French to English

The Crow and the Fox

Master Crow, perched on a tree,
Held in his beak a piece of cheese.
Master Fox, by the scent enticed,
Chanted to him the following rhymes:
“Why, hello Mister Crow!
How pretty you are, how handsome, wow!
Honor bright, if your caroling
Suits your feathering,
You are the Phoenix of the denizens of these woods.”
The Crow was overjoyed upon these words;
And his beautiful voice to show,
He opened his large beak, thus letting his prey go.
The Fox snatched it, and said: “My good Sir,
Learn that each flatterer
Taps his listener’s pantry:
This lesson’s worth some cheese, surely.”
The Crow, ashamed and embarrassed,
Swore a belated vow, to never again be deluded.

Translation by Iren Bencze
cca. 1997

French original: