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Mirejo
Poemat epicki w 12 pieśniach napisany w roku 1859 przez Frédérica Mistrala w dialekcie prowansalskim języka oksytańskiego.
Struktura poematu wyraźnie nawiązywała do klasyki rzymskiej. Utwór, podobnie jak Eneida, składa się z dwunastu pieśni, z których pięć pierwszych przywodzi na myśl Prace i dni Hezjoda oraz Georgiki Wergiliusza[4]. Sielankowy nastrój początkowych części umożliwił poecie ukazanie realiów prowansalskiej wsi i codzienne życie żeńców, ratajów, jedwabniczek, wolarzy i pokłośnic, które już w czasach Mistrala stopniowo odchodziło w przeszłość. Mimo daleko posuniętej idealizacji poeta, przedstawiając dzieje nieszczęśliwej miłości ubogiego rękodzielnika i córki bogatego gospodarza, wyraźnie zaznaczył kwestie nierówności społecznych w środowisku wiejskim.
[wikipedia]
Struktura poematu wyraźnie nawiązywała do klasyki rzymskiej. Utwór, podobnie jak Eneida, składa się z dwunastu pieśni, z których pięć pierwszych przywodzi na myśl Prace i dni Hezjoda oraz Georgiki Wergiliusza[4]. Sielankowy nastrój początkowych części umożliwił poecie ukazanie realiów prowansalskiej wsi i codzienne życie żeńców, ratajów, jedwabniczek, wolarzy i pokłośnic, które już w czasach Mistrala stopniowo odchodziło w przeszłość. Mimo daleko posuniętej idealizacji poeta, przedstawiając dzieje nieszczęśliwej miłości ubogiego rękodzielnika i córki bogatego gospodarza, wyraźnie zaznaczył kwestie nierówności społecznych w środowisku wiejskim.
[wikipedia]
282 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1859
14 people are currently reading
377 people want to read
About the author
Frédéric Mistral
151 books29 followersFrédéric Mistral (1830-1914) came from an old and well-to-do family of landowners that had settled in Provence in the sixteenth century. He was deeply influenced by his early years in the leisurely and patriarchal manor of his father. Mistral read law, but after taking his degree devoted himself entirely to writing poetry in Provençal, the passion for which had been aroused during his school days by one of his masters, the Provençal poet Joseph Roumanille. Mistral's aim was to make neo-Provençal a literary language conforming to fixed standards of purity. For this purpose he spent many years on the compilation of the Trésor dóu Félibrige, a dictionary of Provençal published by the «Felibrige», a literary society that Mistral had founded.
Mistral was both an epic and a lyrical poet. His work is determined by Provence, not only in language, but in content and feeling. Provence is the true hero of all his poems. His first great success was Miréio (1859), a story of two star-crossed lovers. It was followed by Calendau (1867), a fantastic narrative poem about a Provençal fisherman. Other works include Lis Isclo d'or (1876) [Islands of Gold], a collection of poems; «Nerto» (1884), a narrative poem based on a chronicle of the Avignon Popes; La Rèino Jano (1890); and Lou pouémo dóu rose (1897) [The Song of the Rhone]. A five-volume edition of his works appeared between 1887 and 1910; three volumes of unpublished works appeared posthumously (1926-30). Mistral wrote an autobiography Moun espelido: Memori è raconte (1906) [Memoirs of Mistral]. His efforts to revive Provençal were at various times supported by the Academie Française and the Institut de France.
Mistral was both an epic and a lyrical poet. His work is determined by Provence, not only in language, but in content and feeling. Provence is the true hero of all his poems. His first great success was Miréio (1859), a story of two star-crossed lovers. It was followed by Calendau (1867), a fantastic narrative poem about a Provençal fisherman. Other works include Lis Isclo d'or (1876) [Islands of Gold], a collection of poems; «Nerto» (1884), a narrative poem based on a chronicle of the Avignon Popes; La Rèino Jano (1890); and Lou pouémo dóu rose (1897) [The Song of the Rhone]. A five-volume edition of his works appeared between 1887 and 1910; three volumes of unpublished works appeared posthumously (1926-30). Mistral wrote an autobiography Moun espelido: Memori è raconte (1906) [Memoirs of Mistral]. His efforts to revive Provençal were at various times supported by the Academie Française and the Institut de France.
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May 26, 2025
Ô Camargue.
La Crau. Arles et Avignon. Bouches-du-Rhône.
The mistral wind blows over the olives, the oranges, the wheat.
Smell the fragrant thyme, such sweet bees buzz the air.
Les cavales blanches, les taureaux noires,
Du Rhône Camarguais. Je suis, un riverain.
White horses, black bulls. I am of the river Rhône, Camargue.
These are our country songs to sing.
Ô Saint Jean! Toutes les collines étincelaient,
comme s’il avait plu des étoiles dans l’ombre.
All the hills glistens as if raining stars through the darkness.
Look! Mount Ventoux radiates light from above.
Sant-Elme bondit la flamme tortue.
Leap the turtle flame, Saint Elmo.
A prayer for Notre-Dame-d’Amour,
A love confused, tell me what to do?
Vincent loves me but my father forbids it, he says
Surely I can do much better than a poor basketmaker?
Ah, such a dilemma sweet Mireille.
You must go to Saint-Marie’s-de-la-Mer for guidance.
Ô Saintes Maries, qui pouvez en fleurs changer nos larmes,
inclinez vite l’oreille dévers ma douleur.
Oh saint Maries, who can change our tears into flowers,
Lend your ears to hear my woes.
You three Maries, who traveled across La Mer
from far off Judea to the shore of Provence,
You were made holy in a church, a shrine
in your sanctuary, hear my prayers.
We three hear you, my dear Mireille.
A sacrifice must be made. Are you ready?
Paradis beckons. Laudamus te Deum!
Will sweet Vincent understand
how the mistral sings his song.
***************
Frédéric Mistral originally wrote “Mirèio” in his native Occitan, in the south of France in 1859. It consists of twelve “chants” or songs telling the love story of Vincent and Mireille. The story is full of beautiful and evocative imagery of this region. Yet it is overshadowed by religious aspect and reads much like a medieval tale. Mistral won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1904.
PS I first heard about this book in Lettres de Mon Moulin by Alphonse Daudet.
La Crau. Arles et Avignon. Bouches-du-Rhône.
The mistral wind blows over the olives, the oranges, the wheat.
Smell the fragrant thyme, such sweet bees buzz the air.
Les cavales blanches, les taureaux noires,
Du Rhône Camarguais. Je suis, un riverain.
White horses, black bulls. I am of the river Rhône, Camargue.
These are our country songs to sing.
Ô Saint Jean! Toutes les collines étincelaient,
comme s’il avait plu des étoiles dans l’ombre.
All the hills glistens as if raining stars through the darkness.
Look! Mount Ventoux radiates light from above.
Sant-Elme bondit la flamme tortue.
Leap the turtle flame, Saint Elmo.
A prayer for Notre-Dame-d’Amour,
A love confused, tell me what to do?
Vincent loves me but my father forbids it, he says
Surely I can do much better than a poor basketmaker?
Ah, such a dilemma sweet Mireille.
You must go to Saint-Marie’s-de-la-Mer for guidance.
Ô Saintes Maries, qui pouvez en fleurs changer nos larmes,
inclinez vite l’oreille dévers ma douleur.
Oh saint Maries, who can change our tears into flowers,
Lend your ears to hear my woes.
You three Maries, who traveled across La Mer
from far off Judea to the shore of Provence,
You were made holy in a church, a shrine
in your sanctuary, hear my prayers.
We three hear you, my dear Mireille.
A sacrifice must be made. Are you ready?
Paradis beckons. Laudamus te Deum!
Will sweet Vincent understand
how the mistral sings his song.
***************
Frédéric Mistral originally wrote “Mirèio” in his native Occitan, in the south of France in 1859. It consists of twelve “chants” or songs telling the love story of Vincent and Mireille. The story is full of beautiful and evocative imagery of this region. Yet it is overshadowed by religious aspect and reads much like a medieval tale. Mistral won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1904.
PS I first heard about this book in Lettres de Mon Moulin by Alphonse Daudet.
April 26, 2020
De la gran Arles fins a Vença
ara escoltau, gents de Provença!
Si us sembla, mos amics, que el temps és massa ardent,
anem plegats, que l'hora vola,
vora la fresca Durençola!
I, de Marsella a Valençola,
que es canti ja Mireia i es planyi son Vicent!
Me ha encantado y sorprendido muchísimo. Este poema del siglo XIX escrito por Frédéric Mistral es la obra representativa de la Provenza por excelencia.
El poema narra la historia de amor entre Mireia y Vicent, dos jóvenes provenzales a quiénes se les niega el poder estar juntos. Una especie de retelling de Romeo y Julieta pero mucho, mucho más entretenido y lleno de aventuras, convirtiéndolo en una especie de híbrido entre la famosa historia de amor y una Odisea de Homero.
La Provenza se abre a los ojos del lector, con sitios concretos que en mi caso he tenido la suerte de visitar en casi su totalidad. Las descripciones del campo, de la Camarga, de la zona alpina te trasladan a los paisajes al momento. De igual forma el texto permite que veamos bajo los ojos del siglo XIX sus oficios, tradiciones, folklore y leyendas, fiestas populares.
Creo que una buena traducción es importantísima, en mi caso he leído la versión catalana traducida por Maria-Antònia Salvadora, publicada en 1917 por l’Istitut d’Estudis Catalans.
ara escoltau, gents de Provença!
Si us sembla, mos amics, que el temps és massa ardent,
anem plegats, que l'hora vola,
vora la fresca Durençola!
I, de Marsella a Valençola,
que es canti ja Mireia i es planyi son Vicent!
Me ha encantado y sorprendido muchísimo. Este poema del siglo XIX escrito por Frédéric Mistral es la obra representativa de la Provenza por excelencia.
El poema narra la historia de amor entre Mireia y Vicent, dos jóvenes provenzales a quiénes se les niega el poder estar juntos. Una especie de retelling de Romeo y Julieta pero mucho, mucho más entretenido y lleno de aventuras, convirtiéndolo en una especie de híbrido entre la famosa historia de amor y una Odisea de Homero.
La Provenza se abre a los ojos del lector, con sitios concretos que en mi caso he tenido la suerte de visitar en casi su totalidad. Las descripciones del campo, de la Camarga, de la zona alpina te trasladan a los paisajes al momento. De igual forma el texto permite que veamos bajo los ojos del siglo XIX sus oficios, tradiciones, folklore y leyendas, fiestas populares.
Creo que una buena traducción es importantísima, en mi caso he leído la versión catalana traducida por Maria-Antònia Salvadora, publicada en 1917 por l’Istitut d’Estudis Catalans.
February 24, 2024
Frédéric Mistral was one of two recipients for the Nobel Prize in Literature for 1904, and this epic poem was a main reason why. What makes it so special?
Well, the main reason is not so much what Mistral wrote but how he wrote it. The poem was written in Provençal, a variety of the ancient Occitan language still spoken in southern France today. It is one of numerous world languages that have been dying out due to centuries of colonization, globalization, and urban sprawl. Mistral devoted his life to the preservation and celebration of the language of his native land, both as a lexicographer and as a poet.
I can understand why it is tempting to feel that the idea of global diversity of language is obsolete. After all, The Bible implies that scattering people across the globe with no universal way to communicate is a kind of punishment for humanity's transgression against God. Besides, no language is static. A living language is constantly changing and evolving. But ironically, it seems that when nations, regions, and villages begin to lose the tongue of their ancestors, this is rather a symptom of the world becoming more isolated. I believe that when a language becomes extinct, we lose another vital code to understanding the human condition. There is so much of an entire history, the very soul of a people, that goes into the formation of an indigenous way of speaking. If you know anyone who is multilingual, they can attest to the fact that your brain understands things in unique ways, even in dreams, when you think in different languages. I once listened to an interview of a young Frenchman who learned the Occitan dialect of his ancestors in college and felt that it greatly enriched his life and strengthened his sense of identity and his pleasure with the environment of his birth. I have found this this to be the case when Native Americans rediscover their Nation's language, and even in myself when I speak Sicilian or French with the old folks in my family. I wonder if any of my ancestors spoke Occitan, as they supposedly came from the region of Provence hundreds of years ago.
So my interest in regional languages is what drew me to Mistral's poem to begin with, though because I don't understand Occitan, I had to read it in French, which is rather close. But after listening to further examples of spoken Occitan on YouTube, I find it reminds me more of Italian or Catalan, the latter being the closest relative, and it is quite beautiful. I also read some verses in English, which has much more of a sing-song feel, like a limerick told by a mischievous leprechaun. However, I am always impressed by translations, especially of poetry, as the translator is constrained not only to capture as accurately as possible the meaning of the source text, but also to stay faithful to the metre and rhyming scheme of the poem.
The story itself is simultaneously familiar and unique. It is essentially a tale of two star-crossed lovers--a young maiden from a wealthy family falling in love with a poor but noble-spirited basket-weaver. Yet the execution is more like a progressive rock concept album, with numerous characters expounding on the themes throughout the poem with their own tales. Thus, we have multiple stories within a story, much of which centers around the culture and folklore of the region. The poem is rich with fantastic imagery of fairies, enchanted forests, dragons, evil spirits, and witches. My favorite of these side stories is one I already knew from French mythology, that of St. Martha taming the tarasque, a six-legged beast with a Gamera shell. Everything is beautifully rendered to whisk the reader from their couches, desks, and bedrooms to a pastoral land of ancient craggy mountains, fertile fields, and treacherous waters. I really felt that I was in the clean open air of La Crau, scented with juniper, olive, and thyme.
The narrative throws in a few weird twists that I found pleasantly surprising. However, I did find one turn of events rather silly. I don't want to spoil anything, but a major plot point comes when someone gets overheated in the sun because they forgot their hat. I thought this was France, not Death Valley! And if it's THAT hot, I doubt a hat is going to provide much succour. That's like my grandmother predicting I would succumb to pneumonia because I didn't wear a scarf when the weather in New Orleans got below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The poem was truly a labor of love for Mistral, who worked on it for eight years, and it shows. He really captures the spirit of his native land, and I can only imagine how much more the experience would be enhanced with fluency in the Provençal language. But his work has inspired others to study and preserve the language, and at the risk of sounding like I am opposed to progress, I say that is a very good thing.
SCORE: 4/5
Well, the main reason is not so much what Mistral wrote but how he wrote it. The poem was written in Provençal, a variety of the ancient Occitan language still spoken in southern France today. It is one of numerous world languages that have been dying out due to centuries of colonization, globalization, and urban sprawl. Mistral devoted his life to the preservation and celebration of the language of his native land, both as a lexicographer and as a poet.
I can understand why it is tempting to feel that the idea of global diversity of language is obsolete. After all, The Bible implies that scattering people across the globe with no universal way to communicate is a kind of punishment for humanity's transgression against God. Besides, no language is static. A living language is constantly changing and evolving. But ironically, it seems that when nations, regions, and villages begin to lose the tongue of their ancestors, this is rather a symptom of the world becoming more isolated. I believe that when a language becomes extinct, we lose another vital code to understanding the human condition. There is so much of an entire history, the very soul of a people, that goes into the formation of an indigenous way of speaking. If you know anyone who is multilingual, they can attest to the fact that your brain understands things in unique ways, even in dreams, when you think in different languages. I once listened to an interview of a young Frenchman who learned the Occitan dialect of his ancestors in college and felt that it greatly enriched his life and strengthened his sense of identity and his pleasure with the environment of his birth. I have found this this to be the case when Native Americans rediscover their Nation's language, and even in myself when I speak Sicilian or French with the old folks in my family. I wonder if any of my ancestors spoke Occitan, as they supposedly came from the region of Provence hundreds of years ago.
So my interest in regional languages is what drew me to Mistral's poem to begin with, though because I don't understand Occitan, I had to read it in French, which is rather close. But after listening to further examples of spoken Occitan on YouTube, I find it reminds me more of Italian or Catalan, the latter being the closest relative, and it is quite beautiful. I also read some verses in English, which has much more of a sing-song feel, like a limerick told by a mischievous leprechaun. However, I am always impressed by translations, especially of poetry, as the translator is constrained not only to capture as accurately as possible the meaning of the source text, but also to stay faithful to the metre and rhyming scheme of the poem.
The story itself is simultaneously familiar and unique. It is essentially a tale of two star-crossed lovers--a young maiden from a wealthy family falling in love with a poor but noble-spirited basket-weaver. Yet the execution is more like a progressive rock concept album, with numerous characters expounding on the themes throughout the poem with their own tales. Thus, we have multiple stories within a story, much of which centers around the culture and folklore of the region. The poem is rich with fantastic imagery of fairies, enchanted forests, dragons, evil spirits, and witches. My favorite of these side stories is one I already knew from French mythology, that of St. Martha taming the tarasque, a six-legged beast with a Gamera shell. Everything is beautifully rendered to whisk the reader from their couches, desks, and bedrooms to a pastoral land of ancient craggy mountains, fertile fields, and treacherous waters. I really felt that I was in the clean open air of La Crau, scented with juniper, olive, and thyme.
The narrative throws in a few weird twists that I found pleasantly surprising. However, I did find one turn of events rather silly. I don't want to spoil anything, but a major plot point comes when someone gets overheated in the sun because they forgot their hat. I thought this was France, not Death Valley! And if it's THAT hot, I doubt a hat is going to provide much succour. That's like my grandmother predicting I would succumb to pneumonia because I didn't wear a scarf when the weather in New Orleans got below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The poem was truly a labor of love for Mistral, who worked on it for eight years, and it shows. He really captures the spirit of his native land, and I can only imagine how much more the experience would be enhanced with fluency in the Provençal language. But his work has inspired others to study and preserve the language, and at the risk of sounding like I am opposed to progress, I say that is a very good thing.
SCORE: 4/5
August 15, 2025
Amors impossibles i cant a la Provença i mites cristians. Premi Nobel en una llengua no nacional, ja per això calia llegir-lo. Le he llegit en traducció al català.
February 17, 2024
My comments in video: https://youtu.be/5LMyADd8gvg
Bucolic and pastoral epic.
He praises and exalts the story of the children to whom the Virgin of Fatima appeared. It enriches with myths, legends and pastoral stories along with extreme erudition full of references to medieval culture, highlighting two heroes who represent Christian mysticism.
Here I also present reflections on religion and grace, in accordance with the theme of the book, and I hope you will leave me your comments about it. You will like the reference to the reading we did of Robert Graves "Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece."
Épica bucólica y pastoril.
Alaba y ensalza la historia de los niños a los cuales la virgen de Fátima se apareció. Enriquece con mitos, leyendas e historias pastoriles junto a una extrema erudición plagada de referencias a la cultura medieval, destacando dos héroes que representan el misticismo cristiano.
Acá también presento una reflexiones sobre la religión y sobre la gracia, de acuerdo con la temática del libro, y espero que me dejen sus comentarios al respecto. Les gustará la referencia a la lectura que hicimos de Robert Graves "Dioses y héroes de la Antigua Grecia".
Bucolic and pastoral epic.
He praises and exalts the story of the children to whom the Virgin of Fatima appeared. It enriches with myths, legends and pastoral stories along with extreme erudition full of references to medieval culture, highlighting two heroes who represent Christian mysticism.
Here I also present reflections on religion and grace, in accordance with the theme of the book, and I hope you will leave me your comments about it. You will like the reference to the reading we did of Robert Graves "Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece."
Épica bucólica y pastoril.
Alaba y ensalza la historia de los niños a los cuales la virgen de Fátima se apareció. Enriquece con mitos, leyendas e historias pastoriles junto a una extrema erudición plagada de referencias a la cultura medieval, destacando dos héroes que representan el misticismo cristiano.
Acá también presento una reflexiones sobre la religión y sobre la gracia, de acuerdo con la temática del libro, y espero que me dejen sus comentarios al respecto. Les gustará la referencia a la lectura que hicimos de Robert Graves "Dioses y héroes de la Antigua Grecia".
May 28, 2025
This is Frédéric Mistral’s masterpiece in which he single-handedly saved the Provençal/Occitan language from being forgotten. Unfortunately, nowadays, few people still actively speak Provençal, but Mistral’s efforts were eventually rewarded with a Nobel Prize.
The book is an epic poem in twelve parts, covering a thin love story. However, the author uses this story as a framework to add descriptions of his environment, traditions, religious beliefs and even a Dante-esque view of the underworld. A lot of popular tourist sights (Arles, the Camargue, Baux en Provence, etc.) find a place in this book. Useful inspiration for my own vacation to the Provence in a couple of weeks.
This edition is bilingual - Provençal is a complex language that seems to be related to Catalan Spanish. The (19th century) French translation next to it follows metre and rhyme and is sometimes deviating a bit too much from the original text to make things fit. At some point I should find a more literal translation that stays closer to the original text.
The book is an epic poem in twelve parts, covering a thin love story. However, the author uses this story as a framework to add descriptions of his environment, traditions, religious beliefs and even a Dante-esque view of the underworld. A lot of popular tourist sights (Arles, the Camargue, Baux en Provence, etc.) find a place in this book. Useful inspiration for my own vacation to the Provence in a couple of weeks.
This edition is bilingual - Provençal is a complex language that seems to be related to Catalan Spanish. The (19th century) French translation next to it follows metre and rhyme and is sometimes deviating a bit too much from the original text to make things fit. At some point I should find a more literal translation that stays closer to the original text.
May 26, 2017
On ne lit pas cette épopée provençale pour son intrigue qui est un mélodrame épouvantable, on le lit pour ses très beaux vers en l'honneur de la nature, des beaux paysages, le folklore et la foi chrétienne des provençaux. Alors le problème devient la traduction très littérale de l'auteur qui semble désirer avant tout que la version française ne rivalise pas avec la version originale. Le but de Mistral était possiblement d'encourager ses lecteurs de consulter le texte frequémment de la version provençale. De toute façon, la version française déçoit. Je conseille aux non-francophones de lire "Mireille" dans leur langue.
Il reste que l'idée derrière "Mireille" est très intéressant. Comme Shevchenko en Ukraine, Mistral voulait créer un standard pour sa langue et établir une tradition littéraire. Elias Lönnrot qui a composé son Kalevala à partir des contes en plusieurs dialectes finnoisé travaillait dans le même sens. À l'époque aussi, Lady Guest a fait sa traduction des poèmes moyenageux du pays des galles (le Mabinogian) tandis que Lady Gregory a fait la même chose avec des contes irlandais. Partout en Europe au dix-neuvième , les gouvernements essayaient de supprimer des dialectes et langues minoritaires. Partout, il y avait des poetes qui essayaient de les faire valoriser.
Le travail qu'a fait Mistral a été véritablement admirable mais sa version française offre très peu de plaisirs. Je conseille à tous ceux qui vont la lire de fair jouer en même temps les Chansons d'Auvergne de Canteloube qui qui donnent un gout de la beauté des sons provençales.
Il reste que l'idée derrière "Mireille" est très intéressant. Comme Shevchenko en Ukraine, Mistral voulait créer un standard pour sa langue et établir une tradition littéraire. Elias Lönnrot qui a composé son Kalevala à partir des contes en plusieurs dialectes finnoisé travaillait dans le même sens. À l'époque aussi, Lady Guest a fait sa traduction des poèmes moyenageux du pays des galles (le Mabinogian) tandis que Lady Gregory a fait la même chose avec des contes irlandais. Partout en Europe au dix-neuvième , les gouvernements essayaient de supprimer des dialectes et langues minoritaires. Partout, il y avait des poetes qui essayaient de les faire valoriser.
Le travail qu'a fait Mistral a été véritablement admirable mais sa version française offre très peu de plaisirs. Je conseille à tous ceux qui vont la lire de fair jouer en même temps les Chansons d'Auvergne de Canteloube qui qui donnent un gout de la beauté des sons provençales.
August 12, 2020
Frédéric Mistral was one of the earliest recipients of the Nobel Prize in Literature, receiving it in 1904. He was known for writing in a language of southern France called Occitan, which is related to Catalan. Occitan has no single written standard, is not officially recognised in France, and is considered to be endangered. Mistral was a renegade & trailblazer for choosing to write in Occitan, he sounds like a pretty interesting guy.
Some of the pre-WWII recipients are a bit lack-lustre and reading the description of Mirèio, I wasn't sure if I'd be into it. Happily, this wasn't the case. This epic poem is beautiful, especially the descriptions of landscape and people working on the land.
Mirèio was first published in 1859, and took eight years to write.
Some of the pre-WWII recipients are a bit lack-lustre and reading the description of Mirèio, I wasn't sure if I'd be into it. Happily, this wasn't the case. This epic poem is beautiful, especially the descriptions of landscape and people working on the land.
Mirèio was first published in 1859, and took eight years to write.
July 14, 2020
This man won the nobel prize for literature on 1904, lexicographer of the Occitan language.
I do not know the Occitan language, but I was impressed and moved by Harriet Waters Preston's translation to Enligh of this poem.
It is epic, on the scale of Homer's Odyssey; elegiac. Worth your read.
Joe
I do not know the Occitan language, but I was impressed and moved by Harriet Waters Preston's translation to Enligh of this poem.
It is epic, on the scale of Homer's Odyssey; elegiac. Worth your read.
Joe
December 28, 2025
Mirèio is both a love poem and an act of cultural preservation. Written in Occitan at a time when regional languages were being systematically eclipsed by French centralization, Frédéric Mistral’s epic poem stands as one of literature’s most passionate assertions that language, landscape, and identity are inseparable.
The narrative is simple, almost archetypal: Mirèio, a peasant girl, loves Vincent, a basket-maker deemed socially inferior by her parents.
Forbidden to marry him, she undertakes a desperate pilgrimage across the harsh Provençal landscape, ultimately collapsing from exhaustion and dying. Yet this skeletal plot serves as a vessel for something far richer: a lyrical mapping of Provence as a living cultural universe.
Mistral’s Provence is not a backdrop but a protagonist. The wind, sun, rivers, saints, and legends pulse with presence.
Every canto is steeped in folk memory, regional custom, and oral tradition. The land itself seems to speak through Mirèio’s suffering, transforming personal tragedy into communal lament.
The poem’s language—musical, incantatory, rooted in oral rhythms—resists translation, and this resistance is part of its meaning.
Mirèio insists that certain emotional and cultural realities can only be fully articulated in their native tongue. Mistral does not merely use Occitan; he elevates it, proving it capable of epic expression.
Mirèio herself is less a psychologically complex character than a symbolic figure—innocence confronted by social rigidity. Her love is absolute, uncompromising, almost sacrificial.
Critics have debated whether this idealisation diminishes her agency, but within the poem’s mythic logic, her death functions as an indictment of a society that prioritises status over humanity.
What elevates Mirèio beyond pastoral tragedy is its synthesis of personal emotion and collective identity. Love, in Mistral’s vision, is inseparable from place. To love Vincent is to affirm a way of life threatened by modernisation and linguistic erasure.
Mirèio’s death thus becomes both personal loss and cultural martyrdom.
Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1904, Mistral was honoured less for narrative innovation than for cultural preservation. Mirèio is literature as resistance—not political in the narrow sense, but civilisational. It asserts that beauty survives in local speech, rural labour, and ancestral memory.
To read Mirèio today is to encounter a vanished world made briefly eternal. Its power lies not in suspense or complexity, but in lyric immersion.
One does not read Mirèio so much as enter it, walking alongside its heroine through sun-scorched fields toward a fate that feels tragically inevitable.
Give it a go.
The narrative is simple, almost archetypal: Mirèio, a peasant girl, loves Vincent, a basket-maker deemed socially inferior by her parents.
Forbidden to marry him, she undertakes a desperate pilgrimage across the harsh Provençal landscape, ultimately collapsing from exhaustion and dying. Yet this skeletal plot serves as a vessel for something far richer: a lyrical mapping of Provence as a living cultural universe.
Mistral’s Provence is not a backdrop but a protagonist. The wind, sun, rivers, saints, and legends pulse with presence.
Every canto is steeped in folk memory, regional custom, and oral tradition. The land itself seems to speak through Mirèio’s suffering, transforming personal tragedy into communal lament.
The poem’s language—musical, incantatory, rooted in oral rhythms—resists translation, and this resistance is part of its meaning.
Mirèio insists that certain emotional and cultural realities can only be fully articulated in their native tongue. Mistral does not merely use Occitan; he elevates it, proving it capable of epic expression.
Mirèio herself is less a psychologically complex character than a symbolic figure—innocence confronted by social rigidity. Her love is absolute, uncompromising, almost sacrificial.
Critics have debated whether this idealisation diminishes her agency, but within the poem’s mythic logic, her death functions as an indictment of a society that prioritises status over humanity.
What elevates Mirèio beyond pastoral tragedy is its synthesis of personal emotion and collective identity. Love, in Mistral’s vision, is inseparable from place. To love Vincent is to affirm a way of life threatened by modernisation and linguistic erasure.
Mirèio’s death thus becomes both personal loss and cultural martyrdom.
Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1904, Mistral was honoured less for narrative innovation than for cultural preservation. Mirèio is literature as resistance—not political in the narrow sense, but civilisational. It asserts that beauty survives in local speech, rural labour, and ancestral memory.
To read Mirèio today is to encounter a vanished world made briefly eternal. Its power lies not in suspense or complexity, but in lyric immersion.
One does not read Mirèio so much as enter it, walking alongside its heroine through sun-scorched fields toward a fate that feels tragically inevitable.
Give it a go.
December 28, 2024
Як врятувати мову, яка вимирає?
Цього року минає 120 років із моменту присудження Нобелівської премії з літератури поетові Фредері Містралю. Його найвідоміше літературне творіння - поема "Мірейо", написана наприкінці XIX ст., в якій оповідається трагічне кохання доньки багатого фермера, Мірейї та сина мандрівного кошикаря Вінсента. Сюжет поеми нескладний, і здавалося, історій про нещасливе кохання юних людей є чимало, так в чому ж феномен творчості Фредері Містраля?
А вся сила не в тому, що написано Містралем, сила в тому як він це написав. Поема "Мірейо" відіграла важливу роль у відродженні провансальської мови та літератури. Це одна із зникаючих мов світу, котрі вимирають внаслідок колонізації, впливу урбанізації та глобалізації.
Якщо повернутися до історії, то за часів середньовічного феодалізму, після смерті короля Неаполя і Сицилії - Рене Анжурського, який дбав про економічний розквіт і сприяв розвитку мистецтва та науки провансальського краю, у 1480р. Прованс остаточно було приєднано до Франції. З тих пір почався занепад старопровансальської культури.
З часом мова зфранцужилася, культура денаціоналізувалася, а народ Провансу для французів вважався не інакше як селюки. Щось близьке...
Містраль відроджуючи рідну культуру, підносить селянина та селянку героями своєї поеми. Розлогі оповіді з історії Провансу, місцеві фольклорні легенди, християнські притчі та язичницькі вірування, етнографічні подробиці національного одягу, неймовірні пейзажі та описи життя провансальців у всіх його проявах, картини виноградництва, рибальства, скотарства, хліборобства, шовківництва, виноробства - все це з неймовірною любов'ю вплів Фредері Містраль у канву сюжету.
А пам'ятаєте "Як парость виноградної лози, плекайте мову..." Максима Рильського? Відчувається ж як бринять мотиви провансальського поета, бо саме Містралевою музою надихався український поет.
Отож, згадуючи український контекст, варто б наголосити й про повагу до носіїв гуцульського, бойківського, лемківського, поліського та інших діалектів. Ці соковиті паростки мови, після десятиліть радянщини, все ж продовжують дискримінуватися та принижуватися.
Цього року минає 120 років із моменту присудження Нобелівської премії з літератури поетові Фредері Містралю. Його найвідоміше літературне творіння - поема "Мірейо", написана наприкінці XIX ст., в якій оповідається трагічне кохання доньки багатого фермера, Мірейї та сина мандрівного кошикаря Вінсента. Сюжет поеми нескладний, і здавалося, історій про нещасливе кохання юних людей є чимало, так в чому ж феномен творчості Фредері Містраля?
А вся сила не в тому, що написано Містралем, сила в тому як він це написав. Поема "Мірейо" відіграла важливу роль у відродженні провансальської мови та літератури. Це одна із зникаючих мов світу, котрі вимирають внаслідок колонізації, впливу урбанізації та глобалізації.
Якщо повернутися до історії, то за часів середньовічного феодалізму, після смерті короля Неаполя і Сицилії - Рене Анжурського, який дбав про економічний розквіт і сприяв розвитку мистецтва та науки провансальського краю, у 1480р. Прованс остаточно було приєднано до Франції. З тих пір почався занепад старопровансальської культури.
З часом мова зфранцужилася, культура денаціоналізувалася, а народ Провансу для французів вважався не інакше як селюки. Щось близьке...
Містраль відроджуючи рідну культуру, підносить селянина та селянку героями своєї поеми. Розлогі оповіді з історії Провансу, місцеві фольклорні легенди, християнські притчі та язичницькі вірування, етнографічні подробиці національного одягу, неймовірні пейзажі та описи життя провансальців у всіх його проявах, картини виноградництва, рибальства, скотарства, хліборобства, шовківництва, виноробства - все це з неймовірною любов'ю вплів Фредері Містраль у канву сюжету.
А пам'ятаєте "Як парость виноградної лози, плекайте мову..." Максима Рильського? Відчувається ж як бринять мотиви провансальського поета, бо саме Містралевою музою надихався український поет.
Отож, згадуючи український контекст, варто б наголосити й про повагу до носіїв гуцульського, бойківського, лемківського, поліського та інших діалектів. Ці соковиті паростки мови, після десятиліть радянщини, все ж продовжують дискримінуватися та принижуватися.
April 1, 2020
En 1904, el francés Frédéric Mistral y el español José Echegaray recibieron el Premio Nobel de Literatura, convirtiéndose en el 4to y 5to escritores en obtener el galardón otorgado por la Academia Sueca. En este caso, comentaré sobre Mireio, el título más importante del galo, a quien el premio le fue otorgado «en reconocimiento a la originalidad fresca e inspiración verdadera de su producción poética, la cual refleja fielmente el escenario natural y espíritu nativo de su gente, y, adicionalmente, su trabajo significativo como un filólogo provenzal».
La historia gira en torno a Mireio, una joven que se enamora de Vincen, un chico de una clase social inferior a la suya (historia similar a la de “Un muchacho de buen temple”, título del Nobel de Literatura de 1903: Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson) y que, ante la negativa de sus padres, decide huir de casa.
Había leído muchos comentarios sobre el trabajo de Mistral y su gran prosa en su idioma original; sin embargo, siento que en, en mi caso, la traducción no ayudó de mucho. Si bien reconozco que sí había un detalle en la descripción de los escenarios en los que desarrolla la historia y en las lógicas sociales del pueblo que la protagoniza, la verdad es que no pude disfrutar la lectura, pues me perdía en las interminables descripciones del paisaje. Los diálogos de los personajes tampoco ayudaron mucho, me resultaron de un sentimentalismo completamente innecesario.
Siempre he creído que, a veces, no enganchamos con los libros que leemos porque estos sean malos (a veces sí lo son), sino porque no estamos en el mood necesario para disfrutar de este título. Así que de verdad que me hubiera gustado quedar atrapado por la escritura de Mistral, pero lamentablemente, creo que es el primer autor del desafío literario #ReadTheNobels que no disfruto para nada. A seguir probando suerte.
La historia gira en torno a Mireio, una joven que se enamora de Vincen, un chico de una clase social inferior a la suya (historia similar a la de “Un muchacho de buen temple”, título del Nobel de Literatura de 1903: Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson) y que, ante la negativa de sus padres, decide huir de casa.
Había leído muchos comentarios sobre el trabajo de Mistral y su gran prosa en su idioma original; sin embargo, siento que en, en mi caso, la traducción no ayudó de mucho. Si bien reconozco que sí había un detalle en la descripción de los escenarios en los que desarrolla la historia y en las lógicas sociales del pueblo que la protagoniza, la verdad es que no pude disfrutar la lectura, pues me perdía en las interminables descripciones del paisaje. Los diálogos de los personajes tampoco ayudaron mucho, me resultaron de un sentimentalismo completamente innecesario.
Siempre he creído que, a veces, no enganchamos con los libros que leemos porque estos sean malos (a veces sí lo son), sino porque no estamos en el mood necesario para disfrutar de este título. Así que de verdad que me hubiera gustado quedar atrapado por la escritura de Mistral, pero lamentablemente, creo que es el primer autor del desafío literario #ReadTheNobels que no disfruto para nada. A seguir probando suerte.
February 25, 2025
Esta es otra novela pastoril, en la que la naturaleza es bellamente descrita y donde el amor prohibido, murmuran por las calles, es idealizado hasta los extremos. Lo primero que me sorprende de esto es que la historia no está escrita en francés sino en un idioma provenzal u occitano. Para que luego no digan que los premios Nobel son de las lenguas dominantes (aunque bueno, sigue siendo una europea).
La historia es de Mireio, la chava que se enamora de Vincen, un chavo que anda de aquí para allá porque es pobre pero honrado. Mireio lo quiere para ella aunque sus padres le insisten en que mejor vea a otros chicos de su condición social. Mireio es muy tozuda y prefiere huir de casa que le anden arreglando su futuro.
La novela funciona un poco como prosa poética, muchas veces no va al grano sino que le dan vueltas al asunto, o pone poemas/canciones. Pero todo fluye sin contratiempos. Me pareció graciosa la pelea que tiene Vincen con uno de los pretendientes de Mireio, es sin querer homoerótico. Claramente este tipo de historias tiene que prevalecer la tragedia para hacerlo más romántico.
Como vengo de leer a Un muchacho de buen temple no pude dejar de compararlas. Esta es una obra un poco más madura y contrario al escritor noruego, aquí no todo es ser felices y comer perdices, se van ensombreciendo las situaciones a pesar de que los personajes principales sean inocentes y castos. Me agradó sin más.
La historia es de Mireio, la chava que se enamora de Vincen, un chavo que anda de aquí para allá porque es pobre pero honrado. Mireio lo quiere para ella aunque sus padres le insisten en que mejor vea a otros chicos de su condición social. Mireio es muy tozuda y prefiere huir de casa que le anden arreglando su futuro.
La novela funciona un poco como prosa poética, muchas veces no va al grano sino que le dan vueltas al asunto, o pone poemas/canciones. Pero todo fluye sin contratiempos. Me pareció graciosa la pelea que tiene Vincen con uno de los pretendientes de Mireio, es sin querer homoerótico. Claramente este tipo de historias tiene que prevalecer la tragedia para hacerlo más romántico.
Como vengo de leer a Un muchacho de buen temple no pude dejar de compararlas. Esta es una obra un poco más madura y contrario al escritor noruego, aquí no todo es ser felices y comer perdices, se van ensombreciendo las situaciones a pesar de que los personajes principales sean inocentes y castos. Me agradó sin más.
November 18, 2024
Escritor francés galardonado con el premio Nobel en 1904.
Historia de tintes posrománticos de amores en clases sociales diversas e incompatibles en la que Vincént, el humulde canastero de Saint Marie le Mer, en la Provenza francesa no logra llevar al altar a su amor Mireio porque sus padres prefieren mejor partido para la chica que termina muriendo.
Historia de tintes posrománticos de amores en clases sociales diversas e incompatibles en la que Vincént, el humulde canastero de Saint Marie le Mer, en la Provenza francesa no logra llevar al altar a su amor Mireio porque sus padres prefieren mejor partido para la chica que termina muriendo.
August 8, 2025
Si Mirèio domine l'œuvre de Mistral, c'est particulièrement pour la recherche harmonieuse entre le vers et les images sémillantes de la Crau. Mirèio est une héroïne autant lyrique que tragique qui n'est pas sans rappeler la figure d'Elvire chez Lamartine. Son amour pour Vincent n'a d'égal que la transcendance de sa foi.
January 25, 2025
Quasi que 2,5. Se m'ha fet pesat per la llargada. I perquè entremig de la trama Mireia-Vicent hi ha mil excursos de temes derivats que segons com costen d'entendre i et fan perdre el fil. Ah, i a sobre no acabava bé. Moralina: no intenteu mai impedir un amor correspost perquè acabarà malament.
April 29, 2024
I read it in one night.
October 10, 2024
Il est des pays dont les heures sans jamais avoir étés laissent pourtant toujours déjà traces
November 25, 2024
I'm sure this was better in the original, but still an interesting take on Provencal life.
October 19, 2025
fue fascinante descubrir la historia de mi nombre.
March 19, 2024
I predominantly read this in English, referring occasionally to a French translation as well as the original Provencal as I went. It's quite clear the original is much more musical, even with me barbarously attempting the pronunciation. The English version, on the other hand, doesn't really inspire much admiration with its desperate rhyming couplets.
The poem reminded me a little of Under the Greenwood Tree in the way that the peasant lives are tied to the seasonal harvests, and also a little of Faust Part 2 in its witchy transports and saintly spectacles, but that's really by the by.
Ultimately, I found reading about Mistral's mission to preserve the Provencal language and its culture more interesting than reading Mireio itself. It's just all a bit unremarkable, although I write that with the caveat that perhaps reading it fully in the original Provencal elevates it to another plane.
The poem reminded me a little of Under the Greenwood Tree in the way that the peasant lives are tied to the seasonal harvests, and also a little of Faust Part 2 in its witchy transports and saintly spectacles, but that's really by the by.
Ultimately, I found reading about Mistral's mission to preserve the Provencal language and its culture more interesting than reading Mireio itself. It's just all a bit unremarkable, although I write that with the caveat that perhaps reading it fully in the original Provencal elevates it to another plane.
December 11, 2023
Mistral’s writing is maybe my favorite new discovery so far in a reread of Nobel Laureates. It’s a poetic style with pithy turns of phrase, heroic couplets, and surprisingly derring-do.
All that balances a fairly typical star-crossed lovers storyline. But if doomed romance novels made better use of jokes about Parisians and sea-monster sightings, I’d like them better. I do wish there were more places to find it in Provençal, even if I don’t speak it (or at least French) as it was hard to tell how much of the typical bits owe to the original or the translation I read.
All that balances a fairly typical star-crossed lovers storyline. But if doomed romance novels made better use of jokes about Parisians and sea-monster sightings, I’d like them better. I do wish there were more places to find it in Provençal, even if I don’t speak it (or at least French) as it was hard to tell how much of the typical bits owe to the original or the translation I read.
June 2, 2020
A gorgeous romantic epic poem by Frederic Mistral, startlingly well-translated here by Harriet Waters Preston, in which the setting - the warm Provencal country, rich with folklore and history that provide a common culture to an economically-stratified society - is at least as much a character as the star-crossed lovers Vincen and Mireio.
September 10, 2014
My favorite line, as rendered by translator C.H. Grant in Canto VII:
"A blockhead you must be, my son,
To speak like that."
"A blockhead you must be, my son,
To speak like that."
June 12, 2016
Ett bra språk och fint versmått. En typisk kärlekshistoria. Språket och miljöerna är det som lyfter berättelsen.
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