Laudator Temporis Acti

Joachim Du Bellay (1522-1560), Les Regrets, sonnet 68, tr. Richard Helgerson:

I hate the Florentine's usurious greed. I hate the crazy Sienese's lack of judgment. I hate the Genovese's rare truthfulness, and the Venetian's excessively sly malice.

I hate the Ferraran for I know not what vice. I hate all Lombards for disloyalty, the proud Neapolitan for his great vanity, and the lazy Roman for working so little.

I hate the unruly Englishman and the blustering Scot, the treacherous Burgundian and the gossipy Frenchman, the haughty Spaniard and the drunken German.

In short, I hate some vice in every nation. I even hate myself for my imperfection. But above all, I hate pedantic learning.

The same, tr. David R. Slavitt:

I hate the Florentines, usurious leeches;
I hate the Sienese, who are wild and crazy;
I hate the Genevans, whose notions of truth are hazy
at best, and Venetians, those cunning sons of bitches.

I hate Ferrarans, whose vices I can't even
imagine, and Lombards, who will always break
their promises, and Neapolitans, fake
arrogant peacocks...And Romans? That's a given!

The surly English and braggart Scots I despise.
Burgundians I hate for telling lies.
French yammer, Spaniards are vain, and the German drinks.

Each nation has its defect that wants correction.
And I hate myself for my own imperfection.
But what I hate worst is pedantry. That stinks.

The French, in modern spelling, from Joachim Du Bellay, Les Regrets précédé de Les Antiquités de Rome et suivi de La Défense et Illustration de la Langue française (Paris: Gallimard, 1967), pp. 113-114:

Je hais du Florentin l'usurière avarice,
Je hais du fol Siennois le sens mal arrêté,
Je hais du Genevois la rare vérité,
Et du Vénitien la trop caute malice:

Je hais le Ferrarais pour je ne sais quel vice,
Je hais tous les Lombards pour l'infidélité,
Le fier Napolitain pour sa grand' vanité,
Et le poltron romain pour son peu d'exercice:

Je hais l'Anglais mutin et le brave Écossais,
Le traître Bourguignon et l'indiscret Français,
Le superbe Espagnol et l'ivrogne Tudesque:

Bref, je hais quelque vice en chaque nation,
Je hais moi-même encor mon imperfection,
Mais je hais par sur tout un savoir pédantesque.

Related posts:

• Racial Antipathy
• National Characteristics
• Xenophobia
• Something to Offend Everyone
• The English Class System