À l'Enfant Jésus : To the Child Jesus

In musing upon the reasons for this series of meditations in preparation for the installation of the Holy Infant as Little Lord Jesus, Christ our King, I suddenly recalled that Ste Thérèse of Lisieux is known as Ste Thérèse of the Child Jesus. I further recalled the extraordinary circumstances of my birth and of my baptism as a little infant three weeks old in the church of St Teresa of the Child Jesus, in Perry Bar (Birmingham). Casting my eyes over the poems of Ste Thérèse, I found one entitled À l'Enfant Jésus - To the Child Jesus. I found that it is also known as l'Abandon - Abandonment. These considerations impelled me to complete an English translation in fairly quick time. This is presented below, with some minor modifications to the metre and rhyming of the French original.

À l'Enfant Jésus

Jésus, Tu connais mon nom, 
Et Ton doux regard m’appelle …
Il me dit : « Simple Abandon, 
Je veux guider ta nacelle ».
De Ta petite voix d’enfant, 
O quelle merveille!
De Ta petite voix d’enfant, 
Tu calmes le flot mugissant, 
Et le vent.

Si Tu veux Te reposer, 
Alors que l’orage gronde,
Sur mon cœur daigne poser 
Ta petite tête blonde!
Que Ton sourire est ravissant 
Lorsque Tu sommeilles
Toujours avec mon plus doux chant,
Je veux Te bercer tendrement, 
Bel Enfant !

Décembre 1896

To the Child Jesus

Jesus, to Thee I’m known,
Thy gaze calls sweet and clear:
“Abandonment alone -
Thy boat I fain would steer.”
And with Thine infant voice —
O what a thing of wonder!—
And with Thine infant voice,
The wind and waves and thunder
To calm are all restored!
 
If Thou desirest rest
While wind and waves do rage,
My heart will be Thy rest
And infant head’s assuage.
When Thou hast closed Thine eyes,
O sleepy little Child,
I’ll sing sweet lullabies
With gentle cradling mild,
O ever handsome Child!

Notes

abandonment: from abandon (v.) late 14c., "to give up (something) absolutely, relinquish control, give over utterly;" also reflexively, "surrender (oneself), yield (oneself) utterly" 

Jesus asleep in the boat: see Matthew viii:

[23] Et ascendente eo in naviculam, secuti sunt eum discipuli ejus : [24] et ecce motus magnus factus est in mari, ita ut navicula operiretur fluctibus, ipse vero dormiebat. [25] Et accesserunt ad eum discipuli ejus, et suscitaverunt eum, dicentes : Domine, salva nos, perimus. [26] Et dicit eis Jesus : Quid timidi estis, modicae fidei? Tunc surgens imperavit ventis, et mari, et facta est tranquillitas magna. [27] Porro homines mirati sunt, dicentes : Qualis est hic, quia venti et mare obediunt ei?

 

[23] And when he entered into the boat, his disciples followed him: [24] And behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but he was asleep. [25] And they came to him, and awaked him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish. [26] And Jesus saith to them: Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Then rising up he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there came a great calm. [27] But the men wondered, saying: What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him?

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.