PIERRE DE RONSARD

(1524-1585)

from Sonnets for Hélène

"When you are very old..."

When you are very old, at evening, by the fire,
spinning wool by candlelight and winding it in skeins,
you will say in wonderment as you recite my lines:
"Ronsard admired me in the days when I was fair."

Then not one of your servants dozing gently there
who hears my my name waft up from your low repines
but will bless it for praising yours in these immortal lines
and return to her daydreams in her distant chair.

I'll be underneath the ground, and a boneless shade
taking my long rest in the scented myrtle-glade,
and you'll be an old woman, nodding towards life's close,

regretting my love, and regretting your disdain.
Heed me, and live for now: this time won't come again.
Come, pluck now - today - life's so quickly-fading rose.

(originally published in Tide and Undertow by Anthony Weir, Belfast 1975
This version dates from 2011 after a criticism in BEWILDERING STORIES)

"Quand vous serez bien vieille..."

Quand vous serez bien vieille, au soir, à la chandelle,
Assise aupres du feu, devidant et filant,
Direz, chantant mes vers, en vous esmerveillant :
Ronsard me celebroit du temps que j'estois belle.

Lors, vous n'aurez servante oyant telle nouvelle,
Desja sous le labeur à demy sommeillant,
Qui au bruit de mon nom ne s'aille resveillant,
Benissant vostre nom de louange immortelle.

Je seray sous la terre et fantaume sans os :
Par les ombres myrteux je prendray mon repos :
Vous serez au fouyer une vieille accroupie,

Regrettant mon amour et vostre fier desdain.
Vivez, si m'en croyez, n'attendez à demain :
Cueillez dés aujourd'huy les roses de la vie.

CANDLELIGHT BLUES

When yore gitten old at candlelight
Sittin' at the fire gonna spin all night,
You'll say sorta marvelin' as y'sing my song,
“Good old Ronsard sang when Ah was young.”

Then y'won't have a maid what hears that soun',
Jist about t'fall asleep an' all tired down,
Who ain't gonna wake when she hears ma name
An' start praisin' yore name of immortal fame.

Ah'll be six foot under, no skeleton,
‘Neath the myrtle groves is where my soul will run;

You'll be dreamin' at the hearth in a messy ole way,
Sorry you was proud, now Ah've gone away.

Better saddle up yore horse, don't wait all night,
Pick yore roses today, then you'll be all right.

G. R. Tejada-Flores, 1961

This poem was freely paraphrased by W.B. Yeats in his 1893 collection The Rose.
The only line of the original that Yeats retains
('and bending down beside the glowing bars...')
is the only one not retained in my translation!

When You are Old

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And, nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep.

How many loved your moments of glad grace
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountain overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Ronsard had to give up a promising diplomatic career
due to deafness.

OTHER TRANSLATIONS

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