Arles

Above the roof the sky is fair

Above the roof the sky is fair;
Blue, calm, serene.
A tree branch sways... The sky is fair;
Tranquil the scene.

A bell, in that sky, fills the air
With sweet content.
A bird, in that tree, fills the air
With sad lament.

My god, my god, out there... That's where
Real life is found.
A simple town... And everywhere,
Its gentle sound.

"What have you done, you, weeping there
Your endless tears?
Tell me, what have you done, you there,
With youth's best years?"

~Verlaine