“If you were to say to the grown-ups: “I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof,” they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all. You would have to say to them: “I saw a house that cost $20,000.” Then they would exclaim: “Oh, what a pretty house that is!"
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Ha azt mondjuk a fölnőtteknek: "Láttam egy szép házat, rózsaszínű téglából épült, ablakában muskátli, tetején galambok…” - sehogy sem fogják tudni elképzelni ezt a házat. Azt kell mondani nekik: “Láttam egy százezer frankot érő házat.” Erre aztán fölkiáltanak: “Ó, milyen szép!”/ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Gifts from Georgia and the most important of them is the book of “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in Georgian. This edition is gorgeous!
Inktober 6/31. Post-apocalyptic #6: The Fallen Starchild.
“This is, to me, the loveliest and saddest landscape in the world.”
Yes I drew the Little Prince in a post-apocalyptic hellscape. :P I based it more or less on the drawing on last page of the book, of the spot where the Little Prince disappeared. When I first read the book as a kid, and the narrator says to memorize that picture in case you ever find yourself in the same spot in the desert, I took it very seriously and I carefully studied those two diagonal lines with a star on top. As a result, I didn’t even need reference to draw it here.
“To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world…”
If you like my art, consider donating a coin or two: here’s my Ko-fi ♥
Ever since I fell in love with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince around 15 years ago, I pledged to embark on a little (dork-ish) mission of collecting its various editions in all possible languages. I wanted to have a ‘tribute’ space for it in my shelves that I can label “The Little Prince Around the World,” something perhaps that you may tag as a shrine. I imagine it’s going to be a beautiful babel of paperbacks for one timeless story.
I started with an English copy, of course; I also have one in my own tongue, the Filipino translation that can still make me giggle when I read parts of it. And today, I chanced upon a French edition–THE STORY IN ITS ORIGINAL LANGUAGE! I had to clamp down my shriek when I found it, had to dodge curious looks from fellow book-shoppers when I clutched the copy close to me. I also had to insist that Yes, Ms.Cashier, I know it’s in French and I’m still going to buy it. wink emoticon Frankly I have a long, long way to go with this mission: The Little Prince is translated in 250 languages! Good luck to me, right? If I’m lucky enough, I might even find a copy of it in Braille.
So…I guess you guys know now what to give me this Christmas? Kidding…not. Maybe. Haha!
Le Petit Prince (1943) is a novel by Antoine de Saint Exupéry, translated into English as The Little Prince.
1. Les grandes personnes ne comprennent jamais rien toutes seules, et c’est fatigant, pour les enfants, de toujours et toujours leur donner des explications.
Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.
2. Quand le mystère est trop impressionnant, on n’ose pas désobéir.
When a mystery is too overpowering, one dare not disobey.
3. La preuve que le petit prince a existé c’est qu’il était ravissant, qu’il riait, et qu’il voulait un mouton. Quand on veut un mouton, c’est la preuve qu’on existe.
The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep. If anybody wants a sheep, that is a proof that he exists.
4. Mais les graines sont invisibles. Elles dorment dans le secret de la terre jusqu’à ce qu’il prenne fantaisie à l’une d’elles de se réveiller…
But seeds are invisible. They sleep deep in the heart of the earth’s darkness, until some one among them is seized with the desire to awaken.
5. Il ne faut jamais écouter les fleures. Il faut les regarder et les respirer. La mienne embaumait ma planète, mais je ne savais pas m’en réjouir.
One never ought to listen to the flowers. One should simply look at them and breathe their fragrance. Mine perfumed all my planet. But I did not know how to take pleasure in all her grace.
6. Tu as des cheveux couleur d’or. Alors ce sera merveilleux quand tu m’aura apprivoisé! Le blé, qui est doré, me fera souvenir de toi. Et j’aimerai le bruit du vent dans le blé…
You have hair that is the color of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat…
7. On ne connaît que les choses que l’on apprivoise, dit le renard. Les hommes n’ont plus le temps de rien connaître. Il achètent des choses toutes faites chez les marchands. Mais comme il n’existe point de marchands d’amis, les hommes n’ont plus d’amis. Si tu veux un ami, apprivoise-moi!
“One only understands the things that one tames,” said the fox. “Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more. If you want a friend, tame me…”
8. Le langage est source de malentendus.
Words are the source of misunderstandings.
9. Voici mon secret. Il est très simple : on ne voit bien qu’avec le coeur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.
And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
10. C’est le temps que tu as perdu pour ta rose qui fait ta rose si importante.
It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.
11. Tu deviens responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as apprivoisé. Tu es responsable de ta rose…
You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose…
12. - Les enfants seuls savent ce qu’ils cherchent, fit le petit prince. Ils perdent du temps pour une poupée de chiffons, et elle devient très importante, et si on la leur enlève, ils pleurent…
“Only the children know what they are looking for,” said the little prince. “They waste their time over a rag doll and it becomes very important to them; and if anybody takes it away from them, they cry…”
13. Ce qui embellit le désert, dit le petit prince, c’est qu’il cache un puits quelque part…
“What makes the desert beautiful,” said the little prince, “is that somewhere it hides a well…”
14. Dessine-moi un mouton!
Draw me a sheep!
15. Quand on a terminé sa toilette du matin, il faut faire soigneusement la toilette de la planète.
When you’ve finished getting yourself ready in the morning, you must go get the planet ready.
16. J'aime bien les couchers de soleil. Allons voir un coucher de soleil…
I am very fond of sunsets. Come, let us go look at a sunset…
17. On ne sait jamais!
“One never knows!”
18. Il faut exiger de chacun ce que chacun peut donner, reprit le roi. L'autorité repose d'abord sur la raison. Si tu ordonnes à ton peuple d'aller se jeter à la mer, il fera la révolution. J'ai le droit d'exiger l'obéissance parce que mes ordres sont raisonnables. Alors mon coucher de soleil ? rappela le petit prince qui jamais n'oubliait une question une fois qu'il l'avait posée. Ton coucher de soleil, tu l'auras. Je l'exigerai. Mais j'attendrai, dans ma science du gouvernement, que les conditions soient favorables.
“One must command from each what each can perform,” the king went on. “Authority is based first of all upon reason. If you command your subjects to jump into the ocean, there will be a revolution. I am entitled to command obedience because my orders are reasonable.” “Then my sunset?” insisted the little prince, who never let go of a question once he had asked it. “You shall have your sunset. I shall command it. But I shall wait, according to my science of government, until conditions are favorable.”
19. C'est véritablement utile puisque c'est joli.
It is truly useful since it is beautiful.
20. ‘Où sont les hommes ?’ reprit enfin le petit prince. ‘On est un peu seul dans le désert.’ 'On est seul aussi chez les hommes’, dit le serpent.
“Where are the people?” resumed the little prince at last. “It’s a little lonely in the desert…" “It is lonely when you’re among people, too,” said the snake.
21. Vous êtes belles, mais vous êtes vides…. On ne peut pas mourir pour vous.
You’re beautiful, but you’re empty…. No one could die for you.
22. Les hommes ont oublié cette vérité, dit le renard. Mais tu ne dois pas l’oublier. Tu deviens responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as apprivoisé.
“Men have forgotten this truth,” said the fox. “But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”
23. Mais les yeux sont aveugles. Il faut chercher avec le cœur.
But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart…
Me and my amazing tablemate @typical-ingrid will be selling cool stuff at Anime Expo this weekend from July 5-8, visit us at table G37! I’ll also have some of my older stuff as well, but probably in limited quantities.
