[lojban-beginners] Translation challenge

["David Cortesi" <davecortesi@gmail.com>]

Came upon what is apparently a famous passage from the _Confessions_ of Rousseau. Well, Byron wrote that it was "the most passionate, yet not impure, description and _expression_ of love that ever kindled into words."

Here's the French & an approximate Englishing; anyone want to try translating it? I'm bailing in the first, simplest sentence; I can't figure out how to say "it is far from A to B," let alone "I've said <that>."

 "J'ai dit qu'il y avoit loin de l'Hermitage à Eaubonne; 
    I have said it is far from The Hermitage to Eaubonne;
          mi pu cusku 

je passois par les coteaux d'Andilly qui sont charmans.
    I went by the hills of Andilly, which are delightful;

je rêvois en marchant à celle que j'allois voir,
    walking, I mused on her whom I would be seeing,

à l'accueil caressant qu'elle me feroit,
    the tender welcome she would give me,

au baiser qui m'attendoit a mon arrivée.
    and on the kiss that awaited me on arrival.

Ce seul baiser, ce baiser funeste
    That one kiss, that calamitous kiss,

avant mêmede le recevoir, m'embrasoit le sang à tel point,
    even before I claimed it, inflamed my blood to such degree

que ma tête se troubloit,
    that my head spun,

un éblouissement m'aveugloit,
    my eyes were dazzled,

mes genoux tremblants ne pouroient me soutenir;
    my knees shook and would not support me;

j'étois forcé de m'arréter, de m'asseoir;
    I had to stop and sit down;

toute ma machine étoit dans un désordre inconcevable;
    all my frame was in incredible disarray;

j'étois prêt à m'évanouir....
    I was near to fainting....

A l'instant que je la voyois, tout étoit réparé;
    The moment I saw her, all was well;

je ne sentois plus auprès d'elle que l'importunité
d'une vigueur inépuisable et toujours inutile.

    once with her, I felt no more than a beseeching,
    inexhaustible, useless ardor.