It Is Lonely When You're Among People, Too

In 2006, I was challenged by an author to write a poem in French about The Little Prince. The piece would be featured in an anthology paying homage to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's most famous book. Of course, I said yes! It was a fun experience.

Unfortunately, the project did not materialize. But I was very happy with the poem and translated it into English a few years later. I included that translation into one of my books, The Heart of Space (2020). You can also read it below.

English

IT IS LONELY WHEN YOU’RE AMONG PEOPLE, TOO!

(A tribute to The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.)

Little being, descending from your star,

Your heart draws desert animals.

And when night slowly unveils her altar,

Your bright smile echoes like crystals.

Little child, you gave your heart to a flower.

Your volcanoes are calmly expecting you.

While the traveller, you await in your tower,

You catch sight of fertile maps within you.

Little Prince! Little Prince!

Draw me your country.

Fall asleep on the dunes

And soar to the moon!

A dream shaper, you truly are.

You found heaven before any grown-up—

A child’s heart soothes the deepest scar.

Children like you are a sweet cup.

Sometimes, it is lonely among people, too.

Yet, some spirits have confident honesty

That fills the emptiness with tongues so new

That everything suddenly becomes beauty.

Little Prince! Little Prince!

Draw me your country.

Fall asleep on the dunes

And soar to the moon!

Little angel, sitting across the horizon,

The sun caresses your blond curly hair.

Often, the land for you loses its blazon;

Yet, you always feel freedom’s prayer.

Little man, your soul is a friend.

Your love has tended to her needs;

And my flame, you would daily defend,

So that I, too, could finally spread the seeds!

Little Prince! Little Prince!

Draw me your country.

Fall asleep on the dunes

And soar to the moon!

They may try to debase your infinity.

They may try to torment your kingdom.

Yet, forgiveness has been part of your trinity

Towards those who have lost their freedom.

So, little prince, continue on your way.

Wait for another star and another flower.

Smile at the present to pave tomorrow’s day.

Children’s souls have some unique power!

Little Prince! Little Prince!

Draw me your country.

Fall asleep on the dunes

And soar to the moon!

Little Prince,

Your best ally,

(Your province)

Is the sky!

©2010 Cendrine Marrouat

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Français

ON EST SEUL AUSSI CHEZ LES HOMMES

(Une adaptation libre du « Petit Prince » d’Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.)

Petit être, descendu de ton étoile,

Ton cœur dessine les animaux du désert.

Et lorsque, doucement, la nuit se dévoile,

Ton rire, astre, fait résonner l’univers.

Petit enfant, ta fleur a capturé ton cœur.

Tes volcans espèrent ton retour, tranquilles.

Et quand, calmement, tu attends le voyageur,

Tu vois, ravi, les géographies fertiles.

Petit Prince ! Petit Prince !

Dessine-moi ta province.

Assoupis-toi sur les dunes

Et voltige vers la lune !

Ta fantasmagorie, tu la crées sans les grands.

Pas besoin d’adultes, tu as ton paradis—

Le cœur d’un enfant contient tous les courants.

Les bambins comme toi sont douce mélodie.

Quelquefois on est seul aussi chez les hommes.

Mais certains êtres, par leur candeur affirmée,

Offrent au vide un nouvel idiome,

Comme si tout était brusquement sublimé.

Petit Prince ! Petit Prince !

Dessine-moi ta province.

Assoupis-toi sur les dunes

Et voltige vers la lune !

Petit ange, assis face à l’horizon,

Le soleil caresse tes boucles mordorées.

Souvent, la terre pour toi se fait déraison

Et pourtant, sans cesse, tu te sens libéré.

Petit homme, tu as accueilli mon âme.

Telle une fleur, tu l’as arrosée, aimée.

Chaque jour, tu as entretenu ma flamme

Afin que je puisse moi aussi m’envoler !

Petit Prince ! Petit Prince !

Dessine-moi ta province.

Assoupis-toi sur les dunes

Et voltige vers la lune !

Ton infini, on peut bien le profaner.

Ta patrie, on peut bien la crucifier.

Mais, dans ta splendeur, tu as toujours pardonné

Ceux qui ont offensé, mêmes les écorchés.

Alors, petit prince, continue ton chemin.

Attends une autre étoile, une autre fleur.

Souris au présent pour donner foi à demain.

Les âmes d’enfant ont le rire créateur !

Petit Prince ! Petit Prince !

Dessine-moi ta province.

Assoupis-toi sur les dunes

Et voltige vers la lune !

Petit Prince,

L’essentiel,

(Ta province)

C’est le ciel !

©2006 Cendrine Marrouat

That's it for today! Thank you for reading!

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Cendrine Marrouat is a writer, photographer, podcaster, blogger, anthology editor, and the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms and A Warm Cup of Cozy. She has authored and co-authored more than 40 books, including The Train: A Short Story (2023), In Her Own Words: A Collection of Short Stories & Flashku (2022), After the Fires of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran & Alphonse de Lamartine (2021), Rhythm Flourishing: A Collection of Kindku and Sixku (2020), Walks: A Collection of Haiku (2019-2020), and In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play (2018).

Cendrine's work has appeared in many publications. She is the creator of the Sixku, Flashku, Sepigram, and Reminigram; as well as the co-creator of the Kindku, Pareiku, Vardhaku, and Hemingku.