Saturday, 24 February 2018
Friday, 23 February 2018
La Fontaine: 'Le Corbeau et le Renard' in English translation
le corbeau et le renard
Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché,
Tenait en son
bec un fromage.
Maître Renard, par l'odeur alléché,
Lui tint à peu
près ce langage :
Et bonjour, Monsieur du Corbeau,
Que vous êtes
joli ! que vous me semblez beau !
Sans mentir,
si votre ramage
Se rapporte à
votre plumage,
Vous êtes le Phénix des hôtes de ces bois.
À ces mots le Corbeau ne se sent pas de joie,
Et pour
montrer sa belle voix,
Il ouvre un
large bec, laisse tomber sa proie.
Le Renard s'en
saisit, et dit : Mon bon Monsieur,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l'écoute.
Cette leçon
vaut bien un fromage sans doute.
Le Corbeau
honteux et confus
Jura, mais un
peu tard, qu'on ne l'y prendrait plus.
the crow and the fox
Master black crow on a branch perched up high
Held tight in
his beak some fine cheese
Master sly fox by its smell tempted nigh
Him tendered these words aimed to please:
Well, good day to you, Mister Crow,
Oh, how
handsome you look! With health you seem to glow!
I would claim
that should your singing
Match pinions ideal
for winging,
You are the
Phoenix of all who here reside.
At these words the black crow almost bursts with pride,
And so as to let
his voice sound
His beak opens wide – his prey falls to the ground.
The fox grabs
it at once and says: Ah, Mister Crow,
Each flatterer, as you should know,
Depends on the
ear of him he seeks to please.
This lesson I
think you must deem worth a cheese.
The crow, now
ashamed and confused
Although a trifle
late, swore no more to be used.
