Ici Bas! by Sully Prudhomme and Gabriel Faure

Lyrics and Translation:

Ici bas tous les lilas meurent,
Here below lilacs die and never

Tous les chants des oiseaux sont courts,
Is bird song more than short refrain,

Jereve aux etes qui demeurent toujours.
I dream of summer days that forever remain.

Ici bas les levres effleurent sans rien laisser de leur velours,
Here below where lips slightly sever and leave no trace of beauty's reign,


Jereve aux baisers qui demeurent toujours!

I dream of kisses fond that forever remain!

Ici bas, tous les hommes pleurent leurs amities ou leurs amours,
Here below, men in vain endeavor weep for their loves or friendships pain,

Jereve aux couples qui demeurent, aux couples qui demeurent, qui demeurent tourjours!
I dream of lovers who forever, of lovers who forever, who forever remain!

Character study:

I.  Before
1.)  The events that have occurred prior to this song that have led me to this point, are perhaps the death or dying of my lover or friend.
2.)  My thoughts and feelings before the song begins is woe and sorrow.  I am mourning the loss of someone I loved.

II. During
1.)  I am a person who has just experienced the loss of a lover.
2.)  The lyrics of the song do not reveal the gender of the singer so I could be a male or a female.  I am an older person, who is more than likely from the middle to upper-class of France.  I am older because of my comfortable relationship with death.  I am an eloquent speaker and have deep emotional thought connections, so I must be well educated for my time.
3.)  There are no other characters involved.
4.)  N/A
5.)  I am sitting alone in a quiet place like my house, a garden, or at the grave of my loved one to think, reflect on my emotions, be alone with the memory of my loved one, and lament.
6.)  I am singing to myself to comfort my loneliness and sorrow.
7.)  N/A
8.)  I am singing this because I miss my lover who has passed away.  I am tired of being on this earth without them and I am looking forward to the after-life where I can be with them forever.
9.)  My thoughts and feelings throughout this song are sorrow that noting here on earth lasts forever and soon expires.  I am lonely and longing for the after-life where I can be with my loved one for eternity.
10.)  The lyrics for this song was written during the Parnassian Movement of France.  The theme of this movement was "to encourage and ensure the practice of poetic expression in a society predominately concerned with more immediately useful values."  Parnassian poets emphasized limitless imagination and expression.  Their goal was to produce timeless works that spoke for both the artist and society.

III.  After
1.)  My thoughts and feelings as the song ends are longing and anticipation of spending eternity with the one I love.
2.)  The events that will occur as a result of this song are that I will anxiously await the day I get to be with my loved one in the after-life.