La Marguerite- A wild daisy that falls from the priest's prayer book sets evil tongues wagging

In this simple poem, Brassens describes the hysteria and malice, which is aroused in a parish of traditional believers, when they suspect that their priest, at Easter, has accepted a tiny token of sexual affection from a person unknown, but who, they readily believe, could be a young nun from the local convent, in love with him. Brassens tells the tale, largely suppressing his personal reaction until his last line of inarticulate disbelief .

LA MARGUERITE

La petite Marguerite Est tombée, Singulière, Du bréviaire De l'abbé Trois pétales De scandale Sur l'autel, Indiscrète Pâquerette, D'où vient-elle ? Dans l'enceinte Sacro-sainte, Quel émoi Quelle affaire, Oui, ma chère, Croyez-moi ! La frivole Fleur qui vole, Arrive en Contrebande Des plat's-bandes Du couvent. Notre Père Qui, j'espère, Êt's aux cieux, N'ayez cure Des murmures Malicieux, La légère Fleur, peuchère ! Ne vient pas De nonnettes,(1) De cornettes En sabbat. Sachez, diantre ! Qu'un jour, entre Deux Ave, Sur la Pierre D'un calvaire Il l'a trouvée, Et l'a mise, Chose admise Par le ciel, Sans ambages, Dans les pages Du missel. Que ces messes Basses cessent, Je vous prie. Non, le prêtre N'est pas traître À Marie. Que personne Ne soupçonne, Plus jamais, La petite Marguerite, Ah ! ça mais !* Georges Brassens 1961 - Les trompettes de la renommé

The so tiny Daisy flower Fell down Strange to say From The breviary Of the priest. Three petals Of scandal On the altar An indiscreet Easter flower Whence comes it ? In the confines Sacrosanct What a fuss ! What an outrage, Yes my dear Believe me. The frivolous Flower in flight Arrives as Contraband From the flower beds Of the convent. Our father Who I hope Art in heaven Pay no regard To the whispers Of mischief. The slight Flower, God's truth ! Does not come From little nuns In cornets At a Black Sabbath. Know – devil take me! That, one day between Hail Marys On the footstone Of a wayside cross He found it. And he put it A thing allowed By heaven Without ado In the pages Of the missal. Let these masses, All low, cease now I pray you. No the priest Is not a traitor To Mary. Let nobody Ever suspect Ever more The so tiny Daisy flower. Words fail me!

TRANSLATION NOTE

(1) De nonnettes – I had never met this word and thought that Brassens had invented this diminutive. In fact, Larousse tells me that nonnette means a young nun.

COMMENTS

1) The music of this poem comes from the rhythm of two lines of four feet followed by one line of three feet. I have tried to keep to this, but have not always managed it.

2) There is a story that Brassens offered this song to Brigitte Bardot, who, it is believed, was an intimate friend. The story goes on to say that she refused because of one line. The line to which she is supposed to have objected is: Fleur, peuchère ! The word "peuchère" is an oath of southern French origin, which Collins Robert translates as "streuth!"- which makes it quite mild. Only a native speaker knows the power of an expletive and,no doubt, Brigitte Bardot found this very unladylike.

This is a relatively unimportant line and Brassens could have easily rephrased it. I would have thought that what she would have found difficult to deliver, would be the last line, where he finally expresses his despair and disbelief at the behaviour of the respectable devout in the supposedly enlightened 20th century.

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