laremy.sg

Tag: translation

  • The advantage of being useless

    山木自寇也，
    膏火自煎也。
    桂可食，故伐之；
    漆可用，故割之。
    人皆知有用之用，
    而莫知無用之用也。

    Mountain trees self-destruct,
    Lamp tallow self-immolates.
    Cinnamon is edible, so it is cleaved;
    Varnish is useful, so it is cut.
    All men know the advantage of being useful,
    but none know the advantage of being useless.

    — 莊子 [Zhuang Zi], Zhuang Zi, “Transactions in the World of Men” (“人間世”).

  • La Coccinelle (The Ladybird).

    Ladybugs.

    I’ve just finished reading Map of the Invisible World by Tash Aw.

    I got it at a book swap on Sunday and it’s accompanied me since my operation on Tuesday.

    There was a motif in the text which I thought was quite cool: the recurrent use of “La Coccinelle (The Ladybird)” by Victor Hugo to discuss the theme of love.

    The poem, in French, as far as I know, as follows:

    La Coccinelle

    Elle me dit: “Quelque chose
    “Me tourmente.” Et j’aperçus
    Son cou de neige, et, dessus,
    Un petit insecte rose.

    J’aurais dû, – mais, sage ou fou,
    A seize ans, on est farouche, –
    Voir le baiser sur sa bouche
    Plus que l’insecte à son cou.

    On eût dit un coquillage;
    Dos rose et taché de noir.
    Les fauvettes pour nous voir
    Se penchaient dans le feuillage.

    Sa bouche fraîche était là;
    Je me courbai sur la belle,
    Et je pris la coccinelle;
    Mais le baiser s’envola.

    “Fils, apprends comme on me nomme,”
    Dit l’insecte du ciel bleu,
    “Les bêtes sont au bon Dieu;
    “Mais la bêtise est à l’homme.”

    — Victor Hugo

    An English translation, culled together from other translations plus my own limited knowledge of French:

    The Ladybird

    She told me: “Something is
    Bothering me.” And I saw
    Her snow-white neck, and, on it,
    A small rose-coloured insect.

    I should have, – but, wise or foolish,
    One is awkward at sixteen, –
    Seen the kiss on her lips
    More than the bug on her neck.

    One would have called it a seashell;
    Red-backed and spotted black.
    To see us, the warblers
    Leaned forward in the foilage.

    There was her cool mouth;
    I bent over the lovely girl,
    And I caught the ladybird;
    But away flew the kiss.

    “Son, learn my name,”
    Said the bug from the sky blue,
    “The beasts belong to our good Lord;
    “But beastly stupidity belongs to man.”

    — Victor Hugo

    Here’s a comic of the poem too, if you’re so inclined.