Text & Translation
La coccinelle
French source:
Victor Hugo
Me tourmente.» Et j’aperçus
Son cou de neige, et, dessus,
Un petit insecte rose.
J’aurais dû,—mais, sage ou fou,
À seize ans, on est farouche,—
Voir le baiser sur sa bouche
Plus que l’insecte à son cou.
On eût dit un coquillage;
Dos rose et taché de noir.
Les fauvettes pour nous voir
Se penchaient dans le feuillage.
Sa bouche fraîche était là;
Je me courbai sur la belle,
Et je pris la coccinelle;
Mais le baiser s’envola.
«Fils, apprends comme on me nomme»,
Dit l’insecte du ciel bleu,
«Les bêtes sont au bon Dieu;
Mais la bêtise est à l’homme.»
The ladybird
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Itching me.’ And I saw
Her snow-white neck, and on it
A small rose-coloured insect.
I should—but right or wrong,
At sixteen one is shy—
Have seen the kiss on her lips
More than the insect on her neck.
Like a shell it shone;
Red back speckled with black.
The warblers, to catch a glimpse of us,
Craned their necks in the branches.
Her fresh mouth was there:
I leaned over the lovely girl,
And dislodged the ladybird,
But… the kiss flew away!
‘Son, learn my name’,
Said the insect from the blue sky.
‘Creatures belong to our good Lord,
But cretins belong to man.’
La coccinelle
French source:
Victor Hugo
The ladybird
English source:
Richard Stokes
Elle me dit: «Quelque chose
She said to me: ‘Something’s
Me tourmente.» Et j’aperçus
Itching me.’ And I saw
Son cou de neige, et, dessus,
Her snow-white neck, and on it
Un petit insecte rose.
A small rose-coloured insect.
J’aurais dû,—mais, sage ou fou,
I should—but right or wrong,
À seize ans, on est farouche,—
At sixteen one is shy—
Voir le baiser sur sa bouche
Have seen the kiss on her lips
Plus que l’insecte à son cou.
More than the insect on her neck.
On eût dit un coquillage;
Like a shell it shone;
Dos rose et taché de noir.
Red back speckled with black.
Les fauvettes pour nous voir
The warblers, to catch a glimpse of us,
Se penchaient dans le feuillage.
Craned their necks in the branches.
Sa bouche fraîche était là;
Her fresh mouth was there:
Je me courbai sur la belle,
I leaned over the lovely girl,
Et je pris la coccinelle;
And dislodged the ladybird,
Mais le baiser s’envola.
But… the kiss flew away!
«Fils, apprends comme on me nomme»,
‘Son, learn my name’,
Dit l’insecte du ciel bleu,
Said the insect from the blue sky.
«Les bêtes sont au bon Dieu;
‘Creatures belong to our good Lord,
Mais la bêtise est à l’homme.»
But cretins belong to man.’
Composer
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French composer, organist, conductor, and pianist of the Romantic era. A musical prodigy, he gave his first concert at only 10 years old, before studying at the Paris Conservatoire. Information from Wikipedia.…
Poet
Victor Hugo
Victor Marie Hugo was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He is considered one of the greatest and best-known French writers. In France, Hugo's literary fame comes first from his poetry and then from his novels and his…