Chapter 5: The Generous
Original French
Les généreux.
Le temps arriva où l'on célébrait une grande fête qui revenait tous les cinq ans. C'était la coutume à Babylone de déclarer solennellement, au bout de cinq années, celui des citoyens qui avait fait l'action la plus généreuse. Les grands et les mages étaient les juges. Le premier satrape, chargé du soin de la ville, exposait les plus belles actions qui s'étaient passées sous son gouvernement. On allait aux voix: le roi prononçait le jugement. On venait à cette solennité des extrémités de la terre. Le vainqueur recevait des mains du monarque une coupe d'or garnie de pierreries, et le roi lui disait ces paroles: «Recevez ce prix de la générosité, et puissent les dieux me donner beaucoup de sujets qui vous ressemblent!»
Ce jour mémorable venu, le roi parut sur son trône, environné des grands, des mages, et des députés de toutes les nations, qui venaient à ces jeux où la gloire s'acquérait, non par la légèreté des chevaux, non par la force du corps, mais par la vertu. Le premier satrape rapporta à haute voix les actions qui pouvaient mériter à leurs auteurs ce prix inestimable. Il ne parla point de la grandeur d'âme avec laquelle Zadig avait rendu à l'Envieux toute sa fortune: ce n'était pas une action qui méritât de disputer le prix.
Il présenta d'abord un juge qui, ayant fait perdre un procès considérable à un citoyen, par une méprise dont il n'était pas même responsable, lui avait donné tout son bien, qui était la valeur de ce que l'autre avait perdu.
Il produisit ensuite un jeune homme qui, étant éperdument épris d'une fille qu'il allait épouser, l'avait cédée à un ami près d'expirer d'amour pour elle, et qui avait encore payé la dot en cédant la fille.
Ensuite il fit paraître un soldat qui, dans la guerre d'Hyrcanie, avait donné encore un plus grand exemple de générosité. Des soldats ennemis lui enlevaient sa maîtresse, et il la défendait contre eux: on vint lui dire que d'autres Hyrcaniens enlevaient sa mère à quelques pas de là: il quitta en pleurant sa maîtresse, et courut délivrer sa mère: il retourna ensuite vers celle qu'il aimait, et la trouva expirante. Il voulut se tuer; sa mère lui remontra qu'elle n'avait que lui pour tout secours, et il eut le courage de souffrir la vie.
Les juges penchaient pour ce soldat. Le roi prit la parole, et dit: Son action et celles des autres sont belles, mais elles ne m'étonnent point; hier Zadig en a fait une qui m'a étonné. J'avais disgracié depuis quelques jours mon ministre et mon favori Coreb. Je me plaignais de lui avec violence, et tous mes courtisans m'assuraient que j'étais trop doux; c'était à qui me dirait le plus de mal de Coreb. Je demandai à Zadig ce qu'il en pensait, et il osa en dire du bien. J'avoue que j'ai vu, dans nos histoires, des exemples qu'on a payé de son bien une erreur, qu'on a cédé sa maîtresse qu'on a préféré une mère à l'objet de son amour; mais je n'ai jamais lu qu'un courtisan ait parlé avantageusement d'un ministre disgracié contre qui son souverain était en colère. Je donne vingt mille pièces d'or à chacun de ceux dont on vient de réciter les actions généreuses; mais je donne la coupe à Zadig.
Sire, lui dit-il, c'est votre majesté seule qui mérite la coupe, c'est elle qui a fait l'action la plus inouïe, puisque étant roi vous ne vous êtes point fâché contre votre esclave, lorsqu'il contredisait votre passion. On admira le roi et Zadig. Le juge qui avait donné son bien, l'amant qui avait marié sa maîtresse à son ami, le soldat qui avait préféré le salut de sa mère à celui de sa maîtresse, reçurent les présents du monarque: ils virent leurs noms écrits dans le livre des généreux. Zadig eut la coupe. Le roi acquit la réputation d'un bon prince, qu'il ne garda pas long-temps. Ce jour fut consacré par des fêtes plus longues que la loi ne le portait. La mémoire s'en conserve encore dans l'Asie. Zadig disait: Je suis donc enfin heureux! Mais il se trompait.
Musean translation
Complete machine-assisted Musean translation made directly from Voltaire’s French in Beuchot’s 1829 edition: Approbation, dedicatory epistle and all twenty-one chapters, including The Dance and Blue Eyes. Voltaire’s notes are retained; later editors’ notes are omitted. Source-language review is recorded with the source witness.
The Generous.
The time came for a great festival held every five years. It was the custom at Babylon, at the end of five years, to proclaim solemnly which citizen had performed the most generous deed. The nobles and magi were the judges. The chief satrap, responsible for the city, presented the finest acts performed under his administration. A vote was taken; the king pronounced judgment. People came from the ends of the earth to this ceremony. The winner received from the monarch's hands a gold cup studded with precious stones, and the king said to him: “Receive this prize for generosity, and may the gods give me many subjects like you!”
When the memorable day arrived, the king appeared on his throne surrounded by nobles, magi, and delegates from every nation, who had come to these games where glory was won not by the speed of horses or the strength of the body, but by virtue. The chief satrap recounted aloud the deeds that might earn their authors this priceless reward. He did not mention the magnanimity with which Zadig had returned the Envious Man's entire fortune: that was not a deed worthy of competing for the prize.
First he presented a judge who had caused a citizen to lose an important lawsuit through a mistake for which he was not even responsible, and had given the man his entire property, equal in value to what the other had lost.
Next he brought forward a young man who, though passionately in love with a girl he was about to marry, had yielded her to a friend dying of love for her, and had even paid her dowry as he gave her up.
Then he produced a soldier who had shown still greater generosity in the Hyrcanian war. Enemy soldiers were carrying off his beloved, and he was defending her against them, when news came that other Hyrcanians were carrying off his mother a few paces away. In tears he left his beloved and ran to rescue his mother; then he returned to the woman he loved and found her dying. He wished to kill himself; his mother reminded him that he was her only support, and he had the courage to endure life.
The judges favored this soldier. The king spoke. “His deed and the others are noble, but they do not astonish me; yesterday Zadig performed one that did. A few days ago I disgraced Coreb, my minister and favorite. I complained bitterly of him, and all my courtiers assured me I was too lenient; each tried to outdo the others in speaking ill of Coreb. I asked Zadig what he thought, and he dared speak well of him. I admit that in our histories I have seen examples of men paying for a mistake with their property, yielding up their beloved, preferring a mother to the object of their love; but I have never read of a courtier speaking favorably of a disgraced minister with whom his sovereign was angry. I give twenty thousand gold pieces to each man whose generous actions have just been recounted; but I give the cup to Zadig.”
“Sire,” Zadig said, “Your Majesty alone deserves the cup. You have performed the most unheard-of deed, since, though a king, you did not grow angry with your slave when he contradicted your passion.” Everyone admired the king and Zadig. The judge who had given his property, the lover who had married his beloved to his friend, and the soldier who had preferred his mother's safety to his beloved's received the monarch's gifts and saw their names inscribed in the book of the generous. Zadig received the cup. The king gained a reputation as a good prince, which he did not keep for long. The day was honored with festivities lasting longer than the law prescribed. Its memory still survives in Asia. Zadig said, “At last, then, I am happy!” But he was mistaken.
Plain English translation
Complete machine-assisted Plain English translation made independently and directly from the French, in separate source-only translation tasks, not from the Musean edition or a published English translation. Same complete scope and author’s notes; later editors’ notes are omitted. Source-language review is recorded with the source witness.
The Generous.
The time came for a great festival held every five years. In Babylon, it was the custom at the end of five years to announce formally which citizen had done the most generous deed. The nobles and the priests were the judges. The chief satrap, who was in charge of the city, described the finest deeds done under his administration. The judges voted, and the king announced the decision. People came from the ends of the earth for this ceremony. The winner received a gold cup set with jewels from the king's own hands. The king said to him, "Accept this prize for generosity, and may the gods give me many subjects like you!"
When this memorable day arrived, the king appeared on his throne. Around him were the nobles, the priests, and representatives of every nation. They had come for contests where people won glory not through the speed of horses or physical strength, but through virtue. The chief satrap read aloud the deeds that might earn their doers this priceless award. He said nothing about the generosity with which Zadig had given the Envious Man back his entire fortune. That deed did not qualify him to compete for the prize.
First he presented a judge. Through a mistake for which he was not even responsible, the judge had caused a citizen to lose an important lawsuit. He had given the man everything he owned, which was worth as much as the other man had lost.
Next he brought forward a young man who was desperately in love with a girl he was about to marry. He had given her up to a friend who was nearly dying of love for her. In giving up the girl, he had even paid her dowry.
Then he presented a soldier who had shown an even greater example of generosity during the war in Hyrcania. Enemy soldiers were carrying off the woman he loved, and he was defending her against them. Someone came to tell him that other Hyrcanians were carrying off his mother a few steps away. In tears, he left the woman he loved and ran to free his mother. Then he returned to his beloved and found her dying. He wanted to kill himself. His mother pointed out that she had no one but him to help her, and he found the courage to endure living.
The judges favored this soldier. The king spoke up. "His deed and the others are admirable, but they don't surprise me. Yesterday Zadig did something that surprised me. A few days ago I dismissed my minister and favorite, Coreb. I was complaining bitterly about him, and all my courtiers assured me I was being too kind. They competed to see who could say the worst things about Coreb. I asked Zadig what he thought, and he dared to speak well of him. I admit that in our histories I have seen examples of people paying for a mistake with their property, giving up the woman they loved, or putting a mother before a beloved. But I have never read of a courtier speaking well of a dismissed minister when his ruler was angry with him. I give twenty thousand gold pieces to each of those whose generous deeds we have just heard. But I give the cup to Zadig."
"Your Majesty," Zadig told him, "you alone deserve the cup. You have done the most unheard-of deed. Though you are a king, you did not get angry with your slave when he opposed your anger." Everyone admired the king and Zadig. The judge who had given away his property, the lover who had married his beloved to his friend, and the soldier who had chosen to save his mother rather than his beloved all received the king's gifts. They saw their names written in the book of the generous. Zadig received the cup. The king earned a reputation as a good ruler, though he did not keep it long. The day was honored with celebrations that lasted longer than the law prescribed. It is still remembered in Asia. Zadig said, "So at last I'm happy!" But he was wrong.
About this section
Chapter 5: The Generous is part of Zadig, or Destiny by Voltaire. This page sets the French original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is chapter 7 of 23 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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