O France, although you sleep
We call you, we the forbidden!
The shadows have ears,
And the depths have cries.
Bitter, glory-less despotism
Over a discouraged people
Closes a black thick grate
Of error and prejudice;
It locks up the loyal swarm
Of firm thinkers, of heroes,
But the Idea with the flap of a wing
Will part the heavy bars,
And, as in ninety-one,
Will retake sovereign flight,
For breaking apart a cage of bronze
Is easy for bronze bird.
Darkness covers the world,
But the Idea illuminates and shines;
With its white brightness it floods
The dark blues of the night.
It is the solitary lantern,
The providential ray;
It is the lamp of the earth
That cannot help but light the sky.
It calms the suffering soul,
Guides life, puts the dead to rest;
It shows the mean the gulf,
It shows the just the way.
In seeing in the dark mist
The Idea, love of sad eyes,
Rise calm, serene and pure,
On the mysterious horizon,
Fanaticism and hatred
Roar before each threshhold,
As obscene hounds howl
When appears the moon in mourning.
Oh! Think of the mighty Idea,
Nations! its superhuman brow
Has upon it, from now on, the light
That will show the way to tomorrow!
Fanaticism and hatred Roar before each threshhold, As obscene hounds howl When appears the moon in mourning...... Poets are the voice of time. Poets are speculative. Poets exposes by letters and words some messages for all time. Just reader feel the time by these quoted lines and through whole poetry the truth of my utterance. Exceptionally poet posseses this power to impress our track of thinking. Very responsible post by PH to mirror our present time through the writing of past. Thanks a lot.
As it was, so it is now in some places ruled by despots and fanatics foisted on the nation by democracy.
A cage of bronze! ! Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
Darkness covers the world, But the Idea illuminates and shines; With its white brightness it floods The dark blues of the night. It is the solitary lantern, The providential ray; It is the lamp of the earth That cannot help but light the sky. Great poem from the great poet.
Though a committed royalist when he was young, Hugo's views changed as the decades passed; he became a passionate supporter of republicanism, and his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and artistic trends of his time. He was buried in the Panthéon.WOW! THE Victor Hugo we all so well know. Pleased to have read many of his novels. Thank you dear Poem Hunter and Team to present him as The CPOTD. Hurray
Born in a France full of politic opinions, his poems are oft involved in such matters. He became a famous in politic opinions and matters. He was a loyal royalist but became an ardent republican in his later years. In fact his heart goes with the change of the national French politics.His poems are full of metaphors concerning politics. CONGRATS being the Classic Poem Of The Day! Of course to his descents in France and worldwide.
The shadows have ears, And the depths have crie.. A great poem. tony
Oh! Think of the mighty Idea, Nations! its superhuman brow Has upon it, from now on, the light That will show the way to tomorrow! ......outstanding conceptualization. Beautiful poem by Victor Marie Hugo.
Fanaticism and hatred Roar before each threshold As obscene hounds howls When appears the moon in the morning " Great write. Well deserved classic poem of the Day.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Such an interesting poem posted here.....