Bodleian quatrain nr. 89

Anet 1957 - 34
Hier, au bazar, j’ai vu un potier
qui foulait sous ses pieds l’argile.
Et celle-ci lui disait dans son langage:
“J’ai été comme toi. Ménage-moi.”

Cadell 1899 - 93
In the bazaar, I saw but yesterday
A potter hitting hard at his wet clay;
And it, as best it could, cried out; "Let be;
"I was as thou art once, be good to me."

Christensen 1905 - 69
Hier je vis un potier au bazar; il pétrissait à grands coups la terre fraîche.
Et la terre lui dit dans sa propre langue: "J'ai été [homme] comme toi, traite-moi bien".

Christensen 1927 - 68
Yesterday I saw a potter in the bazar. He beat the
fresh clay with many strokes,
and that clay said to him in its own language: "Once
I was [a being] like thee; so treat me gently."

FitzGerald 1859 - 36
For in the Market-place, one Dusk of Day,
I watch'd the Potter thumping his wet Clay:
And with its all obliterated Tongue
It murmur'd--"Gently, Brother, gently, pray !"

Garner 1898 - 57
I saw a potter at his work to-day,
Shaping with rudest hand his whirling clay, -
"Ah, gently, brother, do not treat me thus,
I too was once a man," I heard it say.

Grolleau 1902 - 89
J'ai vu hier, au bazar, un potier
Qui piétinait avec acharnement de l'argile;
Et l'argile lui dit, en son mystique langage:
“Jadis, je fus vivante, ainsi que toi; sois moins brutal.”

Von Hammer 1818 - 7
Ich schaute gestern einem Töpfer zu,
Der schlug auf frischen Lehm gewaltig zu.
Da sprach der Lehm mit seinem eignen Wort:
Schlag' mich nicht so; bin ich denn nicht was du?

Heron-Allen 1898 - 89
I saw a potter in the bazaar yesterday,
he was violently pounding the fresh clay,
and that clay said to him, in mystic language,
"I was once like thee—so treat me well."

De Marthold 1910 - 89
Hier au bazar j'ai vu, forcené sans égal,
Un potier piétinant l'argile, coeur bestial;
Et la terre lui dit en son propre langage :
"Comme toi je vécus, ainsi sois moins brutal."

McCarthy 1889 - 245
YESTERDAY I BEHELD AT THE BAZAAR
A POTTER SMITING WITH ALL HIS FORCE
THE CLAY HE WAS KNEADING. THE
EARTH SEEMED TO CRY OUT TO HIM,
"I ALSO WAS SUCH AS THOU - TREAT
ME THEREFORE LESS HARSHLY."

Nicolas 1867 - 211
Hier, j'ai remarqué au bazar un potier donnant à outrance des coups de pied à une terre qui'l pétrissait. Cette terre semblait lui dire: Moi aussi j'ai été ton semblable; traite-moi donc avec moins de rigueur.

Payne 1898 - 434
A potter I saw in the market yesterday
With many a buffet belabour a lump of clay.
The which, with the tongue of the case, "Thy like I've been;
Have some regard for me, prithee!" to him did say.

Porten (Von der) 1927 - 89
Jüngst sah ich einen Töpfer im Bazar,
Der unbarmherzig schlug, wie ein Barbar,
Den frischen Lehm; der stöhnt geheimnisvoll:
"Sei gut zu mir, gleich dir auch ich einst war."

Roe 1906 - 85
When in the market-place I stopped one day
To watch a potter pounding his fresh clay,
The clay addressed him in a mystic tongue
"Once I was man, so treat me gently, pray!"

Rosen 1928 - 161
Yesterday I saw a potter in the market-place
Trampling down fresh clay with many a kick.
And this clay seemed to say to him:
"I was as you; deal gently with me ".

Talbot 1908 - 89
In the Bazaar I saw, but yesterday,
A potter rudely pounding the fresh clay;
The clay in mystic language made complaint -
"I too was once like thee: thy hand then stay!"

Thompson 1906 - 295
In the Bazaar I saw but yesterday
A potter pounding hard a lump of clay;
The clay cried out to him in mystic tones,
“I once was like thee, treat me gently, pray!"

Tirtha 1941 - V.28
I saw a potter working in the mart,
He kicked a clod of earth which made it smart;
I heard the clay beseach him: “Master! please!
Like thee I once have been, be kind at heart.”

Whinfield 1883 - 252
I saw a busy potter by the way
Kneading with might and main a lump of clay;
And, lo! the clay cried, "Use me gently, pray;
I was a man myself but yesterday!"

• FURUGHI 1942 - 107
• GRAVES 1968 - 38
• HERON-ALLEN 1899 - 37
• KASRA 1975 - 107
• MAHFUZ 1939 - 151
• SAIDI 1991 - 77
• WHINFIELD 1882 - 137