Le Berger et son troupeau.

 

Quoi ? toujours il me manquera
Quelqu'un de ce peuple imbécile !
Toujours le Loup m'en gobera !
J'aurai beau les compter : ils étaient plus de mille,
Et m'ont laissé ravir notre pauvre Robin ;
Robin mouton qui par la ville
Me suivait pour un peu de pain,
Et qui m'aurait suivi jusques au bout du monde.
Hélas ! de ma musette il entendait le son !
Il me sentait venir de cent pas à la ronde.
Ah le pauvre Robin mouton !
Quand Guillot eut fini cette oraison funèbre
Et rendu de Robin la mémoire célèbre.
Il harangua tout le troupeau,
Les chefs, la multitude, et jusqu'au moindre agneau,
Les conjurant de tenir ferme :
Cela seul suffirait pour écarter les Loups.
Foi de peuple d'honneur, ils lui promirent tous
De ne bouger non plus qu'un terme.
Nous voulons, dirent-ils, étouffer le glouton
Qui nous a pris Robin mouton.
Chacun en répond sur sa tête.
Guillot les crut, et leur fit fête.
Cependant, devant qu'il fût nuit,
Il arriva nouvel encombre,
Un Loup parut ; tout le troupeau s'enfuit :
Ce n'était pas un Loup, ce n'en était que l'ombre.
Haranguez de méchants soldats,
Ils promettront de faire rage ;
Mais au moindre danger adieu tout leur courage :
Votre exemple et vos cris ne les retiendront pas.

 

 

The Shepherd and his flock. (25)

 

'What! shall I lose them one by one,
This stupid coward throng?
And never shall the wolf have done?
They were at least a thousand strong,
But still they've let poor Robin[26] fall a prey!
Ah, woe's the day!
Poor Robin Wether lying dead!
He follow'd for a bit of bread
His master through the crowded city,
And would have follow'd, had he led,
Around the world. O! what a pity!
My pipe, and even step, he knew;
To meet me when I came, he flew;
In hedge-row shade we napp'd together;
Alas, alas, my Robin Wether!'
When Willy thus had duly said
His eulogy upon the dead
And unto everlasting fame
Consign'd poor Robin Wether's name,
He then harangued the flock at large,
From proud old chieftain rams
Down to the smallest lambs,
Addressing them this weighty charge,--
Against the wolf, as one, to stand
In firm, united, fearless band,
By which they might expel him from their land.
Upon their faith, they would not flinch,
They promised him, a single inch.
'We'll choke,' said they, 'the murderous glutton
Who robbed of us of our Robin Mutton.'
Their lives they pledged against the beast,
And Willy gave them all a feast.
But evil Fate, than Phoebus faster,
Ere night had brought a new disaster:
A wolf there came. By nature's law,
The total flock were prompt to run;
And yet 'twas not the wolf they saw,
But shadow of him from the setting sun.

Harangue a craven soldiery,
What heroes they will seem to be!
But let them snuff the smoke of battle,
Or even hear the ramrods rattle,
Adieu to all their spunk and mettle:
Your own example will be vain,
And exhortations, to retain
The timid cattle.

[25] Abstemius.
[26] Robin.--Rabelais, in his Pantagruel, Book IV., ch. 4, has Robin, Robin Mouton, &c.

Il Pastore e l'Armento.

 

- Oh Dio, non passa dì che la mascella
del lupo fra le mille
non mi rapisca qualche pecorella.
Erano mille, ahimè! non son più mille,
e ancora m'ha rapito quel rabbioso
il Ricciolin, un pecorin grazioso.

Ricciolin, che per il prato
mi seguìa come un cagnòlo,
Ricciolin, che colle buone
fin al polo
ben mi avrebbe accompagnato,
Ricciolin, che la canzone
conoscea del suo padrone
e seguiva
lieto il suono della piva,
ah terribile destino!
dove sei, buon Ricciolino? -

Così Taddeo con funebre lamento
piangeva celebrando la memoria
di Ricciolin, la gioia dell'armento,
di poema degnissimo e di storia.

Quindi il gregge adunò, capri e montoni
e tutti fino agli ultimi agnelletti,
e disse lor di camminar più stretti,
se volevan salvarsi dagli unghioni.

Le pecore promisero in parola
di popolo di star dentro il confine,
strette serrate per non far la fine
che fece quella onesta bestiola.

E diceano: - Il tuo destino,
Ricciolino,
noi sapremo vendicar,
e l'ingorda
faccia lorda castigar -.

Lieto Taddeo delle promesse, crede
che sian cose di fede;
ma quando un'altra notte ancor sbucò
di mezzo all'aer cupo
la mala bestia, l'armento scappò.
E l'ombra era d'un lupo.