---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Heureux qui, comme Ulysse, a fait un beau voyage,
Ou comme cestuy-là qui conquit la toison,
Et puis est retourné, plein d’usage et raison,
Vivre entre ses parents le reste de son âge !
Quand reverrai-je, hélas, de mon petit village
Fumer la cheminée, et en quelle saison
Reverrai-je le clos de ma pauvre maison,
Qui m’est une province, et beaucoup davantage ?
Plus me plaît le séjour qu’ont bâti mes aïeux,
Que des palais Romains le front audacieux,
Plus que le marbre dur me plaît l’ardoise fine :
Plus mon Loir gaulois, que le Tibre latin,
Plus mon petit Liré, que le mont Palatin,
Et plus que l’air marin la doulceur angevine.
1558, Joachim du Bellay (1522-1560)
Recueil
Les Regrets.
Et voilà ! Point de départ de ce blog - un peu de culture n'a jamais fait de mal - le poème ci-dessus, qui lui a donné son nom. Un vieux souvenir d'école que je voudrais reformuler en "Heureux qui, comme Ulysse, va faire un beau voyage".
J'essaierai de donner des nouvelles chaque semaine, peut-être plus souvent si les infrastructures locales le permettent. Je ne pourrai pas informer des mises à jour à chaque fois, ça serait un peu fastidieux. A vous de venir voir de temps en temps ce qui se passe par ici !
AUGUST 17TH, 2009Happy he who, likes Ulysses, ...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Here we are! I am initiating this blog with, as starting atmosphere, this poem from the XVIth century from Du Bellay. I found a translation on www.frenchtoday.com, here it is:
Happy he who like Ulysses has returned successful from his travels,
Or like he who sought the Golden Fleece,
Then returned, wise to the world
Live amongst his family to the end of his age!
When shall I see again, alas, of my dear village,
Its chimney smoke, and in which season,
Will I see again that little, modest, plot of earth
That is a province to me, and far more than I draw here?
I’m drawn far more to my forefathers home,
Than to a Roman palace fine and proud,
More than hard marble I prefer fine slate:
My gaul Loir I prefer to latin Tiber,
My little Liré I prefer to Palatine,
And to sea air, soft climate Angevine.
Joachim du Bellay, Les Regrets, sonnet XXXI, 1558.
[Source: http://www.frenchtoday.com/poem-analysis-reading/heureux-qui-comme-ulysse-joachim-bellay]I learnt this poem at school, a "few" years ago, and it came back to my mind when I was thinking about a name for this blog. Reason is, I'd like to turn the "Happy he who like Ulysses has returned successful from his travels" into a "Happy he who like Ulysses will do a nice travel...".
I will do my best to give some news every week, maybe more often if technically feasible.
I won't be able to warn each of you about updates, so just visit the place when you like to see what's new, that's the best!
