Guillaume of Bartas

Guillaume de Saluste, lord of Bartas or more simply Guillaume of Bartas (born in (1544 with Monfort, close to Auch, Gers - died the August 28th 1590 with Mauvezin) were a French poet of the 16th century, which was very in favor near the readers of 18th.

Biography

Guillaume of Bartas, wire of François de Salluste and Bertrande de Broqueville, in the country house of Monfort, descendant of a family of enriched tradesmen, studied the right to Toulouse, took part in the floral Plays of this city and gained the " Violette" in 1565, year when his/her father buys the castle Of Bartas. 1565. With died of his/her father in 1566, the poet becomes Sieur of Bartas. It Marie in 1570 with Catherine de Manas of which he will have four girls.

Its first poetic tests had been crowned with the floral Jeux of Toulouse in 1565. The queen of Navarre, Jeanne d' Albret, order with this faithful of the court the subject of its first great poem epic, “ the Judith ”, who appeared only after the death of sovereign in the collection entitled MUSE Christian woman (1574).

Rider slicing of king de Navarre (1576), it is in charge of several diplomatic missions. In 1584, king de Navarre goes to the castle of Bartas. January 1st 1585, Of Bartas becomes gentihomme ordinary of the king.

In 1587, it leaves in embassy near Jacques VI Scotland, which admires it and translated one of its poems.

He dies August 28th 1590.

He is especially known for his encyclopedic Poème “ Sepmaine (the Week) ” (1578), work inspired by the Bible, which was translated into several languages: English, Dutch, Italian, Latin, etc and influenced poets of the importance of Milton in England, Joost van den Vondel in Holland, and seems it the Cup in Italy; it had even an admiror in America in the person of Anne Bradstreet.

In 1584 was published the Second Week (the first two Days only), unfinished work, which prolonged the First Week : after the “ Creation of the World ”, it was the Enfance of the World ”. In 1585 is published in Paris the Week accompanied by a copious comment of the catholic lawyer, protected from the duke of Lorraine, Pantaléon Thévenin. Pasteur protesting Simon Goulart had already published a comment of work (1581, in Jacques Chouet, in Geneva), comment which often was reprinted and increased with the passing of years. In 1589, Goulart publishes a new comment for the Second Week .

After the death of the poet, the king of Scotland Jacques VI fact of appearing with Edinburgh, in 1591, translation of one of its poems which had made Of Bartas: “ Lépanthe of the king d' Ecosse ”, celebrating the famous victory gained over the Turks in 1571. In addition, several new parts of L Seconde Week] appear, on a purely posthumous basis, until in 1603 (without further carrying out that the Fourth Day).

The success of Of Bartas was fabulous during about fifty years, it radiated on Europe, one counts more than one hundred of editions of its works, tens of translation, and then its fame collapsed: its style like the contents of its work did not correspond any more to new times.

Quotations

Any art is learned by art, only poetry is a pure celestial gift (Guillaume of Bartas, Uranie )

Praise of the moon (extracted)

“O second honor of celestial candles,

Assured calendar records eternal,

Princess of sea, torch guide-passer by,

Conduit-nap, like-peace, that I would say, O growing,

Of your face inconstant, which makes sometimes there that I balance

Tantôt that of a vain inconstancy,

Si by the eye however the human understanding

Of body as well distant can make judgment,

I estimate as your body is round like Basle,

Of which surface in all places almost equal

Like a mirror polished, but above gold below,

Rejette the clearness of the sun, your husband.

Because as the size of the husband returns illustrates

the woman of low place, all the same the gloss

Of cordial Titan clears up its rays

Your face, which of oneself is gloomily thick.

But that is not always made of the same kind,

Ains the more so as your tank vitement carries you

Than that of the sun, variously you shine

According to whether more or less his approaches you flee.

This is why each month, when a happy wedding

Rallume in your bodies a heat in love,

And that, you to kiss, stars the king

Plein with an ebullient desire, raye with lead above you,

Your half round, which sees mortals the residence,

According to its naturalness, of the dark whole remains. ”

(Guillaume of Bartas, First Sepmaine or Creation of the world ) (1578)

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