Les Poissons et le Berger qui joue de la flûte.

 

Tircis, qui pour la seule Annette
Faisait résonner les accords
D'une voix et d'une musette
Capables de toucher les morts,
Chantait un jour le long des bords
D'une onde arrosant des prairies,
Dont Zéphire habitait les campagnes fleuries.
Annette cependant à la ligne pêchait ;
Mais nul poisson ne s'approchait.
La Bergère perdait ses peines.
Le Berger qui par ses chansons,
Eût attiré des inhumaines,
Crut, et crut mal, attirer des poissons.
Il leur chanta ceci : Citoyens de cette onde,
Laissez votre Naïade en sa grotte profonde.
Venez voir un objet mille fois plus charmant.
Ne craignez point d'entrer aux prisons de la Belle :
Ce n'est qu'à nous qu'elle est cruelle :
Vous serez traités doucement,
On n'en veut point à votre vie :
Un vivier vous attend, plus clair que fin cristal.
Et, quand à quelques-uns l'appât serait fatal,
Mourir des mains d'Annette est un sort que j'envie.
Ce discours éloquent ne fit pas grand effet :
L'auditoire était sourd aussi bien que muet.
Tircis eut beau prêcher : ses paroles miellées
S'en étant aux vents envolées,
Il tendit un long rets. Voilà les poissons pris,
Voilà les poissons mis aux pieds de la Bergère.
O vous Pasteurs d'humains et non pas de brebis,
Rois, qui croyez gagner par raisons les esprits
D'une multitude étrangère,
Ce n'est jamais par là que l'on en vient à bout ;
Il y faut une autre manière :
Servez-vous de vos rets, la puissance fait tout.

 

 

The Fishes and the Shepherd who played the flute. (18)

 

Thrysis--who for his Annette dear
Made music with his flute and voice,
Which might have roused the dead to hear,
And in their silent graves rejoice--
Sang once the livelong day,
In the flowery month of May,
Up and down a meadow brook,
While Annette fish'd with line and hook.
But ne'er a fish would bite;
So the shepherdess's bait
Drew not a fish to its fate,
From morning dawn till night.
The shepherd, who, by his charming songs,
Had drawn savage beasts to him in throngs,
And done with them as he pleased to,
Thought that he could serve the fish so.
'O citizens,' he sang, 'of this water,
Leave your Naiad in her grot profound;
Come and see the blue sky's lovely daughter,
Who a thousand times more will charm you;
Fear not that her prison will harm you,
Though there you should chance to get bound.
'Tis only to us men she is cruel:
You she will treat kindly;
A snug little pond she'll find ye,
Clearer than a crystal jewel,
Where you may all live and do well;
Or, if by chance some few
Should find their fate
Conceal'd in the bait,
The happier still are you;
For envied is the death that's met
At the hands of sweet Annette.'
This eloquence not effecting
The object of his wishes,
Since it failed in collecting
The deaf and dumb fishes,--
His sweet preaching wasted,
His honey'd talk untasted,
A net the shepherd seized, and, pouncing
With a fell scoop at the scaly fry,
He caught them; and now, madly flouncing,
At the feet of his Annette they lie!

O ye shepherds, whose sheep men are,
To trust in reason never dare.
The arts of eloquence sublime
Are not within your calling;
Your fish were caught, from oldest time,
By dint of nets and hauling.

[18] Aesop.

I Pesci e il Pastore.

 

Con voci e con accordi
che avrian commossi i sordi,
Tirsi l'amore della sua diletta
unica Annetta
in riva a un fiumicel, almo soggiorno
d'ogni auretta gentil, cantava un giorno.

Annetta intanto in riva al fiumicello
gettava l'amo ai pesci, ma costoro
sen ivano bel bello
pei fatti loro.
Credette a torto il bravo Pastorello
col suon, che avria commosso anche i leoni,
di muovere i carpioni.

Cantava il Pastorello: - O pesciolini
dell'onda cittadini,
uscite dalla liquida e profonda
grotta ove stan le Naiadi,
a contemplar sull'onda
un viso assai più bello, -
cantava il Pastorello.

- Se voi verrete,
non vi terrà costei dentro una rete,
ma in lieto acquaio assai graziosamente
vi nutrirà costei.
Che se a qualcun la sorte
portasse anche la morte,
o soave morire in man di lei,
o morte ch'io dimando inutilmente! -

Non men che muti sono sordi i Pesci,
che fanno il nesci a questo eccitamento.
Ebbe un bel predicar Tirsi, la predica
se la portava il vento.
Allor tende la rete e in un momento
piena la vede
e pone i Pesci della bella al piede.

O voi, pastori d'uomini
e non di pecorelle,
che vi credete muovere la mente
diversa della gente
colle parole belle,
voi consumate il fiato inutilmente.
Assai meglio farete
a usar la forza e a tendere la rete.