F — Fables
Original French
Les plus anciennes Fables ne sont-elles pas visiblement allégoriques? La premiére que nous connaissions dans nôtre maniére de supputer les tems, n’est-ce pas celle qui est raportée dans le neuviéme chapitre du livre des Juges? Il falut choisir un roi parmi les arbres; l’olivier ne voulut point abandonner le soin de son huile, ni le figuier celui de ses figues, ni la vigne celui de son vin, ni les autres arbres celui de leur fruit; le chardon qui n’était bon à rien, se fit roi, parce qu’il avait des épines & qu’il pouvait faire du mal.
L’ancienne fable de Vénus, telle qu’elle est raportée dans Hésiode, n’est-elle pas une allégorie de la nature entiére? Les parties de la génération sont tombées de l’éther sur le rivage de la mer; Vénus nait de cette écume précieuse; son premier nom est celui d’amante de la génération: y a-t-il une image plus sensible? Cette Vénus est la Déesse de la beauté; la beauté cesse d’être aimable, si elle marche sans les graces; la beauté fait naître l’amour; l’amour a des traits qui percent les cœurs; il porte un bandeau qui cache les défauts de ce qu’on aime.
La sagesse est conçue dans le cerveau du maître des dieux sous le nom de Minerve; l’ame de l’homme est un feu divin que Minerve montre à Prométhée, qui se sert de ce feu divin pour animer l’homme.
Il est impossible de ne pas reconnaître dans ces fables une peinture vivante de la nature entiére. La plûpart des autres fables sont ou la corruption des histoires anciennes, ou le caprice de l’imagination. Il en est des anciennes fables comme de nos contes modernes; il y en a de moraux qui sont charmans, il y en a qui sont insipides.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation of the 73 articles in the 1764 first edition, made directly from the French and reviewed against the scan-collated French text. The author’s notes, quotations and verse are retained. Historical ethnic labels, including offensive terms, are retained from the 1764 text.
Are the oldest fables not visibly allegorical? According to our way of reckoning time, is the first we know not the one reported in the ninth chapter of the book of Judges? A king had to be chosen among the trees. The olive would not abandon the care of its oil, nor the fig tree that of its figs, nor the vine that of its wine, nor the other trees that of their fruit. The thistle, which was good for nothing, made itself king because it had thorns and could do harm.
Is the ancient fable of Venus, as reported in Hesiod, not an allegory of all nature? The generative organs have fallen from the ether onto the seashore; Venus is born from this precious foam. Her first name is lover of generation: is there a more palpable image? This Venus is the goddess of beauty. Beauty ceases to be lovable if it walks without the Graces; beauty gives birth to Love; Love has darts that pierce hearts; he wears a blindfold that conceals the faults of what one loves.
Wisdom is conceived in the brain of the master of the gods under the name of Minerva. Man’s soul is a divine fire that Minerva shows Prometheus, who uses this divine fire to animate man.
It is impossible not to recognize in these fables a living picture of all nature. Most other fables are either corruptions of ancient histories or whims of the imagination. Ancient fables are like our modern tales: some are moral and charming, others insipid.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Plain English translation of the same 73 articles, made directly from the French and reviewed against the scan-collated French text. The author’s notes, quotations and verse are retained. Historical ethnic labels, including offensive terms, are retained from the 1764 text.
Isn’t it obvious that the oldest fables tell us something through symbols? By our way of dating things, isn’t the earliest known example in Judges, chapter nine? The trees needed a king. But the olive tree wouldn’t stop looking after its oil. The fig tree wouldn’t leave its figs, nor the vine its wine. The other trees wouldn’t give up caring for their fruit either. The useless thistle had thorns and could hurt others, so it made itself king.
Doesn’t Hesiod’s old story of Venus stand for the whole of nature? The reproductive organs fell out of the ether onto the shore. From that precious foam, Venus was born. Her earliest name means “lover of reproduction.” Can an image make its meaning plainer? This Venus rules beauty as its goddess. Without the Graces beside it, beauty loses its appeal. Beauty brings love into being. Love shoots arrows through people’s hearts. His blindfold keeps the loved person’s faults out of sight.
Wisdom takes shape as Minerva inside the chief god’s brain. The soul in a human is a divine fire. Minerva shows it to Prometheus, who uses that divine fire to give humans life.
We can’t miss the lively picture of nature as a whole in these fables. Most of the others come from old histories that have become distorted, or from flights of fancy. The old fables are much like the stories we tell today. Some are delightful tales with a moral. Others are simply dull.
About this section
F — Fables is part of Pocket Philosophical Dictionary by Voltaire. This page sets the French original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is article 38 of 73 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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