Podcast

Preparing this poem took a lot of time and efforts. Support my effort ; please make a donation or buy my French books.

Le Corbeau et le Renard de Jean de La Fontaine

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1-Fable

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 :
"Hé ! 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."
A 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.

2- Translation

The Crow and the Fox
Master Crow perched on a tree,
Was holding a cheese in his beak.
Master Fox attracted by the smell
Said something like this:
"Well, Hello Mister Crow!
How beautiful you are! how nice you seem to me!
Really, if your voice
Is like your plumage,
You are the phoenix of all the inhabitants of these woods."
At these words, the Crow is overjoyed.
And in order to show off his beautiful voice,
He opens his beak wide, lets his prey fall
The Fox grabs it, and says: "My good man,
Learn that every flatterer
Lives at the expense of the one who listens to him.
This lesson, without doubt, is well worth a cheese."
The Crow, ashamed and embarrassed,
Swore, but a little late, that he would not be taken again.

3- Additionnal vocabulary

enfin : then, finally, to finish
le travail scolaire : school work
plus tard : later on
être élu : to be elected
un vers : a verse
(et) donc : so, therefore --- I use it a lot !!!
personnifier : to personalize
la campagne : the countryside
ça veut dire : it means
vrai : true
un prix : a price
la honte : shame
la confusion : confusion
piégé : trapped, fooled
croâsser : to caw - the noise a crow makes :-)
un seigneur : a lord, a sir
rusé : cunning
la scène : the stage, the scenary
ainsi que : as well as
gratuit : free (of charge)
si : whether.

Would you like to know more about Jean de la Fontaine ? This is a great site (in French) http://www.jdlf.com




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