Jean de la Fontaine 1621–1695
Fables
- Le corbeau et le renard
- Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché,
- Tenait en son bec un fromage.
- Maître Renard, par l’odeur alléché,
- Lui tint à peu près ce langage:
- Et bonjour, Monsieur du Corbeau.
- Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau !
- Sans mentir, si votre ramage
- Se rapporte à votre plumage,
- Vous êtes le Phénix des hôtes de ces bois.
- À ces mots, le Corbeau ne se sent pas de joie;
- Et pour montrer sa belle voix,
- Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie.
- Le Renard s’en saisit, et dit:
- Mon bon Monsieur, Apprenez que tout flatteur
- Vit aux dépens de celui qui l’écoute.
- Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage, sans doute.
- Le Corbeau honteux et confus
- Jura, mais un peu tard, qu’on ne l’y prendrait plus.
- The crow and the fox
- Master Crow, perched upon a tree,
- Held a cheese in his beak.
- Master Fox, attracted by the smell,
- Addressed him in roughly these words:
- And good day, Sir Crow.
- How comely you are! How hansdome you appear to me!
- No word of a lie, if your song
- Corresponds to your plumage,
- You are a prodigy among the denizens of these woods.
- Upon these words, the Crow could not contain himself for joy;
- And to demonstrate his fine voice,
- He opens his beak wide , and drops his booty.
- The Fox grabs it, and says:
- My good Sir, Learn that every flatterer
- Lives at the expense of those who pay attention to him.
- That lesson is certainly worth a cheese, without doubt.
- The Crow ashamed and confused
- Swore, though somewhat late, that he would not be caught thus again.
SilverTiger at home and abroad 