Poets are humans too
Even Poets Are Humans
Alfred de Musset and George Sand, née Aurore Dupin were prominent literary figures of their age. Both were born in the early 1800’s. They had passionate love affairs, including with each other. While it lasted the affair between George Sand and Musset knew no bounds. She was as devoted to him as she had been or will be with her string of lovers, which included Chopin, Prosper Mérimée who wrote Carmen, and Musset was a well-known skort chaser who loved bordellos. The poems they wrote to each other were very explicit, but only if one learnt to read, not as much as between the lines, as every other line.
Cher ami,
Je suis toute émue de vous dire que
J’ai bien compris l’autre jour 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
une preuve que je puisse être aimée
par vous. Je suis prête à montrer mon
affection toute désintéressée et sans cal-
cul, et si vous voulez me voir ainsi
vous dévoiler, sans artifice, mon âme
toute nue, daignez me faire visite,
nous causerons et 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 épouse
dont vous puissiez rêver. Puisque votre
âme est libre, pensez que l’abandon ou je
vis est bien long, bien dur et souvent bien
insupportable. Mon chagrin est trop
gros. Accourrez bien vite et venez me le
faire oublier. À vous je veux me sou-
mettre entièrement.
Votre poupée
………
Here is Musset’s response. George Sand knew to read only the first word of each line.
Quand je mets à vos pieds un éternel hommage,
Voulez-vous qu’un instant je change de visage ?
Vous avez capturé les sentiments d’un coeur.
Que pour vous adorer forma le créateur.
Je vous chéris, amour, et ma plume en délire.
Couche sur le papier ce que je n’ose dire.
Avec soin de mes vers lisez les premiers mots,
vous saurez quel remède apporter à mes maux
……..
And the lady responded with enthusiasm.
Cette indigne faveur que votre esprit réclame
nuit à mes sentiments et répugne mon âme
The English versions focus on the humour to the detriment of contents and rhymes.
I am delighted to tell you that I
fully understand that you
need to play the beast with your two-
faced and false enemy who the priest
backs with no other than you
to take a stand for justice.
I am always ready to show my
entire trust in you and stay back
behind to you if that’s what you want me
but dear friend take it easy come see
unadorned in my birthday
cake, wholesome ingredients, with all tastes to
suit, and I will show to you I am
not stingy, for I spared no expense, so am certainly not
the tightest woman
come and taste the most delicious marvellous cake
you can dream of. Since you’re
dubious about me, I want to dispel your belief that your
George is hard and huge-
ly unreasonable, that she’s a miserable penny-pincher
Come quickly to me and put it,
put your trust
In me entirely
Your plaything
………….
And Musset puts his question.
When I bow to you in eternal homage
Do you ask me a change to envisage?
You are feeling a heart you have ensnared,
Want you the good lord to make you by me adored
Me, I will always cherish you dear love and my delirious quilt
In revealing on paper what I dare not declare
Bed _ I mean Read the first two words of my verse if thou wilt
……..
Dear bring me a remedy to my malady
George Sand replies enthusiastically
To say things to make your life whole
Night will have to come to your soul
A confession
This correspondence is almost certainly a fake. The word “baiser” now has other meanings besides the original “to kiss”. The use of “baiser” to mean “fuck” is a twentieth century addition
