Elle écoute pousser les fleurs [English translation]

She listens to the flowers growing

Surrounded by the noise of traffic

With rainwater

And the perfume of incense

She travels from time to time

She has never heard anything

Of the dogs barking in the street

She makes golden bread

Everyday at four o’clock

She leads her life in colour

She collects

The perfumes of autumn

And twigs of dead wood

When winter arrives

She closes her books

And then gently

She goes to sleep on woollen carpets

Surrounded by Indian dolls

On the downy wings

Of her two white pigeons

Until the first days of spring

She says she’s going to make

A trip around the world

And that she will be back in time for dinner

But fragile moments

And useless words

She knows all about those

When she listens to the flowers growing

Surrounded by the noise of traffic

When the others lose their temper

When I manage to run away

It’s to hers that I go to sleep

And it’s true that I’m afraid to give her a child…