TO BE READ FOR PRACTICE, CONSTRUED, AND LEARNT. Au clair de la lune, Mon ami Pierrot, Prête-moi ta plume Pour écrire un mot. My little friend P As the moon shines bright, Just lend me a pen, For I want to write. Ma chandelle est morte, On exposait une peinture, My candle's gone out, And open the door. A picture was exposed, Where the painter had shown Il est bon d'être charitable, Quant aux ingrats, il n'en est point Qui ne meure enfin misérable. It is well to be charitable. But towards whom, that is the question. As to the ungrateful, there are none but come to some untimely end. Le singe avec le léopard, Gagnaient de l'argent à la foire, Ils affichaient chacun à part. The ape and the leopard were making money at a fair, and each placarding on his own account. Le cœur suit aisément l'esprit : Ils embrassaient violemment De la Vénus dont il fut père. Chacun tourne en réalités, Autant qu'il peut ses propres songes: L'homme est de glace aux vérités, Il est de feu pour les mensonges. Easily does the heart follow the understanding: thence is the origin of the Pagan errors spread through so many nations. They eagerly embraced the views of their fancies. Pygmalion became the lover of the Venus he had created. Every man, as much as he can, turns his dreams into realities man is all ice for truth, all fire for falsehood. To acquire a clear pronunciation, it would be well if the pupil understood the nature of the syllabic division of words, and in separating each syllable from the others as he reads poetry, he may learn to be equally distinct in prose. In the following lines the syllables will be divided by a line, thus (-); the cæsura will be marked by an upright, thus (1), if there is any. Les-cieux-in-strui-sent-la-terre Ré-vè-le un-Dieu-cré-a-teur. Quel-plus-su-bli-me-can-tique Que-ce-con-cert-ma-gni-fique De-tous-les-cé-les-tes-corps ! Que-lle-gran-deur-in-fi-nie! Que-lle-di-vi-ne har-mo-nie! Ré-sul-te-de-leurs-ac-cords. The heavens teach the earth to worship their Creator. All that the globe encircles reveals a creating Deity. What hymn more sublime than this grand concert of all these heavenly bodies! What infinite grandeur! What divine harmony arises from their accents. Undivided. Les cieux instruisent la terre Tout ce que le globe enserre J'ai-me-qu'un-Ru-sse-soit-Russe, Et-qu'un-An-glais-soit-An-glais. Si-l'on-est-Pru-ssien-en-Prusse, En-Fran-ce-so-yons-Fran-çais. I like a Russian to be a Russian, an Englishman to be one. If in Prussia one's a Prussian, in France then let's be Frenchmen. Ten syllable verses; cæsura at the fourth foot. Vo-yez,-a-mis, | ce-tte-bar-que-lé-gère, Dé-jà-le-Sort | a-sou-fflé-dans-les-voiles; U-ne-mer-cal | me et-des-vents-doux-et-frais. Au-mât-pro-pi- | ce a-tta-chant-leurs-guir-landes, Ba-cchus-lui-mê- me a-ni-me-l'é-qui-page, Nous,-qui-vo-yons | co-mmen-cer-le-vo-yage, Qui-vient-en-cor | sa-lu-er-la-na-celle? A-tant-de-vœux dont-re-ten-tit-la-plage, THE OUTSET. Song on the Cradle of a second Child. Friends, contemplate this airy craft, which parting from the shore now tries again the billows. It contains a gentle freight. Ah! let us be its earliest sailors. Already the waters move it from the bank, which it is gently leaving for ever. Let us, who look on at the outset of the voyage, enliven its course with our songs. Fate has already breathed in her sails. Already Hope is preparing her rigging, and promises us, under the light of the stars, calm seas and cool and gentle winds. Away! avaunt! all evilomened birds; this boat belongs to Love. Ay, the Loves, fastening their garlands to the masts, take their share in the labour. Offerings have been made to the chaste sisters, and Friendship sits at the helm. Bacchus himself inspirits the crew, calling in the help of the Pleasures. Who else comes here to hail the little ship? 'Tis Misfortune blessing Virtue, and asking that the reward of the good done by her may revert upon this child. To all these good wishes with which the beach resounds, sure that the gods will not be insensible, friends, let us, who witness the start, cheer the progress of the voyage with our songs. The same undivided; to be read distinctly. Voyez, amis, cette barque légère, Déjà le Sort a soufflé dans les voiles; Une mer calme et des vents doux et frais. |