Mirrors and coffee tables and a paravent, or screen, made by my belle-soeur, who is a welder, and artisan, and un amour. Read on.
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TODAY'S WORD: le fer
: iron
le chemin de fer = railroad
le fer à repasser = iron (for shirts, slacks, etc)
le bras de fer = the game of arm-wrestling
le fer à cheval = horseshoe
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EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
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Fer. Aujourd'hui je vous présente ma soeur, un artisan qui travaille le bois et le fer.
Iron. Today I'd like to introduce you to my sister, a craftsperson who works with wood and iron.
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A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE
I was wondering about how best to introduce my belle-soeur, Cécile, when a page on her website caught my eye. Clicking on it, I found a poem she wrote in place of a biography.
I took a short cut and included Google's translation of Cécile's poem. I happen to like its rough-around-the-edgesness which adds another layer of soul to the poem. The translation is clunky and not always fitting–like the wooden and metal rejects my belle-soeur rescues. So I am giving you an assignment today: find a more precise word each time you see one that just doesn't cut it and share it in the comments (link at the end of this post). Together with Cécile we will all be artisans today: word artisans and artisans tout court.
This is only an introduction. If you would like me to share more of Cécile and her work, be sure to say so in the comments.
Note: It took time to figure out how to put in the following two-column table into this post, but it could be a helpful way to present bilingual text in the future. What do you think? I hope it shows up intact in your email (let me know in the comments at the end of post).
"BIOGRAPHIE" / "BIOGRAPHY"
Fouiller les bennes,
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Digging the skips,
Unravel tons of steel
Regurgitated by industry.
There is the eye that seeks,
Who arises, who dictates by hand
To take: there.
To extract a fragment from the cluster.
The dust, the caress,
Feel it with your fingertips.
Extract from the entangled pile
Non-conforming parts, out of use.
There is grain and fiber
Tones that decline.
There is the odor that accompanies
The hand that caresses or hesitates.
Under the bark the patina that hatches.
The movement heats the matter,
He offers a shine.
The wood breathes.
The workshop is a lung
Who shelters and gives the lodging.
There are dirty hands that know,
Feel, touch, embrace,
Or cut but tame.
Fusion of genres and materials.
Alloy of wood and metals.
Intimacy is under construction.
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FRENCH VOCABULARY
le fer = iron
la belle-soeur = sister-in-law
un paravent = a screen
un amour = a love
tout court = period, plain, simply
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I like the 2 columns, but to get both on my little phone screen, I
have to get my readers out!
Thanks!
Love to know more about Cecile. By the way, she and Jackie have a strong resemblance.
Le dépoussiérer, le caresser, le sentir du bout des doigts
I think that is
Dust it, caress it, feel it with your fingertips.
That is fascinating work she does. I could see the 2 columns, and for this it was good.
It is also fine when there is a paragraph in French, then one in English.
Thank you all for the feedback, and Sarah, for this translation.
In the email I received the last lines of the text were cut off. Please check the blog for the full poem.
Hi Kristin – I love love love that poem – It would be great to hear more about Cecile.
I really like this line: Le mouvement chauffe la matière, as it gives me a visual of the work of her hands. But I visualize her preciously “warming” (réchauffe ?) the wood rather than heating it.
Her ending is most precious: L’intimité est en chantier. Intimacy under construction. What a lovely way to describe her work.
My own preference is not to hve two columns. As always, I switched from the e mail to the web version, where the columns appeared in an easily readable format. I found myself tempted to flit from one to the other, rather than concentrating on understanding the French. Dusting the French learnt more than half a century ago is why I enjoy your columns so much Kristi – and the photographs, I have to add.
Yes, very good side-by-side. Always interesting to know the family and friends! Merci.
One other thing I should have said. My choice would have been for a tag to click to see the English translation – if I couldn’t read the French well.
Incidentally, i see that I’ve have been subscribed for over eight years. Promise not to stop, Kristi.
Thank you, Mike!
Merci, Kristi. Le travail de Cécile est superbe.
Je vous remercie pour nous introduire à elle et son bel ouvrage.
I am no one to offer translations, as my French is very poor. However, I notice that when I use the Google translator for emails in French, it really has a problem with pronouns. Often it will translate as ‘he’ when clearly it is about a female. Are French pronouns so neutral? I didn’t think that was the case…
Hi, Nancy, I see what you mean, and noticed this with the translation. Will be interesting to see how Google improves. I have noticed their system is getting better.
Jean-Marc,
I spent my 50th birthday visiting Avignon and Provence, a trip which fulfilled a lifelong dream. It was the answer to so many of the questions and longings that the milestone date brought forth. I hope you have a fulfilling, adventurous bonne anniversaire!
Kristin… Love the 2 columns! Fait accompli! Cecile has the true heart of the poet! Her artistic works are very imaginative and great. I love ‘your table’, if that was ours… I would give anything to find one here abouts. so far, no luck.. Maybe i better get back to France and start looking! Judi, Tallahassee, Fl.
Thanks, Judi. Cécile will be happy to see these notes.
Bilingual text, a great idea, long may it continue. The register is not always accurate but close enough to work it out. Not so good is that every line begins with a capital letter even when it is a continuation of a sentence. I always look forward to reading your blog. I have been subscribed for years and years and years. Congratulations, Robert
I am on the web page. I did not see what google would say, but I did now. It wants to make it
Dusting, caressing, feeling it with your fingertips. Google’s version is rarely elegant even if more or less correct,
I think. Verb form does not match the poetry of votre belle-soeur.
You can add dépoussiérer to the list of words challenging to pronounce. It is a new word to me, too.
The web page has all the photos, I go to it quickly from the e-mail.
Our dear Kristi,
Today’s post is wonderful!Love meeting/learning about your gifted family!Cecile truly is an artisan!And a poetess!
Especially enjoyed the two columns.Helped me a lot to glance from one side(French) to the other(translation);even more so when it is an original work rather than something,say, from a known book.
Beautiful pictures to accompany.
How fortunate we are to share in your life!
THANK YOU!
Love
Natalia. xo
Ouah, I love Cécile’s work! I really do. I just started following her Instagram account, too. Et, joyeux anniversaire, Jean-Marc ! I missed that last week. 50 is a good age. 🙂
Kristin:
Yes, please more about your free spirited belle soeur Cecile.
Loved the poem tho’ it’s hard to translate poetry from one language
to another. Maybe the spirit of the poem is instilled in the language it is written in?
Edie from Savannah
Loved this linguistic exercise! Thanks. Beautiful poem!
Adding to Sarah and Nancy’s comments, I can point out that “qui” does not always mean “who”. “L’atelier est un poumon qui….” The studio is a lung which … (not who)….
Except for a translation in progress, such as this poem, I vote against side by side translation, which makes it too easy to give up.
I like the poem. Joan