Le Singe et le Dauphin.

 

C'était chez les Grecs un usage
Que sur la mer tous voyageurs
Menaient avec eux en voyage
Singes et Chiens de Bateleurs.
Un Navire en cet équipage
Non loin d'Athènes fit naufrage,
Sans les Dauphins tout eût péri.
Cet animal est fort ami
De notre espèce : en son histoire
Pline le dit, il le faut croire.
Il sauva donc tout ce qu'il put.
Même un Singe en cette occurrence,
Profitant de la ressemblance,
Lui pensa devoir son salut.
Un Dauphin le prit pour un homme,
Et sur son dos le fit asseoir
Si gravement qu'on eût cru voir
Ce chanteur que tant on renomme.
Le Dauphin l'allait mettre à bord,
Quand, par hasard, il lui demande :
"Etes-vous d'Athènes la grande ?
- Oui, dit l'autre ; on m'y connaît fort :
S'il vous y survient quelque affaire,
Employez-moi ; car mes parents
Y tiennent tous les premiers rangs :
Un mien cousin est Juge-Maire. "
Le Dauphin dit : "Bien grand merci :
Et le Pirée a part aussi
A l'honneur de votre présence ?
Vous le voyez souvent ? je pense.
- Tous les jours : il est mon ami,
C'est une vieille connaissance."
Notre Magot prit, pour ce coup,
Le nom d'un port pour un nom d'homme.
De telles gens il est beaucoup
Qui prendraient Vaugirard pour Rome,
Et qui, caquetants au plus dru,
Parlent de tout, et n'ont rien vu.
Le Dauphin rit, tourne la tête,
Et, le Magot considéré,
Il s'aperçoit qu'il n'a tiré
Du fond des eaux rien qu'une bête.
Il l'y replonge, et va trouver
Quelque homme afin de le sauver.

The Monkey and the Dolphin. (9)

 

It was the custom of the Greeks
For passengers o'er sea to carry
Both monkeys full of tricks
And funny dogs to make them merry.
A ship, that had such things on deck,
Not far from Athens, went to wreck.
But for the dolphins, all had drown'd.
They are a philanthropic fish,
Which fact in Pliny may be found;--
A better voucher who could wish?
They did their best on this occasion.
A monkey even, on their plan
Well nigh attain'd his own salvation;
A dolphin took him for a man,
And on his dorsal gave him place.
So grave the silly creature's face,
That one might well have set him down
That old musician of renown.[10]
The fish had almost reach'd the land,
When, as it happen'd,--what a pity!--
He ask'd, 'Are you from Athens grand?'
'Yes; well they know me in that city.
If ever you have business there,
I'll help you do it, for my kin
The highest offices are in.
My cousin, sir, is now lord mayor.'
The dolphin thank'd him, with good grace,
Both for himself and all his race,
And ask'd, 'You doubtless know Piraeus,
Where, should we come to town, you'll see us.'
'Piraeus? yes, indeed I know;
He was my crony long ago.'
The dunce knew not the harbour's name,
And for a man's mistook the same.
The people are by no means few,
Who never went ten miles from home,
Nor know their market-town from Rome,
Yet cackle just as if they knew.
The dolphin laugh'd, and then began
His rider's form and face to scan,
And found himself about to save
From fishy feasts, beneath the wave,
A mere resemblance of a man.
So, plunging down, he turn'd to find
Some drowning wight of human kind.

[9] Aesop.
[10] Arion.--Translator.
According to Herodotus, I. 24 (Bonn's ed., p. 9), Arion, the son of Cyclon of Methymna, and famous lyric poet and musician, having won riches at a musical contest in Sicily, was voyaging home, when the sailors of his ship determined to murder him for his treasure. He asked to be allowed to play a tune; and as soon as he had finished he threw himself into the sea. It was then found that the music had attracted a number of dolphins round the ship, and one of these took the bard on its back and conveyed him safely to Taenarus.

La Scimia e il Delfino.

 

Era fra i Greci usanza
e Cani e Scimie di condur sui mari
per gioco ai marinari.
Accadde che un navilio
un dì con questa bella comitiva
non lungi dalla riva
di Atene naufragò.

Tutti morti sarian, se in quel momento
un buon Delfino (il qual secondo Plinio
ha per gli uomini un certo sentimento)
non ne traeva alcuni in salvamento,
fra gli altri anche una Scimia
che in groppa gli saltò.

Ingannato il Delfin dalla sembianza,
accolse il Bertuccione
con tanta gravità, che in lontananza
parea veder l'imagine di Arione.

- Sei tu d'Atene? - il buon Delfin dimanda,
mentre al porto si avvia.
- D' Atene per servirti, - a lui la Scimia
risponde, e per far grossa la bugia:
- Son molto conosciuto alla città, -
soggiunge, - e conto assai
fra quelli della prima nobiltà:
posso raccomandarti ad un cugino
ch'è giudice di Stato.

- Ti son molto obbligato, -
risposele il Delfino,
- e allor, suppongo, ti sarà presente
anche il Pireo. - Cospetto, egli è dei prossimi
illustri miei parenti il più parente -.

Quel brutto bertuccione aveva il torto
di confondere un uomo con un porto.

Pazienza, ma conosco ancor dei musi,
forse di lui più belli,
che discorron di tutto ad occhi chiusi
e cambian le montagne in fiumicelli.

Quando il Delfin si accorse a qual bel tomo
avea prestato il dorso,
me lo tuffò nel mar e il suo soccorso
offerse a un galantuomo.