La mer [English translation]

The sea,

That we see dancing

Along the clear gulfs

Has silver reflections (has reflections of silver).

The sea,

The reflections,

Change beneath the rain.

The sea,

Of the summer sky,

Confuses its (her) white sheep

With the angels, so pure.

The sea,

Sheperd (shepherdess),

Of the infinite azure.

See,

Near the ponds,

Its (her) grand (tall) wet reeds.*

See,

Its (her) white birds

And its (her) rusted houses.

The sea,

Has rocked them

Along the clear golfs,

And to a song of love (a love song),

The sea

Has rocked my heart

All of my life.**

Notes:

*I might be stretching, but I wonder if “roseaux moulliés” has two meanings here.

- First, the literal, “wet reeds,” as in the long grass.

- Second, a reference to reed instruments (such as the clarinet); the reeds must be wet to be played. Though he sings “voyez (see),” not “hear,” he later sings, “et d’une chanson d’amour (a love song),” which could be referring to the sounds and songs of the reeds and the birds. (More poetic, I think.)

**It’s unclear if the phrase “And to a song of love, the sea has rocked my heart all of my life” means that the sea rocked both the reeds and his heart or just his heart. Punctuation makes a difference, and the punctuation differs between versions. Also, punctuation use sometimes differs between French and English. Obviously, it’s open to interpretation, but I think it’s just his heart.