Victor Hugo - Demain, dès l'aube Our first poem is from the French poet Victor Hugo, one of the best-known French writers. Demain, dès l'aube which means "Tomorrow, at Dawn," is a short and poignant poem about his visit to his daughter’s grave. The poem was first released in 1856 in Hugo’s collection called Les Contemplations. Demain, dès l'aube 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. Tomorrow, at Dawn Tomorrow, at dawn, at the hour when the countryside whitens, I will depart. You see, I know you wait for me. I will go through the forest and over the mountains. I cannot stay far from you any longer. I will trudge on, my eyes fixed on my thoughts, Ignoring everything around me, without hearing a sound, Alone, unknown, back stooped, hands crossed, Saddened, and the day will be like night for me. I will neither see the golden glow of the falling evening, Nor the sails going down to Harfleur in the distance, And when I arrive, I will place on your tomb A bouquet of green holly and flowering heather.