Mignonne, allons voir si la rose

I dedicate this beautiful and romantic poem by Pierre de Ronsard to you. We all know life is fleeting, but sometimes we're so distracted by daily life that we forget to enjoy or even notice the small things in life. Seize every opportunity and live life to the fullest. Carpe diem. Bisou bisou.

Mignonne, allons voir si la rose

Qui ce matin avoit desclose

Sa robe de pourpre au Soleil,

A point perdu ceste vesprée

Les plis de sa robe pourprée,

Et son teint au vostre pareil.

Las ! voyez comme en peu d'espace,

Mignonne, elle a dessus la place

Las ! las ses beautez laissé cheoir !

Ô vrayment marastre Nature,

Puis qu'une telle fleur ne dure

Que du matin jusques au soir !

Donc, si vous me croyez, mignonne,

Tandis que vostre âge fleuronne

En sa plus verte nouveauté,

Cueillez, cueillez vostre jeunesse :

Comme à ceste fleur la vieillesse

Fera ternir vostre beauté.

Sweetheart, let us see if the rose

that only this morning unfolded

its scarlet dress in the sun

has lost, at vesper-time,

the folds of its scarlet dress

and its colour, so like yours.

Alas! See how rapidly,

Sweetheart, she has let

her beauty fall all over the place!

Nature is truly a cruel stepmother

when such a flower only lasts

from dawn to dusk!

So if you hear me,

Sweetheart, while your age flowers

in its greenest newness,

gather, gather your youth.

Age will tarnish your beauty

as it has faded this flower.

Ode à Cassandre by Pierre de Ronsard, 1553