Frederick
Sandys (dessinateur), Joseph Swain (graveur) - The Old Chartist, Ill. pour le poème du même titre par George Meredith dans le magazine Once a Week, 8 février 1862
Gravure sur bois
Dans ce poème (qui n'a pas été traduit en français à ma connaissance) Meredith imagine le monologue d'un vieux militant chartiste après son retour de déportation (1). Il compare son sort avec celui d'un rat d'eau en train de se nettoyer.
Well, well! Not beaten—spite of them, I shout;
And my estate is suffering for the Cause. -
No,—what is yon brown water-rat about,
Who washes his old poll with busy paws?
What does he mean by't?
It's like defying all our natural laws,
For him to hope that he'll get clean by't.
His seat is on a mud-bank, and his trade
Is dirt:- he's quite contemptible; and yet
The fellow's all as anxious as a maid
To show a decent dress, and dry the wet.
Now it's his whisker,
And now his nose, and ear: he seems to get
Each moment at the motion brisker!
To see him squat like little chaps at school,
I could let fly a laugh with all my might.
He peers, hangs both his fore-paws:- bless that fool,
He's bobbing at his frill now!—what a sight!
Licking the dish up,
As if he thought to pass from black to white,
Like parson into lawny bishop.
And my estate is suffering for the Cause. -
No,—what is yon brown water-rat about,
Who washes his old poll with busy paws?
What does he mean by't?
It's like defying all our natural laws,
For him to hope that he'll get clean by't.
His seat is on a mud-bank, and his trade
Is dirt:- he's quite contemptible; and yet
The fellow's all as anxious as a maid
To show a decent dress, and dry the wet.
Now it's his whisker,
And now his nose, and ear: he seems to get
Each moment at the motion brisker!
To see him squat like little chaps at school,
I could let fly a laugh with all my might.
He peers, hangs both his fore-paws:- bless that fool,
He's bobbing at his frill now!—what a sight!
Licking the dish up,
As if he thought to pass from black to white,
Like parson into lawny bishop.
(...)
You teach me a fine lesson, my old boy!
I've looked on my superiors far too long,
And small has been my profit as my joy.
You've done the right while I've denounced the wrong.
Prosper me later!
Like you I will despise the sniggering throng,
And please myself and my Creator.
I'll bring the linendraper and his wife
Some day to see you; taking off my hat.
Should they ask why, I'll answer: in my life
I never found so true a democrat.
Base occupation
Can't rob you of your own esteem, old rat!
I'll preach you to the British nation.
I've looked on my superiors far too long,
And small has been my profit as my joy.
You've done the right while I've denounced the wrong.
Prosper me later!
Like you I will despise the sniggering throng,
And please myself and my Creator.
I'll bring the linendraper and his wife
Some day to see you; taking off my hat.
Should they ask why, I'll answer: in my life
I never found so true a democrat.
Base occupation
Can't rob you of your own esteem, old rat!
I'll preach you to the British nation.
George Meredith
(1) Après la tentative d'insurrection de 1839 et les mouvements de 1842-1848 plus d'une centaine de militants chartistes furent déportés en Tasmanie. Le cas le plus célèbre est celui de John Frost qui ne revint en Angleterre qu'en 1856 après une amnistie (pardon) conditionnelle. Il est possible que son cas ait inspiré le poète.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire