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Hello, Pigale!
It was interesting to read the French version of "If".
Thank you for sending it!
The versions are quite different, aren't they?
The translator seems to have "rhymed" his own interpretation of Kipling's poem? Would that be a fair comment?
I liked the concept, though, and the principles outlined.
It perhaps made a clearer sense than the original ?
Or is that sacrilege?!

Hello Elle,

Well, there is no way a good translator can do a good job in
doing a word per word translation

What André Maurois did was translate the very deep meaning of Kipling's original poem, but put it in perfect French and well rhymed.
Thus he managed to interpreted the precise meaning of IF, putting
his own french words to express it, while managing to keep it in
a perfect rhyming form. (as it is in English)

When you do a translation, particularly translating literature, in fact
one has to rewrite the text, but without adding or retracting any
of the original messages.

Do you understand what I mean or is it gibberish?

Hello, Pigale!
Yes I understand you perfectly......you have put it very succinctly. and well
I am not fully convinced though, that Kipling's original poem, and the French "translation" are expressing exactly the same import?
I keep going from one to the other, comparing them...….
The translator expresses himself clearly, and I like the principles laid down, as I said before....but is it quite the same meaning as Kipling intended?
Of course, we have to bear in mind here that I am not bilingual like you, and my French is only second rate.

Hi Elle, I am on my way to bed just now, but tomorrow I shall
have another thorough look at both poems and will then be in
a better position to answer you - it is a fair number of years since
I read either, let alone compare them in any depth.....

so night night till tomorrow! Pillow calling me...

Good morning, Elle!
Weather is overcast but dry.
I am just home from cemetery.
The only other person there was a woman walking her dog.
My Dad was 76 when he died.
There are quite a few neglected graves in our cemetery.
People simply do not visit.
"Out of sight, out of mind?"
Next time I go, I'm taking a scrubbing brush.
The stone has a black growth of some kind dotted here and there.
Hopefully a scrubbing brush will clean it off, for a while anyway.


Good morning, Rosalind!
I am impressed by your love of poetry and Shakespeare!
They are not close to my heart, I'm afraid.
I like several of Robert Frost, though.
Maybe there is hope for me, yet!

Hi rusty

Thank you. No-one else in my family likes poetry or Shakespeare much!

I have scrubbed many a gravestone in my time, recording old churchyards. It's good to use something like a discarded toothbrush (because the bristles are nylon). Amazon sells a headstone cleaner if simple (and gentle!) scrubbing doesn't work. If there is a growth you can see, a good soak and a wooden lolly stick should take it off.

Hi, Rusty!
It is somewhat dull here, too, and a tad chillier than of late.
I wonder if perhaps those graves in your cemetery that look neglected, are so because most of the descendants have also died?
And again, I do think that it is only the older generations who "remember"?
A mixed solution of bleach and water should remove the black mould.......or try white vinegar?
My morning seems to have gone in a whirl........the dog is asking for her lunch time biscuit...!

Sorry elle, vinegar might work, but it is definitely not recommended for gravestones, being acidic. 50/50 bleach and water would be better but I'd avoid both, if possible.

Hello, Rosalind.
Why do you emphasise "nylon bristles"?
I thought I would take a nail brush and plain water to try.
(I'll take a toothbrush, too, now!)
I'd rather not use a cleaner or any chemicals, to begin with, anyway.
It's a task for another day, though, and I've written it in my diary!

Hello, Elle!
Yes, I suppose a lot of the relatives and friends have passed on, but there will be many who simply don't visit.
I like to see someone visit a grave, and tidying it up, and replacing flowers etc.
It's a nice feeling!
As I mentioned to Rosalind, I won't use chemicals, to begin with, anyway, but see how I go with a brush and plain water.
I know there are stone cleaning products on the market, but I would be wary of those!