Translation of L’Abbé Larignan’s sonnet
"I was shewed this Sonnet t’other day. It is by Mr L’ Abbe Larignan. Mr Lort shew’d it me." Hester Thrale.
1.
J’aurai bientost quatre vingt Ans,
Je crois qu’a cet Age il est Tems
De dedaigner la Vie;
Aussi Je la perds sans Regret
Et je fais gaiement mon Pacquet,
Bon Soir la Compagnie.2.
Lorsque d’icy Je partirai
Je ne sçais pas trop ou J’irai
Mais en Dieu Je me fie,
Il ne me peut mener que bien
Aussi je n’apprehende rien
Bon soir la Compagnie !3.
J’ay gouté de tolls les Plaisirs
J’ai perdu jusqu’aux Desirs
A present je m’ennuye;
Lorsque I’on n’est plus bon a Rien
On se retire & on fait bien
Bon soir la Compagnie.
This trifling thing one could not help trying to translate, here is the Attempt:—as I remember I hit it off all at once—in five Minutes, the whole together—Original and all would not have been worth ten.
Written by Hester Lynch Thrale.1.
Arriv’d at Grave and Grey Fourscore
Tis Time to think on Life no more,
Time to be gone, and therefore I
Can quit this World without a Sigh;
Without or Sorrow Care or Fright
Can bid the Company Good Night.2.
When hence we part tis hard to say
Whither we rove, or which the Way:
But he that sent me here will show
My doubtful Footsteps where to go;
So trusting to his Truth and Might
I bid the Company Good Night.3.
I’ve tasted here of ev’ry Joy
But Time can Taste itself destroy;
It teizes me to see how soon
Quite good for nothing I am grown;
When such the Case, tis surely right
To bid the Company good Night.
Published in Thraliana entry dated December 1778 Hester Thrale's spelling, grammar and capitalisation, some of which may not conform to today's standards, are reproduced faithfully throughout.
