Greetings, Poetry Lovers! Bonjour, Mes Amis.
It's almost Poetry Month! And almost April in Paris… Sigh. I've not (yet) been in person. And – the Paris Olympics are right around the corner.
Pardon my French (it's been a few decades), but my thoughts are turning Français this week. And items in my Etsy shop, too. (Click here to apply a shop-wide coupon code for Poetry Month if interested.)
I found a fun blog called "Snippets of Paris" with some thoughts about children and poetry there.
And this gem below from Rosemonde Gérard (Louise-Rose-Étiennette Gérard, 1871-1953.) It's a New Year's poem, but since "our" calendar generally had the New Year starting in March until the 16th Century, I say it counts. (You can learn more about that here.)
Bonne année à toutes les choses,
Au monde, à la mer, aux forêts,
Bonne année à toutes les roses,
Que l'hiver prépare en secret.
Bonne année à tous ceux qui m'aiment,
Et qui m'entendent ici-bas,
Et bonne année aussi, quand même,
A tous ceux qui ne m'aiment pas.
Here's the Enlish translation, compiled from various sites including the one above, but with a correction/tweak of mine, too.
Happy New Year to all things,
To the world, to the sea, to the forests,
Happy New Year to all roses,
That winter prepares in secret.
Happy New Year to all who love me,
And who hear me down here,
And happy new year too, anyway,
To all those who don't love me.
I just adore those last lines. Our world could use more of that perspective for sure.
The author was a playwright as well as a poet, overshadowed somewhat by her husband, Edmond Rostand, author of Cyrano de Bergerac. She was the granddaughter of a French prime minister.
Until this week, I didn't know she was also the author of lines that have run through my husband's family, and between my husband and me, for decades and decades.
"More than yesterday, less than tomorrow."
Perhaps you're familiar with that sentiment, too?
Gérard wrote, in 1889 in a poem to her husband,
Car, vois-tu, chaque jour je t'aime davantage,
Aujourd'hui plus qu'hier et bien moins que demain.
While the poem was not immediately popular, the phrase was made so by a jeweler in the early 1900s. He created medallions with mathematical signs replacing the words for "more" and "less." These jewelry items became beloved tokens. You can read more about all that here.
You can still find the phrase on trinkets today. A few years ago, I found nice quality tags engraved with "Je t'aime plus qu'hier moins que demain" from a jewelry supplier, and I make bookmarks with these for my shop. Folks like them! Of course, the first one I made was for my hubby, Jeff.
If you're a history buff, but sports are more your thing than jewelry, head over to this link. The second incarnation of the Olympics (our modern games) was first hosted in Paris in 1900, and France has hosted them four more times since then. (It wasn't really called the Olympics, but had a long, boring name. The months-long event, however, kicked off the modern Olympics era.)
And since it's technically still Women's History Month, let's raise a glass to the fact that those games included women athletes for the first time!
As of this Poetry Friday, there are 118 days until the start of the Olympic Games and 151 days until the start of the Paralympic Games. Go, Athletes, from all countries represented!! Of course, over here we'll be cheering on Team USA, but I wish the best for "all who love (us)" and "all who don't love (us)." I pray for a peaceful gathering, spirited competition, and comradery. Oh, and for lots of pretty blooms in Paris this April.
Now, vous allez over to The Miss Rumphius Effect, where Tricia has our Roundup and is sure to get us started on the write poetic foot for April.
Be sure to consult Jama's big Roundup of the Kidlit Poetry Month events here!
Happy Easter to those who celebrate, and blessings to all.