
Alone, unknown, back bent, hands folded,
, et le pour moi sera la .
Sad, and day for me will be like night.
Je ne regarderai ni l’ du qui tombe,
I will look neither at the gold of falling evening
Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur,
Nor at the sails descending toward Harfleur in the distance,
Et j’arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe
And when I arrive, I will place on your grave
Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en .
A bouquet of green holly and flowering heather.

Full public-domain text · Victor Hugo died in 1885; the cited text was published in 1856, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Victor Hugo (1802–1885), Demain, dès l’aube, Les Contemplations (1856), book IV, XIV

The destination is revealed only near the end: this is a visit to a grave, not an ordinary meeting with a living lover. The poem belongs to Hugo’s mourning for his daughter.

A quiet path toward a small memorial with holly and flowering heatherSource note
6

The Roses of Saadi

J’ai voulu, ce , te rapporter des ;
This morning I wanted to bring you roses;
Mais j’en avais tant pris dans mes ceintures closes
But I had gathered so many in my tightly fastened sashes
Que les nœuds trop serrés n’ont pu les contenir.
That the over-tight knots could not hold them.
Les nœuds ont éclaté. Les envolées
The knots burst. The roses flew away,
Dans le , à la s’en sont toutes allées.
Carried by the wind, all out to sea.
Elles ont suivi l’ pour ne plus revenir.
They followed the water, never to return.
La en a paru rouge et comme enflammée :
The wave looked red with them, as though aflame:
Ce ma encore en est toute embaumée…
This evening my dress is still filled with their perfume…
Respires-en sur moi l’odorant .
Breathe in their fragrant memory upon me.

Full public-domain text · Marceline Desbordes-Valmore died in 1859; the cited text was published in 1860, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786–1859), Les Roses de Saadi, Poésies inédites (1860), p. 15

The lost flowers remain through scent. Ceintures refers to sashes or waistbands holding the roses; Respires-en retains the historical printed form.

Red rose petals on a sea wave beside the edge of a flowing dressSource note
7

The Mirabeau Bridge

Sous le Mirabeau la Seine
Beneath the Mirabeau Bridge flows the Seine
Et nos amours
And our loves
Faut-il qu’il m’en
Must I remember them
La venait toujours après la peine
Joy always followed sorrow
Vienne la sonne l’heure
Let night come let the hour sound
Les s’en je demeure
The days pass away I remain
Les mains dans les mains restons face à face
Hands in hands let us stay face to face
Tandis que sous
While beneath
Le de nos passe
The bridge of our arms passes
Des éternels regards l’onde si lasse
The weary current of eternal gazes
Vienne la sonne l’heure
Let night come let the hour sound
Les s’en je demeure
The days pass away I remain
L’amour s’en cette courante
Love passes away like this flowing water
L’amour s’en
Love passes away
la est
How slow life is
Et l’Espérance est violente
And how fierce Hope is
Vienne la sonne l’heure
Let night come let the hour sound
Les s’en je demeure
The days pass away I remain
Passent les et passent les
The days pass and the weeks pass
Ni temps
Neither past time
Ni les amours reviennent
Nor loves return
Sous le Mirabeau la Seine
Beneath the Mirabeau Bridge flows the Seine
Vienne la sonne l’heure
Let night come let the hour sound
Les s’en je demeure
The days pass away I remain

Full public-domain text · Guillaume Apollinaire died in 1918; the cited text was published in 1920, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918), Le Pont Mirabeau, Alcools, third edition (1920), pp. 16–17

The unpunctuated lines connect river, love and passing time. The refrain opposes movement with je demeure, “I remain.” This follows the 1920 edition, not a newly punctuated rewrite.

A Paris bridge spanning a gently flowing river at eveningSource note

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French Story Poems and Fables

Two animal fables are often learned at school. The final sonnet is a serious poem about a dead soldier.

A crow holding cheese, a fox, a cicada and an open poetry book
8

The Cicada and the Ant

La cigale, ayant
The cicada, having sung
Tout l’,
All summer,
Se trouva fort dépourvue
Found herself badly without supplies
la bise fut venue :
When the cold north wind came:
Pas un seul petit
Not a single little piece
De ou de vermisseau.
Of fly or tiny worm.
Elle alla crier famine
She went to cry of hunger
Chez la fourmi, sa voisine,
At her neighbor the ant’s home,
La priant de lui
Asking her to lend
Quelque grain pour subsister
Some grain to survive
Jusqu’à la nouvelle. —
Until the new season.
Je vous paîrai, lui dit-elle,
I will repay you, she told her,
Avant l’oût, foi d’,
Before harvest, on my word as an animal,
Intérêt et .
Interest and principal.
La fourmi n’est pas prêteuse :
The ant is not a lender:
C’est là son moindre défaut. —
That is the least of her faults.
Que faisiez-vous au ?
What were you doing in the warm weather?
Dit-elle à cette emprunteuse. —
She asked this borrower.
et à tout venant
Night and day, to anyone who came,
Je chantais, ne vous déplaise. —
I sang, if you please.
Vous chantiez, j’en suis fort aise !
You sang? I am very glad!
Eh bien, dansez .
Well then, dance now.

Full public-domain text · Jean de La Fontaine died in 1695; the cited text was published in 1897, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Jean de La Fontaine (1621–1695), La Cigale et la Fourmi, Fables, Mame (1897), book I, 1

The fable invites discussion of planning and of the ant’s lack of generosity. L’oût is an old term for harvest season; paîrai is an old form of paierai. It is an animal fable, not a biology lesson.

A cicada with a tiny musical note speaking to an ant beside grainSource note
9

The Crow and the Fox

corbeau, sur un perché,
Master Crow, perched in a tree,
Tenait en son bec un .
Held a cheese in his beak.
renard, par l’ alléché,
Master Fox, drawn by the smell,
Lui tint à peu près ce langage :
Spoke to him more or less like this:
Hé ! bonjour, monsieur du corbeau.
Well, good morning, Sir Crow.
vous êtes ! vous me semblez !
How pretty you are! How handsome you look to me!
Sans mentir, si votre ramage
Truly, if your song
Se rapporte à votre plumage,
Matches your plumage,
Vous êtes le phénix des hôtes de ces .
You are the phoenix among the creatures of these woods.
A ces mots le corbeau ne se sent pas de ;
At these words the crow is beside himself with joy;
Et, pour sa belle voix,
And to show off his fine voice,
Il ouvre un bec, laisse sa proie.
He opens his wide beak and drops his prize.
Le renard s’en saisit, et dit : Mon Monsieur,
The fox seizes it and says: My good sir,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Learn that every flatterer
aux dépens de celui qui l’écoute.
Lives at the expense of the one who listens.
Cette leçon bien un , sans doute.
This lesson is surely worth a cheese.
Le corbeau, et confus,
The crow, ashamed and embarrassed,
Jura, mais un peu , qu’on ne l’y prendrait plus.
Swore, a little too late, that he would not be caught again.

Full public-domain text · Jean de La Fontaine died in 1695; the cited text was published in 1897, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Jean de La Fontaine (1621–1695), Le Corbeau et le Renard, Fables, Mame (1897), book I, 2

Ramage means birdsong and plumage means feathers. The flattering “phoenix” presents the crow as uniquely excellent; the fox profits when the crow believes it.

A fox looking up at a crow perched on a branch with a piece of cheeseSource note
10

The Sleeper in the Valley

C’est un trou de verdure où chante une
It is a hollow of greenery where a river sings,
Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons
Wildly catching on the grasses shreds
D’ ; où le , de la ,
Of silver; where the sun, from the proud mountain,
Luit : c’est un petit val qui mousse de rayons.
Shines: a little valley foaming with rays.
Un jeune, bouche ouverte, tête nue,
A young soldier, mouth open, bareheaded,
Et la nuque baignant dans le cresson ,
His neck bathed in cool blue watercress,
Dort ; il est étendu dans l’, sous la nue,
Sleeps; he lies stretched in the grass, beneath the sky,
Pâle dans son vert où la pleut.
Pale in his green bed where light rains down.
Les pieds dans les glaïeuls, il dort. comme
His feet among the gladioli, he sleeps. Smiling as
Sourirait un malade, il fait un somme :
A sick child might smile, he takes a nap:
Nature, berce-le chaudement : il a froid.
Nature, rock him warmly: he is cold.
Les parfums ne font pas frissonner sa narine ;
The scents do not make his nostril tremble;
Il dort dans le , la main sur sa
He sleeps in the sunlight, his hand on his chest,
Tranquille. Il trous rouges au droit.
Still. He has two red holes in his right side.

Full public-domain text · Arthur Rimbaud died in 1891; the cited text was published in 1895, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Arthur Rimbaud (1854–1891), Le Dormeur du val, Poésies complètes, Vanier (1895), p. 84

The beautiful setting gradually reveals a soldier’s death. The repeated dort initially suggests sleep; the final line changes the meaning of everything before it.

A peaceful green valley with a river and an unattended soldier’s cap, no visible woundsSource note

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Famous French-language authors

Read a full story in Inklingo

Continue with graded stories that explore folklore, nature, and imagination. These are Inklingo adaptations and original stories; each description explains the connection.

The Dahu and the Black Stone (A1)

An original A1 adventure featuring the imaginary Alpine dahu. A boy finds his missing goat and follows his grandmother’s warning.

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A Red Ribbon for the Tarasque (A1)

An original A1 episode featuring Provence’s legendary Tarasque. A girl calms the river creature with a red scarf.

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French poems: frequently asked questions

Which French poems are good for beginners?

Verlaine’s Chanson d’automne has very short lines, while Rimbaud’s Sensation uses concrete images of grass, wind and summer paths. Read the translation first, then listen and repeat a few lines.

Who are famous French-language poets?

This selection includes Victor Hugo, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, Jean de La Fontaine, Guillaume Apollinaire, Marceline Desbordes-Valmore and Charles d’Orléans.

Are these complete poems or quotations?

All ten are complete poems. The source notes identify the edition used; the introductory epigraph before Verlaine’s Il pleure dans mon cœur is not part of its sixteen-line poem and is not included.

Which French poems are suitable for children?

La Fontaine’s two animal fables are familiar school texts, though their language needs explanation. Adults should choose by topic: Demain, dès l’aube concerns bereavement, and Le Dormeur du val ends with the discovery of a dead soldier.

Why does French poetry sound different from conversation?

Meter and rhyme can make a normally silent final e audible, and poets may use older vocabulary or unusual word order. The text preserves its literary wording instead of rewriting the original as modern prose.

Can I use these English translations to understand each line?

Yes. These are new meaning-focused translations written for this guide. They follow the imagery and sentence connections across lines rather than forcing English rhyme or copying an existing published translation.

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Sources and verification

English translations and examples were written for this guide. Source notes distinguish documented expressions, original practice sentences, and literary quotations. Literary excerpts retain the language of their original period.

Source notes for all 10 entries
  1. Autumn Song: Complete poem from the cited 1866 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [fr-poem-autumn] [fr-author-Paul_Verlaine]
  2. Tears in My Heart: Complete poem from the cited 1891 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [fr-poem-rain] [fr-author-Paul_Verlaine]
  3. Sensation: Complete poem from the cited 1895 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [fr-poem-sensation] [fr-author-Arthur_Rimbaud]
  4. The Weather Has Shed Its Coat: Complete poem from the cited 1915 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [fr-poem-spring] [fr-author-Charles_d’Orléans]
  5. Tomorrow, at Dawn: Complete poem from the cited 1856 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [fr-poem-dawn] [fr-author-Victor_Hugo]
  6. The Roses of Saadi: Complete poem from the cited 1860 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [fr-poem-roses] [fr-author-Marceline_Desbordes-Valmore]
  7. The Mirabeau Bridge: Complete poem from the cited 1920 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [fr-poem-mirabeau] [fr-author-Guillaume_Apollinaire]
  8. The Cicada and the Ant: Complete poem from the cited 1897 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [fr-fable-01] [fr-author-Jean_de_La_Fontaine]
  9. The Crow and the Fox: Complete poem from the cited 1897 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [fr-fable-02] [fr-author-Jean_de_La_Fontaine]
  10. The Sleeper in the Valley: Complete poem from the cited 1895 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [fr-poem-dormeur] [fr-author-Arthur_Rimbaud]