Invitation to the Voyage
My child, my sister,
Think of the sweetness
Of going there to live together!
To love at leisure,
To love and to die
In the land that is like you!
The misty suns
Of those changeable skies
Have for me the same
Mysterious charm
As your fickle eyes
Shining through their tears.
There, all is order and beauty,
Luxury, peace, and pleasure.
Gleaming furniture,
Polished by the years,
Would decorate our room;
The rarest flowers
Would mingle their fragrances
With the vague scents of amber,
The rich ceilings,
The deep mirrors,
The oriental splendor,
All would speak
To the soul in secret
Its sweet native language.
There, all is order and beauty,
Luxury, peace, and pleasure.
See on those canals
Those vessels sleeping
Whose mood is adventurous;
It is to satisfy
Your slightest desire
That they come from the ends of the earth.
— The setting suns
Clothe the fields,
The canals, the entire city,
With hyacinth and gold;
The world falls asleep
In a warm light.
There, all is order and beauty,
Luxury, peace, and pleasure.
