Cousin, parle toujours des vices en commun,

Joachim du Bellay 1525 (Liré) – 1560 (Paris)



Cousin, parle toujours des vices en commun,
Et ne discours jamais d'affaires à la table,
Mais surtout garde-toi d'être trop véritable,
Si en particulier tu parles de quelqu'un.

Ne commets ton secret à la foi d'un chacun,
Ne dis rien qui ne soit pour le moins vraisemblable
Si tu mens, que ce soit pour chose profitable
Et qui ne tourne point au déshonneur d'aucun.

Surtout garde-toi bien d'être double en paroles,
Et n'use sans propos de finesses frivoles,
Pour acquérir le bruit d'être bon courtisan.

L'artifice caché, c'est le vrai artifice :
La souris bien souvent périt par son indice,
Et souvent par son art se trompe l'artisan.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 15, 2023

36 sec read
113

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBA ABBA CCA XCA
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 648
Words 109
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 3, 3

Joachim du Bellay

Joachim du Bellay was a French poet, critic, and a member of the Pléiade. more…

All Joachim du Bellay poems | Joachim du Bellay Books

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