La Lice et sa Compagne.

 

Une Lice étant sur son terme,
Et ne sachant ou mettre un fardeau si pressant,
Fait si bien qu'à la fin sa Compagne consent
De lui prêter sa hutte, où la Lice s'enferme.
Au bout de quelque temps sa Compagne revient.
La Lice lui demande encore une quinzaine ;
Ses petits ne marchaient, disait-elle, qu'à peine.
Pour faire court, elle l'obtient.
Ce second terme échu, l'autre lui redemande
Sa maison, sa chambre, son lit.
La Lice cette fois montre les dents, et dit :
"Je suis prête à sortir avec toute ma bande,
Si vous pouvez nous mettre hors. "
Ses enfants étaient déjà forts.
Ce qu'on donne aux méchants, toujours on le regrette.
Pour tirer d'eux ce qu'on leur prête,
Il faut que l'on en vienne aux coups ;
Il faut plaider, il faut combattre.
Laissez-leur prendre un pied chez vous,
Ils en auront bientôt pris quatre

The Bitch and her Friend. (13)

 

A bitch, that felt her time approaching,
And had no place for parturition,
Went to a female friend, and, broaching
Her delicate condition,
Got leave herself to shut
Within the other's hut.
At proper time the lender came
Her little premises to claim.
The bitch crawl'd meekly to the door,
And humbly begg'd a fortnight more.
Her little pups, she said, could hardly walk.
In short, the lender yielded to her talk.
The second term expired; the friend had come
To take possession of her house and home.
The bitch, this time, as if she would have bit her,
Replied, 'I'm ready, madam, with my litter,
To go when you can turn me out.'
Her pups, you see, were fierce and stout.

The creditor, from whom a villain borrows,
Will fewer shillings get again than sorrows.
If you have trusted people of this sort,
You'll have to plead, and dun, and fight; in short,
If in your house you let one step a foot,
He'll surely step the other in to boot.

[13] Phaedrus, I. 19. See the Translator's Preface.

La Cagna e la sua Compagna.

 

Già presso a partorir era una cagna:
non sapendo ove mettere il fardello,
si pose a supplicare una compagna,
che volesse prestarle il suo casello.

In capo al tempo, torna la comare
e chiede il letto. Astuta la vicina,
or che i figli non sanno camminare,
le chiede in grazia un'altra quindicina.

Quando ancora tornò la bestia stolta,
disse l'amica, digrignando i denti:
- Cacciane via, se ardisci, questa volta, -
e mostra i figli suoi grossi e valenti.

Se presti ai birbi, lascia la speranza
di ripigliar il tuo per quanto faccia;
da' loro un dito sol di padronanza,
ne piglieranno subito tre braccia.