A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields/The Chimney Corner (Théophile Gautier)
THE CHIMNEY CORNER.
Let the rain on the roofs all its wild deluge pour,
Let the elm by the road feel a shock to the core,
Lean forward, and totter at the will of the storm!
Let the heights of the rock roll the avalanche down,
Let the torrents rave hoarse, and in night's murky frown
Let old Chaos appear in its primitive form!
Let it freeze! And with noise unremitting the hail
On the closed casement strike, and the wind weirdly wail
Round and round the old farm like a spirit unblest!
What matters! What matters! Here's my hearth corner gay,
On my knees a sleek kitten that purrs in its play,
A book to amuse me, and my sofa to rest!