Love

Her Voice

by André Fontainas 1865–1948

Translated by Jethro Bithell (1911) · From Contemporary Belgian Poetry (1911)

Love

O voice vibrating like the song of birds,
O frail, sonorous voice wherein upwells
Laughter more bright than ring of wedding bells,
I listen to her voice more than her words.

Soul of old rebecs, spirit of harpsichords,
Within her voice your soft inflection dwells;
Blisses of love some ancient viol tells,
Kiss snatched by lips that swift lips turn towards.

Her voice is sweetness of chaste dreams, the scent
Of iris, cinnamon, and incense blent,
A music drunk, a folded mountain's calm;

It is within me made of living sun,
Of luminous pride and rhythms vermilion;
It is the purest, the most dazzling psalm.

MLA

Fontainas, André. “Her Voice.” Translated by Jethro Bithell. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/andre-fontainas/0/.

Chicago

Fontainas, André. “Her Voice.” Translated by Jethro Bithell. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/andre-fontainas/0/.

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