ĐĐœĐłĐ»ŃĐčŃĐșĐ°-ŃŃĐ°ĐœŃŃĐ·ŃĐșĐ°Ń ĐșĐœŃга-бŃĐ»ŃĐœĐłĐČĐ°
âA mushroom!â
â Un champignon!
The little prince was now white with rage.
Le petit prince Ă©tait maintenant tout pĂąle de colĂšre.
âThe flowers have been growing thorns for millions of years. For millions of years the sheep have been eating them just the same. And is it not a matter of consequence to try to understand why the flowers go to so much trouble to grow thorns which are never of any use to them? Is the warfare between the sheep and the flowers not important? Is this not of more consequence than a fat red-faced gentlemanâs sums?
â Il y a des millions dâannĂ©es que les fleurs fabriquent des Ă©pines. Il y a des millions dâannĂ©es que les moutons mangent quand mĂȘme les fleurs. Et ce nâest pas sĂ©rieux de chercher Ă comprendre pourquoi elles se donnent tant de mal pour se fabriquer des Ă©pines qui ne servent jamais Ă rien? Ce nâest pas important la guerre des moutons et des fleurs? Ce nâest pas plus sĂ©rieux et plus important que les additions dâun gros Monsieur rouge?
And if I know â I, myself â one flower which is unique in the world, which grows nowhere but on my planet, but which one little sheep can destroy in a single bite some morning, without even noticing what he is doing â Oh! You think that is not important!â
Et si je connais, moi, une fleur unique au monde, qui nâexiste nulle part, sauf dans ma planĂšte, et quâun petit mouton peut anĂ©antir dâun seul coup, comme ça, un matin, sans se rendre compte de ce quâil fait, ce nâest pas important ça!
His face turned from white to red as he continued:
Il rougit, puis reprit:
âIf some one loves a flower, of which just one single blossom grows in all the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy just to look at the stars. He can say to himself, âSomewhere, my flower is thereâŠâ But if the sheep eats the flower, in one moment all his stars will be darkened⊠And you think that is not important!â
â Si quelquâun aime une fleur qui nâexiste quâĂ un exemplaire dans les millions et les millions dâĂ©toiles, ça suffit pour quâil soit heureux quand il les regarde. Il se dit: «Ma fleur est lĂ quelque partâŠÂ» Mais si le mouton mange la fleur, câest pour lui comme si, brusquement, toutes les Ă©toiles sâĂ©teignaient! Et ce nâest pas important ça!
He could not say anything more. His words were choked by sobbing. The night had fallen. I had let my tools drop from my hands. Of what moment now was my hammer, my bolt, or thirst, or death? On one star, one planet, my planet, the Earth, there was a little prince to be comforted. I took him in my arms, and rocked him. I said to him:
Il ne put rien dire de plus. Il Ă©clata brusquement en sanglots. La nuit Ă©tait tombĂ©e. Jâavais lĂąchĂ© mes outils. Je me moquais bien de mon marteau, de mon boulon, de la soif et de la mort. Il y avait, sur une Ă©toile, une planĂšte, la mienne, la Terre, un petit prince Ă consoler! Je le pris dans les bras. Je le berçai. Je lui disais:
âThe flower that you love is not in danger. I will draw you a muzzle for your sheep. I will draw you a railing to put around your flower. I will â â
â La fleur que tu aimes nâest pas en danger⊠Je lui dessinerai une museliĂšre, Ă ton mouton⊠Je te dessinerai une armure pour ta fleur⊠JeâŠ
I did not know what to say to him. I felt awkward and blundering. I did not know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more. It is such a secret place, the land of tears.
Je ne savais pas trop quoi dire. Je me sentais trĂšs maladroit. Je ne savais comment lâatteindre, oĂč le rejoindre⊠Câest tellement mystĂ©rieux, le pays des larmes.
VIII
CHAPITRE VIII
I soon learned to know this flower better. On the little princeâs planet the flowers had always been very simple. They had only one ring of petals; they took up no room at all; they were a trouble to nobody. One morning they would appear in the grass, and by night they would have faded peacefully away.
Jâappris bien vite Ă mieux connaĂźtre cette fleur. Il y avait toujours eu, sur la planĂšte du petit prince, des fleurs trĂšs simples, ornĂ©es dâun seul rang de pĂ©tales, et qui ne tenaient point de place, et qui ne dĂ©rangeaient personne. Elles apparaissaient un matin dans lâherbe, et puis elles sâĂ©teignaient le soir.
But one day, from a seed blown from no one knew where, a new flower had come up; and the little prince had watched very closely over this small sprout which was not like any other small sprouts on his planet. It might, you see, have been a new kind of baobab.
Mais celle-lĂ avait germĂ© un jour, dâune graine apportĂ©e dâon ne sait oĂč, et le petit prince avait surveillĂ© de trĂšs prĂšs cette brindille qui ne ressemblait pas aux autres brindilles. Ăa pouvait ĂȘtre un nouveau genre de baobab.
The shrub soon stopped growing, and began to get ready to produce a flower. The little prince, who was present at the first appearance of a huge bud, felt at once that some sort of miraculous apparition must emerge from it. But the flower was not satisfied to complete the preparations for her beauty in the shelter of her green chamber.
Mais lâarbuste cessa vite de croĂźtre, et commença de prĂ©parer une fleur. Le petit prince, qui assistait Ă lâinstallation dâun bouton Ă©norme, sentait bien quâil en sortirait une apparition miraculeuse, mais la fleur nâen finissait pas de se prĂ©parer Ă ĂȘtre belle, Ă lâabri de sa chambre verte.
She chose her colors with the greatest care. She dressed herself slowly. She adjusted her petals one by one. She did not wish to go out into the world all rumpled, like the field poppies. It was only in the full radiance of her beauty that she wished to appear. Oh, yes! She was a coquettish creature!
Elle choisissait avec soin ses couleurs. Elle sâhabillait lentement, elle ajustait un Ă un ses pĂ©tales. Elle ne voulait pas sortir toute fripĂ©e comme les coquelicots. Elle ne voulait apparaĂźtre que dans le plein rayonnement de sa beautĂ©. Eh! oui. Elle Ă©tait trĂšs coquette!
And her mysterious adornment lasted for days and days. Then one morning, exactly at sunrise, she suddenly showed herself.
Sa toilette mystĂ©rieuse avait donc durĂ© des jours et des jours. Et puis voici quâun matin, justement Ă lâheure du lever du soleil, elle sâĂ©tait montrĂ©e.
And, after working with all this painstaking precision, she yawned and said:
Et elle, qui avait travaillé avec tant de précision, dit en bùillant:
âAh! I am scarcely awake. I beg that you will excuse me. My petals are still all disarrangedâŠâ
â Ah! Je me rĂ©veille Ă peine⊠Je vous demande pardon⊠Je suis encore toute dĂ©coiffĂ©eâŠ
But the little prince could not restrain his admiration:
Le petit prince, alors, ne put contenir son admiration:
âOh! How beautiful you are!â
â Que vous ĂȘtes belle!
âAm I not?â the flower responded, sweetly. âAnd I was born at the same moment as the sunâŠâ
â Nâest-ce pas, rĂ©pondit doucement la fleur. Et je suis nĂ©e en mĂȘme temps que le soleilâŠ
The little prince could guess easily enough that she was not any too modest â but how moving â and exciting â she was!
Le petit prince devina bien quâelle nâĂ©tait pas trop modeste, mais elle Ă©tait si Ă©mouvante!
âI think it is time for breakfast,â she added an instant later. âIf you would have the kindness to think of my needsâŠâ
â Câest lâheure, je crois, du petit dĂ©jeuner, avait-elle bientĂŽt ajoutĂ©, auriez-vous la bontĂ© de penser Ă moiâŠ
And the little prince, completely abashed, went to look for a sprinkling-can of fresh water.
Et le petit prince, tout confus, ayant Ă©tĂ© chercher un arrosoir dâeau fraĂźche, avait servi la fleur.
So, he tended the flower. So, too, she began very quickly to torment him with her vanity â which was, if the truth be known, a little difficult to deal with. One day, for instance, when she was speaking of her four thorns, she said to the little prince:
Ainsi lâavait-elle bien vite tourmentĂ© par sa vanitĂ© un peu ombrageuse. Un jour, par exemple, parlant de ses quatre Ă©pines, elle avait dit au petit prince:
âLet the tigers come with their claws!â
â Ils peuvent venir, les tigres, avec leurs griffes!
âThere are no tigers on my planet,â the little prince objected. âAnd, anyway, tigers do not eat weeds.â
â Il nây a pas de tigres sur ma planĂšte, avait objectĂ© le petit prince, et puis les tigres ne mangent pas lâherbe.
âI am not a weed,â the flower replied, sweetly.
â Je ne suis pas une herbe, avait doucement rĂ©pondu la fleur.
âPlease excuse meâŠâ
â Pardonnez-moiâŠ
âI am not at all afraid of tigers,â she went on, âbut I have a horror of drafts. I suppose you wouldnât have a screen for me?â
â Je ne crains rien des tigres, mais jâai horreur des courants dâair. Vous nâauriez pas un paravent?
âA horror of drafts â that is bad luck, for a plant,â remarked the little prince, and added to himself, âThis flower is a very complex creatureâŠâ
«Horreur des courants dâair⊠ce nâest pas de chance, pour une plante, avait remarquĂ© le petit prince. Cette fleur est bien compliquĂ©eâŠÂ»
âAt night I want you to put me under a glass globe. It is very cold where you live. In the place I came from â â
â Le soir vous me mettrez sous globe. Il fait trĂšs froid chez vous. Câest mal installĂ©. LĂ dâoĂč je viensâŠ
But she interrupted herself at that point. She had come in the form of a seed. She could not have known anything of any other worlds. Embarrassed over having let herself be caught on the verge of such a naĂŻve untruth, she coughed two or three times, in order to put the little prince in the wrong.
Mais elle sâĂ©tait interrompue. Elle Ă©tait venue sous forme de graine. Elle nâavait rien pu connaĂźtre des autres mondes. HumiliĂ©e de sâĂȘtre laissĂ© surprendre Ă prĂ©parer un mensonge aussi naĂŻf, elle avait toussĂ© deux ou trois fois, pour mettre le petit prince dans son tort:
âThe screen?â
â Ce paravent?âŠ
âI was just going to look for it when you spoke to meâŠâ
â Jâallais le chercher mais vous me parliez!
Then she forced her cough a little more so that he should suffer from remorse just the same.
Alors elle avait forcĂ© sa toux pour lui infliger quand mĂȘme des remords.
So the little prince, in spite of all the good will that was inseparable from his love, had soon come to doubt her. He had taken seriously words which were without importance, and it made him very unhappy.
Ainsi le petit prince, malgrĂ© la bonne volontĂ© de son amour, avait vite doutĂ© dâelle. Il avait pris au sĂ©rieux des mots sans importance, et Ă©tait devenu trĂšs malheureux.
âI ought not to have listened to her,â he confided to me one day. âOne never ought to listen to the flowers. One should simply look at them and breathe their fragrance. Mine perfumed all my planet. But I did not know how to take pleasure in all her grace. This tale of claws, which disturbed me so much, should only have filled my heart with tenderness and pity.â
â Jâaurais dĂ» ne pas lâĂ©couter, me confia-t-il un jour, il ne faut jamais Ă©couter les fleurs. Il faut les regarder et les respirer. La mienne embaumait ma planĂšte, mais je ne savais pas mâen rĂ©jouir. Cette histoire de griffes, qui mâavait tellement agacĂ©, eĂ»t dĂ» mâattendrirâŠ
And he continued his confidences:
Il me confia encore:
âThe fact is that I did not know how to understand anything! I ought to have judged by deeds and not by words. She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her⊠I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little stratagems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her âŠâ
â Je nâai alors rien su comprendre! Jâaurais dĂ» la juger sur les actes et non sur les mots. Elle mâembaumait et mâĂ©clairait. Je nâaurais jamais dĂ» mâenfuir! Jâaurais dĂ» deviner sa tendresse derriĂšre ses pauvres ruses. Les fleurs sont si contradictoires! Mais jâĂ©tais trop jeune pour savoir lâaimer.
IX
CHAPITRE IX
I believe that for his escape he took advantage of the migration of a flock of wild birds. On the morning of his departure he put his planet in perfect order. He carefully cleaned out his active volcanoes. He possessed two active volcanoes; and they were very convenient for heating his breakfast in the morning.
Je crois quâil profita, pour son Ă©vasion, dâune migration dâoiseaux sauvages. Au matin du dĂ©part il mit sa planĂšte bien en ordre. Il ramona soigneusement ses volcans en activitĂ©. Il possĂ©dait deux volcans en activitĂ©. Et câĂ©tait bien commode pour faire chauffer le petit dĂ©jeuner du matin.
He also had one volcano that was extinct. But, as he said, âOne never knows!â So he cleaned out the extinct volcano, too. If they are well cleaned out, volcanoes burn slowly and steadily, without any eruptions. Volcanic eruptions are like fires in a chimney.
Il possĂ©dait aussi un volcan Ă©teint. Mais, comme il disait, «On ne sait jamais!» Il ramona donc Ă©galement le volcan Ă©teint. Sâils sont bien ramonĂ©s, les volcans brĂ»lent doucement et rĂ©guliĂšrement, sans Ă©ruptions. Les Ă©ruptions volcaniques sont comme des feux de cheminĂ©e.
On our earth we are obviously much too small to clean out our volcanoes. That is why they bring no end of trouble upon us.
Ăvidemment sur notre terre nous sommes beaucoup trop petits pour ramoner nos volcans. Câest pourquoi ils nous causent des tas dâennuis.
The little prince also pulled up, with a certain sense of dejection, the last little shoots of the baobabs. He believed that he would never want to return. But on this last morning all these familiar tasks seemed very precious to him.
Le petit prince arracha aussi, avec un peu de mĂ©lancolie, les derniĂšres pousses de baobabs. Il croyait ne jamais devoir revenir. Mais tous ces travaux familiers lui parurent, ce matin-lĂ , extrĂȘmement doux.
And when he watered the flower for the last time, and prepared to place her under the shelter of her glass globe, he realized that he was very close to tears.
Et, quand il arrosa une derniĂšre fois la fleur, et se prĂ©para Ă la mettre Ă lâabri sous son globe, il se dĂ©couvrit lâenvie de pleurer.
 âGoodbye,â he said to the flower.
â Adieu, dit-il Ă la fleur.
But she made no answer.
Mais elle ne lui répondit pas.
âGoodbye,â he said again.
â Adieu, rĂ©pĂ©ta-t-il.
The flower coughed. But it was not because she had a cold.
La fleur toussa. Mais ce nâĂ©tait pas Ă cause de son rhume.
âI have been silly,â she said to him, at last. âI ask your forgiveness. Try to be happyâŠâ
â Jâai Ă©tĂ© sotte, lui dit-elle enfin. Je te demande pardon. TĂąche dâĂȘtre heureux.
He was surprised by this absence of reproaches. He stood there all bewildered, the glass globe held arrested in mid-air. He did not understand this quiet sweetness.
Il fut surpris par lâabsence de reproches. Il restait lĂ tout dĂ©concertĂ©, le globe en lâair. Il ne comprenait pas cette douceur calme.
âOf course I love you,â the flower said to him. âIt is my fault that you have not known it all the while. That is of no importance. But you â you have been just as foolish as I. Try to be happy⊠Let the glass globe be. I donât want it any more.â
â Mais oui, je tâaime, lui dit la fleur. Tu nâen as rien su, par ma faute. Cela nâa aucune importance. Mais tu as Ă©tĂ© aussi sot que moi. TĂąche dâĂȘtre heureux⊠Laisse ce globe tranquille. Je nâen veux plus.
âBut the wind â â
â Mais le ventâŠ
âMy cold is not so bad as all that⊠The cool night air will do me good. I am a flower.â
â Je ne suis pas si enrhumĂ©e que ça⊠Lâair frais de la nuit me fera du bien. Je suis une fleur.
âBut the animals â â
â Mais les bĂȘtesâŠ
âWell, I must endure the presence of two or three caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies. It seems that they are very beautiful. And if not the butterflies â and the caterpillars â who will call upon me? You will be far away⊠As for the large animals â I am not at all afraid of any of them. I have my claws.â
â Il faut bien que je supporte deux ou trois chenilles si je veux connaĂźtre les papillons. Il paraĂźt que câest tellement beau. Sinon qui me rendra visite? Tu seras loin, toi. Quant aux grosses bĂȘtes, je ne crains rien. Jâai mes griffes.
And, naĂŻvely, she showed her four thorns. Then she added:
Et elle montrait naĂŻvement ses quatre Ă©pines. Puis elle ajouta:
âDonât linger like this. You have decided to go away. Now go!â
â Ne traĂźne pas comme ça, câest agaçant. Tu as dĂ©cidĂ© de partir. Va-tâen.
For she did not want him to see her crying. She was such a proud flower.
Car elle ne voulait pas quâil la vĂźt pleurer. CâĂ©tait une fleur tellement orgueilleuseâŠ
X
CHAPITRE X
He found himself in the neighborhood of the asteroids 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, and 330. He began, therefore, by visiting them, in order to add to his knowledge.
Il se trouvait dans la rĂ©gion des astĂ©roĂŻdes 325, 326, 327, 328, 329 et 330. Il commença donc par les visiter pour y chercher une occupation et pour sâinstruire.
The first of them was inhabited by a king. Clad in royal purple and ermine, he was seated upon a throne which was at the same time both simple and majestic.
La premiĂšre Ă©tait habitĂ©e par un roi. Le roi siĂ©geait, habillĂ© de pourpre et dâhermine, sur un trĂŽne trĂšs simple et cependant majestueux.
âAh! Here is a subject,â exclaimed the king, when he saw the little prince coming.
â Ah! VoilĂ un sujet, sâĂ©cria le roi quand il aperçut le petit prince.
And the little prince asked himself:
âHow could he recognize me when he had never seen me before?â
Et le petit prince se demanda:
â Comment peut-il me reconnaĂźtre puisquâil ne mâa encore jamais vu!
He did not know how the world is simplified for kings. To them, all men are subjects.
Il ne savait pas que, pour les rois, le monde est trÚs simplifié. Tous les hommes sont des sujets.
âApproach, so that I may see you better,â said the king, who felt consumingly proud of being at last a king over somebody.
â Approche-toi que je te voie mieux, lui dit le roi qui Ă©tait tout fier dâĂȘtre roi pour quelquâun.
The little prince looked everywhere to find a place to sit down; but the entire planet was crammed and obstructed by the kingâs magnificent ermine robe. So he remained standing upright, and, since he was tired, he yawned.
Le petit prince chercha des yeux oĂč sâasseoir, mais la planĂšte Ă©tait toute encombrĂ©e par le magnifique manteau dâhermine. Il resta donc debout, et, comme il Ă©tait fatiguĂ©, il bĂąilla.
âIt is contrary to etiquette to yawn in the presence of a king,â the monarch said to him. âI forbid you to do so.â
â Il est contraire Ă lâĂ©tiquette de bĂąiller en prĂ©sence dâun roi, lui dit le monarque. Je te lâinterdis.
âI canât help it. I canât stop myself,â replied the little prince, thoroughly embarrassed. âI have come on a long journey, and I have had no sleepâŠâ
â Je ne peux pas mâen empĂȘcher, rĂ©pondit le petit prince tout confus. Jâai fait un long voyage et je nâai pas dormiâŠ
âAh, then,â the king said. âI order you to yawn. It is years since I have seen anyone yawning. Yawns, to me, are objects of curiosity. Come, now! Yawn again! It is an order.â
â Alors, lui dit le roi, je tâordonne de bĂąiller. Je nâai vu personne bĂąiller depuis des annĂ©es. Les bĂąillements sont pour moi des curiositĂ©s. Allons! bĂąille encore. Câest un ordre.
âThat frightens me⊠I cannot, any moreâŠâ murmured the little prince, now completely abashed.
â Ăa mâintimide⊠je ne peux plus⊠fit le petit prince tout rougissant.
âHum! Hum!â replied the king. âThen I â I order you sometimes to yawn and sometimes to â â
â Hum! Hum! rĂ©pondit le roi. Alors je⊠je tâordonne tantĂŽt de bĂąiller et tantĂŽt deâŠ
He sputtered a little, and seemed vexed.
Il bredouillait un peu et paraissait vexé.
For what the king fundamentally insisted upon was that his authority should be respected. He tolerated no disobedience. He was an absolute monarch. But, because he was a very good man, he made his orders reasonable.
Car le roi tenait essentiellement Ă ce que son autoritĂ© fĂ»t respectĂ©e. Il ne tolĂ©rait pas la dĂ©sobĂ©issance. CâĂ©tait un monarque absolu. Mais, comme il Ă©tait trĂšs bon, il donnait des ordres raisonnables.
âIf I ordered a general,â he would say, by way of example, âif I ordered a general to change himself into a sea bird, and if the general did not obey me, that would not be the fault of the general. It would be my fault.â
«Si jâordonnais, disait-il couramment, si jâordonnais Ă un gĂ©nĂ©ral de se changer en oiseau de mer, et si le gĂ©nĂ©ral nâobĂ©issait pas, ce ne serait pas la faute du gĂ©nĂ©ral. Ce serait ma faute.»
âMay I sit down?â came now a timid inquiry from the little prince.
â Puis-je mâasseoir? sâenquit timidement le petit prince.
âI order you to do so,â the king answered him, and majestically gathered in a fold of his ermine mantle.
â Je tâordonne de tâasseoir, lui rĂ©pondit le roi, qui ramena majestueusement un pan de son manteau dâhermine.
But the little prince was wondering⊠The planet was tiny. Over what could this king really rule?
Mais le petit prince sâĂ©tonnait. La planĂšte Ă©tait minuscule. Sur quoi le roi pouvait-il bien rĂ©gner?
âSire,â he said to him, âI beg that you will excuse my asking you a question â â
â Sire, lui dit-il⊠je vous demande pardon de vous interrogerâŠ
âI order you to ask me a question,â the king hastened to assure him.
â Je tâordonne de mâinterroger, se hĂąta de dire le roi.
âSire â over what do you rule?â
â Sire⊠sur quoi rĂ©gnez-vous?
âOver everything,â said the king, with magnificent simplicity.
â Sur tout, rĂ©pondit le roi, avec une grande simplicitĂ©.
âOver everything?â
â Sur tout?
The king made a gesture, which took in his planet, the other planets, and all the stars.
Le roi dâun geste discret dĂ©signa sa planĂšte, les autres planĂštes et les Ă©toiles.
âOver all that?â asked the little prince.
â Sur tout ça? dit le petit prince.
âOver all that,â the king answered.
â Sur tout ça⊠rĂ©pondit le roi.
For his rule was not only absolute: it was also universal.
Car non seulement câĂ©tait un monarque absolu mais câĂ©tait un monarque universel.
âAnd the stars obey you?â
â Et les Ă©toiles vous obĂ©issent?
âCertainly they do,â the king said. âThey obey instantly. I do not permit insubordination.â
â Bien sĂ»r, lui dit le roi. Elles obĂ©issent aussitĂŽt. Je ne tolĂšre pas lâindiscipline.
Such power was a thing for the little prince to marvel at. If he had been master of such complete authority, he would have been able to watch the sunset, not forty-four times in one day, but seventy-two, or even a hundred, or even two hundred times, without ever having to move his chair.
Un tel pouvoir Ă©merveilla le petit prince. Sâil lâavait dĂ©tenu lui-mĂȘme, il aurait pu assister, non pas Ă quarante-quatre, mais Ă soixante-douze, ou mĂȘme Ă cent, ou mĂȘme Ă deux cents couchers de soleil dans la mĂȘme journĂ©e, sans avoir jamais Ă tirer sa chaise!
And because he felt a bit sad as he remembered his little planet which he had forsaken, he plucked up his courage to ask the king a favor:
Et comme il se sentait un peu triste Ă cause du souvenir de sa petite planĂšte abandonnĂ©e, il sâenhardit Ă solliciter une grĂące du roi:
Đ ŃĐșĐ»Đ°ĐŒĐ°