[Footnote 13:  This poem will be found translated in full at the end of the book.]

[Footnote 14: 

    It was an afternoon of this summer,
    While I neither woke nor slept,
    I was taking my noonday rest, as is my pleasure,
    My head touching the ground at ease.
]

[Footnote 15: 

    The ghostly moon is unwinding wool. 
    Afar off is heard the gurgling water shaking the clapper behind the mill. 
    The ghostly moon is unwinding flax.
]

[Footnote 16:  When the slaughter is over, when the wolf and the buzzard have gnawed the bones, the flaming sun scatters merrily the hurtful vapors and the battlefield soon becomes green once more.

After the long trampling of the Turks and Russians, thou, too, art seen thus reborn, O nation of Trajan, like the shining star coming forth from the dark eclipse, with the youth of a maiden of fifteen.

And the Latin races, in thy silvery speech, have recognized the honor that lay in thy blood; and calling thee sister, the Romance Provence sends thee, Roumania, an olive branch.]

CHAPTER V

MISTRAL’S DICTIONARY OF THE PROVENCAL LANGUAGE

AU MIEJOUR

    Sant Jan, vengue meissoun, abro si fio de joio;
    Amount sus l’aigo-vers lou pastre pensatieu,
    En l’ounour dou pais, enausso uno mount-joio
    E marco li pasquie mounte a passa l’estieu.

    Emai ieu, en laurant—­e quichant moun anchoio,
    Per lou noum de Prouvenco ai fa co que poudieu;
    E, Dieu de moun pres-fa m’aguent douna la voio,
    Dins la rego, a geinoui, vuei rende graci a Dieu.

    En terro, fin qu’au sistre, a cava moun araire;
    E lou brounze rouman e l’or dis emperaire
    Treluson au souleu dintre lou blad que sort....

    O pople dou Miejour, escouto moun arengo: 
    Se vos recounquista l’emperi de ta lengo,
    Per t’arnesca de nou, pesco en aqueu Tresor.

“Saint John, at harvest time, kindles his bonfires; high up on the mountain slope the thoughtful shepherd places a pile of stones in honor of the country, and marks the pastures where he has passed the summer.

“I, too, tilling and living frugally, have done what I could for the fame of Provence; and God having permitted me to complete my task, to-day, on my knees in the furrow, I offer thanks to Him.

“My plough has dug into the soil down to the rock; and the Roman bronze and the gold of the emperors gleam in the sunlight among the growing wheat.

“Oh, people of the South, heed my saying:  If you wish to win back the empire of your language, equip yourselves anew by drawing upon this Treasury.”