The main work of the Swiss francophone poet Gustave Roud (1897-1976) consists of poetic prose collected in the Ecrits, and of translation of works by Novalis, Hoelderlin, Rilke and Trakl from German into French. Roud’s poetry lives apart from mainstream literature. It searches for the essential and speaks in a low, but clear nuanced voice. Throughout the Ecrits and the poetic texts Roud translated, certain motifs are constant. Focusing on these motifs, this study introduces the Ecrits, examines Roud’s approach to translation, and explores the variations, transformations and new expression these motifs undergo, suggesting rapport between translation and original creation.