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présents
s’immisçant de pétales en feuillages

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

s’alanguissait au souffle impérieux d’Eole

English translation:

languorous beneath the wind's command

Added to glossary by Carol Gullidge
Dec 7, 2010 14:22
13 yrs ago
French term

s’alanguissait au souffle impérieux d’Eole

French to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature flowery description of scenery
Tout a commencé pour l’auteur en ce 16 juin 2006. L’orage menaçait sur Gréoux-les-bains, une charmante cité thermale aux tuiles plates et orangées, enclavée dans son écrin de verdure provençal à quelques encablures de Manosque.

Cette terre chaude et rustique, embaumée des suavités les plus subtiles, ******s’alanguissait au souffle impérieux d’Eole****** s’immisçant de pétales en feuillages et de montagnes en vallées.

_________________

The very beginning of a lengthy foreword to a novel. Any help with actually deciphering this would be much appreciated as I'm more concerned about finding the correct meaning than about a wonderfully-crafted ready-made answer - which I'd be quite happy to do myself if I only knew what is actually being said! Not that beautiful turns of phrase ever go amiss on KudoZ, and they are a wonderful resource for the Glossary...
The next part of the sentence is also flummoxing me, but that's the subject of a separate question.

PS, in case it's not obvious, the register here is fairly high/literary

Many thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Proposed translations (English)
2 languishing beneath the wind's command
4 +1 languorous under the imperious breath of the winds
3 languid under the pressing touch of Eolus's breath
Change log

Dec 8, 2010 10:12: Stéphanie Soudais changed "Field (specific)" from "Other" to "Poetry & Literature"

Dec 14, 2010 11:14: Carol Gullidge changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/134264">Carol Gullidge's</a> old entry - "s’alanguissait au souffle impérieux d’Eole"" to ""languorous beneath the wind\'s command""

Discussion

B D Finch Dec 8, 2010:
Weather Note that this passage is describing the the scene of relative calm before a storm.
B D Finch Dec 8, 2010:
@Catherine I agree with you in principle, however classical education is currently sadly lacking in Britain. I have even come across a graduate with quite a good degree in English who found Antony and Cleopatra inaccessible.
Catherine Gilsenan Dec 8, 2010:
Aeolus I would keep the original word. It is inadvisable to presume that the reader would not want the classical reference retained. After all, it is in keeping with the poetic, descriptive register of the piece.
B D Finch Dec 7, 2010:
@Sandra Yes, sexual imagery is certainly being used here.

The god of the wind is, I think, generally spelled Aeolus in UK English and Eolus in US English. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolus
Sandra Mouton Dec 7, 2010:
It might just be me but... I think there is a very strong sexual metaphor here:
the earth is warm, balmy (here female), it gets languorous at the breath/touch of Eole/the wind (a male god), who is imperious/authoritative/bossy/brooking no argument (male characteristic in the traditional views) and insinuates everywhere inside the earth.
Well, good luck with that ;-)
Carol Gullidge (asker) Dec 7, 2010:
imperious wind of destiny does exist, but I'm not sure that it's all that convincing, and not all that many relevant g-hits. Incidentally, fwiw, near-death experience is a central theme of the novel, and the author is about to attend a conference on the subject. So "destiny" could be important. Or not!

Proposed translations

28 mins
Selected

languishing beneath the wind's command

Aeolus (Éole) is the Greek god of the winds. I think the suggestion here (and in your subsequent request) is that the town is bathed in the scents emanating from the petals and leaves through which the wind has passed.

Impériux suggests that the town has no option. Its location means that it always must smell of the scents borne on the wind, from whichever direction it blows.
Note from asker:
excellent , thank you George! This inspires something along the lines of: bending before an Aeolian wind... metaphorically of course! give or take the odd pmmission!
Omission, even!
please don't hesitate to repeat any of the above in an answer to the next question - if you have the time and inclination!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thanks so much to all of you! Every Answer has its nice points, making it very hard to choose between them, and, to be honest, I think any of these would have done the trick, given the style of the ST. A pity that more points can't be dished out! Note that I've opted for BD's "languorous", but I think Sandra's "languid" would also have worked here "
+1
1 hr

languorous under the imperious breath of the winds

Languorous, not languishing. The latter would be a faux ami here.

"s'alanguir v. pron. ...
Devenir langoureux.
4 (…) quand elle lui prenait le bras, elle se laissait aller à s'alanguir, à trébucher, pour lui mieux manifester sa confiance, son abandon, son amour."
Le Grand Robert

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Note added at 1 hr (2010-12-07 15:31:35 GMT)
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"alanguissant, ante [alɑ̃gisɑ̃, ɑ̃t] adj.
ÉTYM. xixe; p. prés. de alanguir.
v
u Rare. Qui alanguit, emplit de langueur. | « … les alanguissantes mélodies de Mendelssohn… » (P. Bourget, in T. L. F.)."
Le Grand Robert
Note from asker:
thanks Barbara, I take your point regarding languishing/languorous!
Peer comment(s):
agree SMcG (X) : hot and heavy
3 hrs
Thanks
Something went wrong...
4 days

languid under the pressing touch of Eolus's breath

Here is my probably quite clumsy take.
Note from asker:
not clumsy at all - thanks Sandra!
Something went wrong...
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