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Renée Vivien

«« Previous page · Renée Vivien: Roses Rising · Renée Vivien: Ta royale jeunesse a la mélancolie · Renée Vivien: Prolong the night · Renée Vivien: The Touch · Renée Vivien: Prolong the night · Cimetière de Passy, Paris: Renée Vivien (1877–1909) · Renée Vivien: My brunette with the golden eyes

Renée Vivien: Roses Rising

reneevivien102

Renée Vivien
(1877-1909)

Roses Rising

My brunette with the golden eyes, your ivory body, your amber
Has left bright reflections in the room
Above the garden.

The clear midnight sky, under my closed lids,
Still shines….I am drunk from so many roses
Redder than wine.

Leaving their garden, the roses have followed me….
I drink their brief breath, I breathe their life.
All of them are here.

It’s a miracle….The stars have risen,
Hastily, across the wide windows
Where the melted gold pours.

Now, among the roses and the stars,
You, here in my room, loosening your robe,
And your nakedness glistens

Your unspeakable gaze rests on my eyes….
Without stars and without flowers, I dream the impossible
In the cold night.

Renée Vivien poetry
fleursdumal.nl magazine

More in: Archive U-V, Renée Vivien, Vivien, Renée


Renée Vivien: Ta royale jeunesse a la mélancolie

reneevivien107

Renée Vivien
(1877-1909)

Ta royale jeunesse a la mélancolie

Ta royale jeunesse a la mélancolie
Du Nord où le brouillard efface les couleurs,
Tu mêles la discorde et le désir aux pleurs,
Grave comme Hamlet, pâle comme Ophélie.

Tu passes, dans l’éclair d’une belle folie,
Comme elle, prodiguant les chansons et les fleurs,
Comme lui, sous l’orgueil dérobant tes douleurs,
Sans que la fixité de ton regard oublie.

Souris, amante blonde, ou rêve, sombre amant,
Ton être double attire, ainsi qu’un double aimant,
Et ta chair brûle avec l’ardeur froide d’un cierge.

Mon coeur déconcerté se trouble quand je vois
Ton front pensif de prince et tes yeux bleus de vierge,
Tantôt l’Un, tantôt l’Autre, et les Deux à la fois.

Renée Vivien poetry
fleursdumal.nl magazine

More in: Archive U-V, Renée Vivien, Vivien, Renée


Renée Vivien: Prolong the night

reneevivien101

Renée Vivien
(1877-1909)

Prolong the night

Prolong the night, Goddess who sets us aflame!
Hold back from us the golden-sandalled dawn!
Already on the sea the first faint gleam
Of day is coming on.

Sleeping under your veils, protect us yet,
Having forgotten the cruelty day may give!
The wine of darkness, wine of the stars let
Overwhelm us with love!

Since no one knows what dawn will come,
Bearing the dismal future with its sorrows
In its hands, we tremble at full day, our dream
Fears all tomorrows.

Oh! keeping our hands on our still-closed eyes,
Let us vainly recall the joys that take flight!
Goddess who delights in the ruin of the rose,
Prolong the night!

Renée Vivien poetry
fleursdumal.nl magazine

More in: Archive U-V, Renée Vivien, Vivien, Renée


Renée Vivien: The Touch

vivienrenee 02

Renée Vivien

(1877–1909)

The Touch

 

The trees have kept some lingering sun in their branches,

Veiled like a woman, evoking another time,

The twilight passes, weeping. My fingers climb,

Trembling, provocative, the line of your haunches.

 

My ingenious fingers wait when they have found

The petal flesh beneath the robe they part.

How curious, complex, the touch, this subtle art—

As the dream of fragrance, the miracle of sound.

 

I follow slowly the graceful contours of your hips,

The curves of your shoulders, your neck, your unappeased breasts.

In your white voluptuousness my desire rests,

Swooning, refusing itself the kisses of your lips.

 

Renée Vivien poetry

fleursdumal.nl magazine

More in: Archive U-V, Renée Vivien, Vivien, Renée


Renée Vivien: Prolong the night

vivienrenee 01

Renée Vivien

(1877–1909)

Prolong the night

 

Prolong the night, Goddess who sets us aflame!

Hold back from us the golden-sandalled dawn!

Already on the sea the first faint gleam

Of day is coming on.

 

Sleeping under your veils, protect us yet,

Having forgotten the cruelty day may give!

The wine of darkness, wine of the stars let

Overwhelm us with love!

 

Since no one knows what dawn will come,

Bearing the dismal future with its sorrows

In its hands, we tremble at full day, our dream

Fears all tomorrows.

 

Oh! keeping our hands on our still-closed eyes,

Let us vainly recall the joys that take flight!

Goddess who delights in the ruin of the rose,

Prolong the night!

 

Renée Vivien poetry

fleursdumal.nl magazine

More in: Archive U-V, Renée Vivien, Vivien, Renée


Cimetière de Passy, Paris: Renée Vivien (1877–1909)

vivienrenee 04 kempis

vivienrenee 05 kempis

vivienrenee 06 kempis

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Renée Vivien  (1877–1909)

born Pauline Mary Tarn (11 June 1877 – 18 November 1909) was a writer and poet.

She was born in London and has been buried in Paris in Cimetière de Passy.

photos: jef van kempen 2011

vivienrenee 02

fleursdumal.nl magazine

More in: FDM in Paris, Galerie des Morts, Renée Vivien, Vivien, Renée


Renée Vivien: My brunette with the golden eyes

vivienrenee 03

Renée Vivien

(1877–1909)

My brunette with the golden eyes

 

My brunette with the golden eyes, your ivory body, your amber

Has left bright reflections in the room

Above the garden.

 

The clear midnight sky, under my closed lids,

Still shines….I am drunk from so many roses

Redder than wine.

 

Leaving their garden, the roses have followed me….

I drink their brief breath, I breathe their life.

All of them are here.

 

It’s a miracle….The stars have risen,

Hastily, across the wide windows

Where the melted gold pours.

 

Now, among the roses and the stars,

You, here in my room, loosening your robe,

And your nakedness glistens

 

Your unspeakable gaze rests on my eyes….

Without stars and without flowers, I dream the impossible

In the cold night.

 

Renée Vivien poetry

fleursdumal.nl magazine

More in: Archive U-V, Renée Vivien, Vivien, Renée


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