Le Bonheur Dans La Richesse by Sappho

The poem suggests that having wealth alone doesn't lead to genuine happiness. Gold is great—it's lasting, a gift from above, and a catalyst for human ingenuity—but without virtue and noble character, it can lead to shame. True happiness arises from being both wealthy and morally good.

No. Sappho wrote in ancient Greek. These French texts are translations or adaptations of her works (or those linked to her tradition), translated into French verse — a common practice in early modern Europe to make classical poets accessible to French-speaking readers.

Pélagon is a fisherman, and after his father Ménisque passed away, he hung up his son's nets and oar in memory of him. Beyond this, we don't know much else about Pélagon — the poem serves as an epitaph, a brief inscription designed to commemorate and honor a life.

Hanging up the tools of a deceased person's trade was a genuine funerary custom in the ancient world. It expressed the sentiment that this person's work has come to an end, and we honor their contributions. The nets and oar serve as a form of grave marker that reflects who Pélagon was.

It means that while Pélagon's accomplishments were modest — simply the everyday tasks of a fisherman — they were done with dignity, and that dignity is what makes them memorable. The term noble in this context refers to character, not social status.

They create a subtle moral duo. The first poem argues that the best life is one that balances wealth with virtue. The second poem depicts a man who possessed neither wealth nor fame, only hard work and honest labor — yet his life is deemed noble. Together, they imply that character and dignity hold greater value than material wealth.

In a classical Greek context, this would refer to Zeus, the king of the gods. In a French Christian interpretation, it could just as easily mean God. Either way, describing gold as a divine gift raises the notion of wealth from just being desirable to something approved by the highest authority.

Both poems feature regular rhyming quatrains with alternating rhyme schemes (ABAB), a common format for French verse translations of classical texts. This consistency makes them feel like polished maxims or inscriptions—memorable and straightforward in their expression.