| LE GRAND TESTAMENT - CXLII-CXLIII | THE TESTAMENT - CXLII-CXLIII |
| François Villon | tr. Peter Dean |
|
CXLII Item, a maistre Andry Courault Les Contreditz Franc Gontier mande; Quant du tirant seant en hault, A cestuy la riens ne demande: Le Saige ne veult que contende Contre puissant povre homme las, Affin que ses filletz ne tende Et qu'il ne trebuche en ses las. CXLIII Gautier ne crains: il n'a nulz hommes, Et mieulx que moy n'est herité Mais en ce debat cy nous sommes, Car il louë sa povreté, Estre povre yver et esté, Et a felicité reppute Ce que tiens a maleureté. Lequel a tort? Or en discute. |
CXLII Item, I send the Refutation of Frank Gontier to Andry Courault: let not the tyrant in his station be asked for anything by the low. The sage neither wishes nor contends that poor men fight against the strong, thus they avoid the nets which wide he sends and are not tramelled in his snares of thong. CXLIII Gontier’s no sweat: he had no men, inherited no more than me, but, in the debate that we’re now in, since he has praised his poverty - and calls that happy that should be (just think! Poor, winter and summer long!) ascribed only to misery: let’s take that up and see who’s wrong. |
Trans. Copyright © Peter Dean 2003