Demain, dès l'aube Poem by Victor Hugo with English Translation | French Poem with English Translation Part 101

Demain, dès l'aube, à l'heure où blanchit la campagne,

Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m'attends.

J'irai par la forêt, j'irai par la montagne.
Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps.

Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées,

Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit,

Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées,

Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit.

Je ne regarderai ni l'or du soir qui tombe,

Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur,

Et, quand j'arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe

Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur.

English Translation:

Tomorrow, at dawn, at the hour when the land whitens,

I will depart. You see, I know that you wait for me.

I will go through the forest, I will go over the mountains.

I cannot stay far from you any longer.

I will walk with my eyes fixed on my thoughts,

Without seeing anything outside, without hearing any noise,

Alone, unknown, my back hunched, my hands crossed,

Sad, and for me, the day will be like the night.

I will not look at the golden evening that falls,

Nor the distant sails descending upon Harfleur,

And when I arrive, I will place on your tomb

A bouquet of green holly and flowering heather.

Stanza 1 (Meanings of the words at the End)

"Demain, dès l'aube, à l'heure où blanchit la campagne,"

Tomorrow, at dawn, at the hour when the land whitens,

Hugo begins by stating he will set out at dawn, the time when the countryside begins to brighten with the first light. "Blanchit" (whitens) evokes a sense of quiet, pale light that covers the landscape, symbolizing the somber mood of his journey. This early hour emphasizes his urgency and dedication.

"Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m'attends."

I will depart. You see, I know that you wait for me.

Hugo makes it clear that he is determined to leave at this early hour. He speaks as though his daughter, Léopoldine, is waiting for him, despite her passing. This line suggests a deep connection that transcends death, where he imagines she is still there, anticipating his visit.

"J'irai par la forêt, j'irai par la montagne."

I will go through the forest, I will go over the mountains.

These words imply a long, arduous journey across challenging terrain, symbolizing the emotional obstacles he faces in dealing with his grief. The imagery of forests and mountains highlights his determination and willingness to go to great lengths to reach her.

"Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps."

I cannot stay far from you any longer.

Hugo expresses his intense yearning to be close to her, revealing that he cannot bear the distance any longer. This line encapsulates the depth of his sorrow and longing to feel connected to his daughter.

Stanza 2

"Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées,"

I will walk with my eyes fixed on my thoughts,

In his solitude, Hugo is deeply introspective, focusing on his memories and emotions rather than his surroundings. This line suggests he is lost in thought, filled with sadness as he journeys toward her grave.

"Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit,"

Without seeing anything outside, without hearing any noise,

Hugo is so absorbed in his grief that he is oblivious to the world around him. His pain and memories consume him entirely, making him unresponsive to external sights and sounds.

"Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées,"

Alone, unknown, my back hunched, my hands crossed,

He describes himself as a solitary, almost anonymous figure, hunched and introspective. His physical posture — bent back and crossed hands — reflects the weight of his sorrow and sense of isolation in his grief.

"Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit."

Sad, and for me, the day will be like the night.

For Hugo, his sadness is so overwhelming that even daylight feels as dark as night. This line symbolizes how his internal darkness overshadows any light or hope, making his world perpetually bleak.

Stanza 3

"Je ne regarderai ni l'or du soir qui tombe,"

I will not look at the golden evening that falls,

Hugo expresses his indifference to the beautiful golden light of evening. Normally, such a sight would inspire awe, but in his grief, he has no interest in anything beautiful or uplifting.

"Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur,"

Nor the distant sails descending upon Harfleur,

The sails of boats heading toward the port of Harfleur would usually be a captivating sight. However, Hugo remains detached from this scene as well, indicating that nothing external can distract him from his inner sadness and purpose.

"Et, quand j'arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe"

And, when I arrive, I will place on your tomb

Hugo anticipates the moment he will reach his daughter's grave, his journey's ultimate destination. His focus is solely on honoring her memory, and this line conveys his single-minded purpose.

"Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur."

A bouquet of green holly and flowering heather.

Hugo plans to leave a bouquet of holly and heather, both symbolic plants in French culture. Holly, with its evergreen leaves, represents eternal love and remembrance, while flowering heather can signify solitude and admiration. Together, these flowers reflect his undying love and respect for his daughter, a small gesture of tribute to her memory.

Summary

Through vivid imagery and evocative language, this poem conveys Victor Hugo's intense grief and devotion. He embarks on a journey filled with sadness and reflection, remaining oblivious to his surroundings. Each line builds on the sense of a deeply personal, solitary pilgrimage, showing his refusal to let go of the memory of his daughter, Léopoldine, and the unbreakable bond he feels despite her passing.

10 difficult words from each stanza of "Demain, dès l'aube" by Victor Hugo, along with their meanings:

French Word	English Meaning	French Word	English Meaning
Stanza 1		Stanza 2
Demain	Tomorrow	marcherai	will walk
dès	as soon as	yeux	eyes
aube	dawn	fixés	fixed, focused
heure	hour	pensées	thoughts
blanchit	whitens	dehors	outside
campagne	countryside	entendre	to hear
partirai	will leave	aucun	none
vois-tu	you see	bruit	noise
m’attends	wait for me	inconnu	unknown
demeurer	to stay	courbé	hunched

Stanza 3
or	gold, glow	Harfleur	A port town in France
voiles	sails	arriverai	will arrive
descendant	descending	tombe	tomb, grave
soir	evening	bouquet	bouquet
mettrai	will place	houx	holly
en fleur	in bloom	bruyère	heather
loin	far	regarderai	I will look
triste	sad	passé	past