Ophelia

Myself reading Arthur Rimbaud's "Ophelia". Enjoy!
I


On the calm black water where the stars are sleeping
White Ophelia floats like a great lily;
Floats very slowly, lying in her long veils...
- In the far-off woods you can hear them sound the mort.

For more than a thousand years sad Ophelia
Has passed, a white phantom, down the long black river.
For more than a thousand years her sweet madness
Has murmured its ballad to the evening breeze.

The wind kisses her breasts and unfolds in a wreath
Her great veils rising and falling with the waters;
The shivering willows weep on her shoulder,
The rushes lean over her wide, dreaming brow.

The ruffled water-lilies are sighing around her;
At times she rouses, in a slumbering alder,
Some nest from which escapes a small rustle of wings;
- A mysterious anthem falls from the golden stars.


II


O pale Ophelia! beautiful as snow!
Yes child, you died, carried off by a river!
- It was the winds descending from the great mountains of Norway
That spoke to you in low voices of better freedom.

It was a breath of wind, that, twisting your great hair,
Brought strange rumors to your dreaming mind;
It was your heart listening to the song of Nature
In the groans of the tree and the sighs of the nights;

It was the voice of mad seas, the great roar,
That shattered your child's heart, too human and too soft;
It was a handsome pale knight, a poor madman
Who one April morning sate mute at your knees!

Heaven! Love! Freedom! What a dream, oh poor crazed Girl!
You melted to him as snow does to a fire;
Your great visions strangled your words
- And fearful Infinity terrified your blue eye!


III


- And the poet says that by starlight
You come seeking, in the night, the flowers that you picked
And that he has seen on the water, lying in her long veils
White Ophelia floating, like a great lily.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Ophelia
• Arthur
• Rimbaud
• Poetry
• Reading
• Albioni
• Adagio

[Jasinna]

This is beautiful ...

would you please let me know the name of this music ?

Thank you in advance

[falvaroth]

@Jasinna

That's Albinioni's Adagio. I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[itsthatguywithtwotoe]

Because it was a sad attempt at trying to educate an ignorant person such as yourself.

[poisondesires]

This is beautiful, really. Incredible work.

I appalud you.

[andyz0007]

Thanks dude, nice

[darcon81]

I made a demo torch song about Hamlet’s Ophelia; it’s about the greatness and inevitable tragedy of loving unconditionally in human relationships. I wanna share this for free before I release it in studio version. This is not just for fans of Shakespeare and the theatre; this is for all people who have loved and got their hearts broken in return in 2010.

Check it out in the response of this awesome video or in my channel. Happy New Year Everyone!

[lulu100ization]

@Horsaz are you serious!!