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By Francois De Malherbe by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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This poem is Longfellow's English translation of a well-known ode by 17th-century French poet François de Malherbe, directed at Cardinal Richelieu.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Core theme
Hope
The PoemFull text

By Francois De Malherbe

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Thou mighty Prince of Church and State, Richelieu! until the hour of death, Whatever road man chooses, Fate Still holds him subject to her breath. Spun of all silks, our days and nights Have sorrows woven with delights; And of this intermingled shade Our various destiny appears, Even as one sees the course of years Of summers and of winters made. Sometimes the soft, deceitful hours Let us enjoy the halcyon wave; Sometimes impending peril lowers Beyond the seaman's skill to save, The Wisdom, infinitely wise, That gives to human destinies Their foreordained necessity, Has made no law more fixed below, Than the alternate ebb and flow Of Fortune and Adversity.

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Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This poem is Longfellow's English translation of a well-known ode by 17th-century French poet François de Malherbe, directed at Cardinal Richelieu. It conveys the idea that regardless of your power or significance, life will always blend happy moments with difficult ones — joy and sorrow alternate like the seasons changing from summer to winter each year. The core message is straightforward: no one can avoid the ups and downs of fortune and struggle.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Thou mighty Prince of Church and State, / Richelieu! until the hour of death,

    Editor's note

    Longfellow begins by speaking directly to Cardinal Richelieu — the man who wields the most power in France after the king. The message is clear and somewhat shocking: even *you*, despite your immense power, aren’t immune. Fate claims every individual, regardless of their stature, until the very end of their life.

  2. Spun of all silks, our days and nights / Have sorrows woven with delights;

    Editor's note

    The weaving metaphor plays a significant role here. Life is portrayed as exquisite silk cloth — beautiful, sure, but composed of threads of both sorrow and joy intertwined. You can't remove one without loosening the other. The depiction of changing seasons (summers and winters) then drives home the same idea in simpler terms.

  3. Sometimes the soft, deceitful hours / Let us enjoy the halcyon wave;

    Editor's note

    The second stanza brings in a seafaring image. Calm and pleasant stretches of life are described as 'deceitful' because they trick you into believing the danger has passed. 'Halcyon' retains its classical sense of peaceful, windless seas. However, storms are on the horizon — 'impending peril lowers' — and no sailor's skill can guarantee the ship's safety.

  4. The Wisdom, infinitely wise, / That gives to human destinies

    Editor's note

    The poem concludes by connecting everything to a divine or cosmic order. An all-knowing Wisdom (whether you think of it as God, Providence, or Fate—the poem leaves that a bit ambiguous) has woven the cycle of fortune and adversity into the fabric of existence. This is referred to as a 'fixed law,' as dependable and inevitable as the tides. The last couplet states this law simply: Fortune and Adversity ebb and flow, endlessly.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is measured, formal, and resigned—but not defeated. It carries a stoic calm, reflecting the voice of someone who has embraced a hard truth and is now sharing it. Addressing Richelieu introduces a subtle edge: even the powerful are reminded of their limits. The silk and sea imagery prevents it from feeling cold or preachy, keeping it rooted in sensory experience.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Woven silk
The image of days and nights 'spun of all silks,' with sorrows woven into delights, captures the intertwined nature of joy and suffering in human life. You can't have one without the other — they’re both part of the same tapestry.
Seasons (summer and winter)
The changing of the seasons symbolizes the unavoidable ups and downs of life. Just as we don’t experience endless summer in a year, we also don’t live in constant happiness—this rhythm is part of the natural order.
The sea and the halcyon wave
Calm seas symbolize times of comfort and enjoyment, whereas the storm signifies unexpected threats and challenges. The sea is described as 'deceitful' because its tranquility is fleeting — a reminder to stay alert and not get too comfortable during peaceful moments.
The ebb and flow of tides
The tidal metaphor in the final lines portrays Fortune and Adversity as natural, rhythmic forces — not arbitrary punishments, but a constant law of existence that no one, not even Richelieu, can escape.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
iambic tetrameter
Rhyme
ABABCCDDEE ABABCCDDEE

§07Historical context

Historical context

François de Malherbe (1555–1628) was the top court poet in France during his time, known for bringing a sense of classical order and restraint to French poetry. He originally wrote an ode for a powerful nobleman, which has become one of the most quoted lines expressing stoic acceptance in French literature. Longfellow translated this ode as part of his deep interest in European poetry; he was a professor of modern languages at Harvard and translated works from French, Spanish, Italian, and German. His translation comes from the mid-19th century, a time when American readers had limited access to French poetry, and Longfellow viewed himself as a cultural bridge. The poem was addressed to Cardinal Richelieu, who was chief minister to Louis XIII and the most influential political figure in France from the 1620s until his death in 1642 — making the reminder of Fate's power over even him particularly striking.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

Who is Richelieu and why is the poem addressed to him?

Cardinal Richelieu served as the chief minister of France under King Louis XIII in the early 17th century—effectively the second most powerful figure in the country, though often wielding the most power in practice. Malherbe addresses him to emphasize a key point: if even someone so formidable cannot avoid the ups and downs of fortune, then no one can. This strengthens the poem's argument significantly.

What does 'halcyon wave' mean?

'Halcyon' originates from Greek mythology, where the halcyon bird was believed to nest on tranquil seas, with the gods calming the winds for its sake. Over time, 'halcyon' evolved to refer to any time of peace and joy. In this context, it highlights those moments in life when everything seems serene and pleasant—yet the poem quickly cautions us that these moments are 'deceitful' because they are fleeting.

What is the main message of the poem?

The poem suggests that life inevitably swings between good luck and hardship — similar to the changing seasons or the movement of tides. Everyone, regardless of their strength or intelligence, must face tough times along with the good. Embracing this reality is portrayed as a form of wisdom.

Did Longfellow write this poem or just translate it?

Longfellow translated it from the French of François de Malherbe. The ideas, images, and structure belong to Malherbe; Longfellow's role was to turn them into smooth English verse. As a professor of modern languages, he translated a significant amount of European poetry during his career.

Why does the poem call the calm hours 'deceitful'?

Because they can deceive you into believing the danger has vanished for good. When the sea is calm and life feels easy, it's easy to assume it will always remain that way. The poem cautions that this is an illusion — the storm can always return, and ignoring that leaves you unready.

What does the weaving/silk image mean?

It portrays human life as a piece of cloth made from two types of thread — sorrow and delight — intertwined. The key takeaway is that you can’t pull them apart. A life filled only with joy isn’t an option; the tough moments are woven into the same fabric as the positive ones.

Is the poem religious?

It hints at a divine order — "The Wisdom, infinitely wise" seems to point to God or Providence — but remains intentionally vague. The focus isn't so much on worship as it is on acknowledging a cosmic law that applies to everyone equally, whether they believe or not.

What poetic form does the poem use?

Each stanza consists of ten lines that follow a roughly iambic tetrameter and maintain a consistent rhyme scheme. This regular structure reflects the poem's argument: just as the meter maintains a steady and predictable rhythm, Fortune and Adversity also alternate in a steady and predictable manner.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "By Francois De Malherbe." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/by-francois-de-malherbe-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/.

APA

Longfellow, H. W. (n.d.). By francois de malherbe. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/by-francois-de-malherbe-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

Longfellow's translation of Malherbe constructs Fortune not as a capricious goddess but as a structural principle embedded in existence itself; the very fabric of time, like seasons, is built from alternation, and human beings cannot opt …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
  • Common student errors
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