The Nightingale and the Peacock

Fable by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian Period 18th century

The amiable and tender Philomel,
seeing the fair days begin,
was telling to the faithful echo
both her sorrows and her loves.
The handsomest peacock of the neighborhood,
master and sultan of that district,
raising his head and his tone,
came to interrupt her warbling:
it is quite for you, tedious songster,
with so sad a plumage,
and that long beak, and those big eyes,
to want to charm this grove!
To beauty alone it well befits
to dare celebrate tenderness:
by what right do you sing without cease?
I, who am handsome, say nothing.
Pardon, answered Philomel:
it is true, I am not beautiful;
and if I sing in these woods,
I have no title but my voice.
But you, whose noble arrogance
orders me to speak more softly,
you keep silent through impotence,
and have only your charms alone.
They must dazzle, no doubt;
is that enough to make oneself loved?
Go on, since love can see nothing in it,
it is the ear that must be charmed.

Florian

Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.

Text published on Poésies 123: https://www.poesies123.com/en/fable-the-nightingale-and-the-peacock-jean-pierre-claris-de-florian/