The English version presented below is a literal, word-for-word translation. It attempts to preserve the poet's word order as far as possible, for a better appreciation of the composer's musical treatment of individual words and phrases. Download track from iTunes.

Avant que tu ne t’en ailles,
Pâle étoile du matin
Mille cailles
Chantent dans le thym.

Tourne devers le poète
Dont les yeux sont pleins d’amour;
L’alouette
Monte au ciel avec le jour.

Tourne ton regard que noie
L’aurore dans son azur;
Quelle joie
Parmi les champs de blé mûrs.

Et fais luire ma pensée
Là-bas, bien loin, oh, bien loin!
La rosée
Gaîment brille sur le foin.

Dans le doux rêve où s’agite
Ma vie endormie encor...
Vite, vite,
Car voici le soleil d’or.

Paul Verlaine

Before you go away,
Pale morning star -
A thousand quails
Are singing in the thyme.

Turn towards the poet,
Whose eyes are full of love -
The lark
Is rising to the sky with the daybreak.

Turn your gaze which is being drowned
By the dawn in its azure -
What joy
Among the fields of ripe corn.

And make my thoughts shine
There, far away, oh far away! -
The dew
Is gleaming brightly on the hay!

Into the sweet dream where my dear life
Is stirring while still asleep...
Quickly, quickly,
For here is the golden sun.