The delicate Fragrance of French Marivaudage

Vintage paintings & engravings 💕

[the-white-petal]

I salute you, O wonderful slot,

Who lives brightly between these shining sides;

I salute you, O blessed pertuis,

Who makes my life happily content!

It's you who makes me no longer torment

The flying archer who caused my trouble;

Having only lasted you four nights

I feel his strength in me already slower.

O little hole, cute hole, hairy hole,

With softly curled wispy hair,

Who at your will tames the most rebellious:

All gallant verses should, to honor you,

On beautiful knees come and adore you

Holding their flaming candles in their fists!

THÉOPHILE GAUTHIER (1811-1872)

[the-white-petal]

Je suis très émue de vous dire que j’ai

bien compris l’autre soir que vous aviez

toujours une envie folle de me faire

danser. Je garde le souvenir de votre

baiser et je voudrais bien que ce soit

là une preuve que je puisse être aimée

par vous. Je suis prête à vous montrer mon

affection toute désintéressée et sans cal-

cul, et si vous voulez me voir aussi

vous dévoiler sans artifice mon âme

toute nue, venez me faire une visite.

Nous causerons en amis, franchement.

Je vous prouverai que je suis la femme

sincère, capable de vous offrir l’affection

la plus profonde comme la plus étroite

amitié, en un mot la meilleure preuve

que vous puissiez rêver, puisque votre

âme est libre. Pensez que la solitude où j’ha-

bite est bien longue, bien dure et souvent

difficile. Ainsi en y songeant j’ai l’âme

grosse. Accourez donc vite et venez me la

faire oublier par l’amour où je veux me

mettre.

George Sand (1835)

[the-white-petal]

When I see her, everything bears witness to my desire:

My eyes, my face, my pallor.

Immediately I tremble with fear

Like a leaf in the wind

And I have no more sense than a small child...

This is how I am a prisoner of Love.

Ah! That of a man thus conquered,

A Lady can have great pity!

Bernard de Ventadour (1135-1194)

[the-white-petal]

My Beauty, my love, have no fear,

I prefer the smell of the dish of the day to money,

That you often did in your humble heart,

When we made sojourn by the stormy embrace...

Me and my servants, we were on call,

To obliging places deprived of all humor,

When with an arrogant air I gave free rein,

To my clumsy babble for your sweet speakers...

I therefore considered an impossible flirt,

Taking your body as a sweet target,

Multiplying my efforts to win your heart...

Without measuring the time, I redoubled my efforts,

Triumphant at times over your mocking laughter,

To my great comfort, you opened treasures for me!

Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585)

[the-white-petal]

Good lady, don't you ask

Than to be taken as a servant:

Will serve in you good Lord

Whatever the reward;

And here I am at your command,

To be noble and gentle, gay, courteous!

You are neither bear nor lion

To kill me, if I surrender!

Bernard de Ventadour (1135-1194)

[the-white-petal]

Of them two it was like this

Like honeysuckle was

Who caught himself at the hazel.

When he hugged and took

And all around the keg is set,

Together can last well.

But who then wants to disunite them

The hazel dies quickly

And honeysuckle with it.

"Beautiful friend so is of us

Neither you without me, nor me without you. »

Marie de France (1160-1210)

[the-white-petal]

My heart frolics breathing the rose

And rejoice looking at my lady.

One is better to me than the other;

My heart beats as it breathes in the rose.

The smell is good to me, but the look I dare not

Playing too loud, (I) swear to you on my soul;

My heart frolics breathing the rose

And rejoice looking at my lady.

Jean Froissart (1337-1405)

[the-white-petal]

All he desires,

the lover must ask for it with delicacy

and the lady will grant him.

But she has to choose her moment well.

The lover must pray to her and make himself available.

Whether she's his lover or his lady of wisdom

the lady must do honor to the friend

as a companion and not as a lord.

Maria de Ventadorn (1180-1205)

[the-white-petal]

When a lady takes it into her head to love

it is she who must woo her knight,

if she recognizes his courage

and chivalrous virtues.

Na Castelosa (1200-1220)

[the-white-petal]

You can live without a drum but never without love