L'Ane et le petit Chien.

 

Ne forçons point notre talent,
Nous ne ferions rien avec grâce :
Jamais un lourdaud, quoi qu'il fasse,
Ne saurait passer pour galant.
Peu de gens, que le Ciel chérit et gratifie,
Ont le don d'agréer infus avec la vie.
C'est un point qu'il leur faut laisser,
Et ne pas ressembler à l'Ane de la Fable,
Qui pour se rendre plus aimable
Et plus cher à son maître, alla le caresser.
"Comment ? disait-il en son âme,
Ce Chien, parce qu'il est mignon,
Vivra de pair à compagnon
Avec Monsieur, avec Madame ;
Et j'aurai des coups de bâton ?
Que fait-il ? il donne la patte ;
Puis aussitôt il est baisé :
S'il en faut faire autant afin que l'on me flatte,
Cela n'est pas bien malaisé. "
Dans cette admirable pensée,
Voyant son Maître en joie, il s'en vient lourdement,
Lève une corne toute usée,
La lui porte au menton fort amoureusement,
Non sans accompagner, pour plus grand ornement,
De son chant gracieux cette action hardie.
"Oh ! oh ! quelle caresse ! et quelle mélodie !
Dit le Maître aussitôt. Holà, Martin bâton! "
Martin bâton accourt ; l'Ane change de ton.
Ainsi finit la comédie.

The Ass and the little Dog. (5)

 

One's native talent from its course
Cannot be turned aside by force;
But poorly apes the country clown
The polish'd manners of the town.
Their Maker chooses but a few
With power of pleasing to imbue;
Where wisely leave it we, the mass,
Unlike a certain fabled ass,
That thought to gain his master's blessing
By jumping on him and caressing.
'What!' said the donkey in his heart;
'Ought it to be that puppy's part
To lead his useless life
In full companionship
With master and his wife,
While I must bear the whip?
What doth the cur a kiss to draw?
Forsooth, he only gives his paw!
If that is all there needs to please,
I'll do the thing myself, with ease.'
Possess'd with this bright notion,--
His master sitting on his chair,
At leisure in the open air,--
He ambled up, with awkward motion,
And put his talents to the proof;
Upraised his bruised and batter'd hoof,
And, with an amiable mien,
His master patted on the chin,
The action gracing with a word--
The fondest bray that e'er was heard!
O, such caressing was there ever?
Or melody with such a quaver?
'Ho! Martin![6] here! a club, a club bring!'
Out cried the master, sore offended.
So Martin gave the ass a drubbing,--
And so the comedy was ended.

[5] Aesop.
[6] _Martin_.--La Fontaine has "Martin-," a name for a groom or
ostler armed with his cudgel of office, taken from Rabelais.

L'Asino e il Cagnolino.

 

Solo ai pochi che il Ciel ha in maggior cura
è dato il dolce dono di natura
d'esser cari e simpatici.
Contro il suo genio invan altri s'ingegna
di comparir amabile.
Un spaccalegna è sempre un spaccalegna.

Un Asino già fu, conta la favola,
che, pensando di rendersi simpatico,
disse un giorno fra sé:
"Il Cagnolin, perché piccino, è il frugolo
de' padroni, che in grembo se lo stringono,
e giusto ciò non è.

A lui bocconi prelibati e zucchero,
perché sa dar la zampa al suo padrone,
e per ogni smorfietta una carezza:
e a me, perché son bestia non avvezza
ai complimenti, sugo di bastone".

Così disse fra sé la grossa bestia,
e un dì che il suo padron sedeva a tavola,
alzò una brutta zampa, e colla musica
più soave che ciuco modulò,
al padroncin la guancia carezzò.

- Oh! oh! quale carezza! oh quale musica!
Olà, Martino, olà -.
Martino accorre e subito
ballar con altra solfa me lo fa.