Totton U3A French Language Group

At John and Sheila's today the last day of August. Myra went through a copied page taken from a school magazine all about the joys of camping and travelling with horses for teenagers.

Afterwards after John's very tempting chocolate/fudge biscuits we listened to Coffee Break French

Met at Pat's and Geoff started off by reading a poem he had constructed about a family of dancing frogs who were not aware that somebody had taken their legs to eat at least I think that was what it was about. Very good effort though most impressed. Myra brought in some very old magazines from her youth and we paired up to read selected parts. Afterwards we listened once again to Coffee Break French.

Ray and Junes today, Myra went over the adjectives that are the exception and precede the noun then she read out her long poem that was the result of waiting for transport as she made the long journey to see her mother-in-law of 97.
We then all had a go of reading it out. After refreshments we listened to Coffee Break French 74.

An amusing morning cheznous Myra got all of us to join in singing the well known stirring French song La Mer. We played the original to give us the tune and we were not so bad. Sally tried to tempt Mike to join her singing group as he was so good.
Myra translated the words into English to make a better interpretation than the one I downloaded.changing White Sheep to White Horses but did it mean clouds?
After biscuits and drink we listened to 73 of Coffee Break French.

At Myra's today and once again we attempted to read and appreciate medeval poetry - well Myra likes it - going by Myra's interpretation it is the story of an old rake, not the garden variety, using his charm to bring about the downfall of a young maiden.

"Ode a Cassandre
Mignonne, allons voir si la rose
Qui ce matin avoit declose
Sa robe de pourpre au Soleil,
A point perdu cette vespree (old spelling for vepree)
Les plis de sa robe pourpree,
Et son teint au votre pareil.
Las ! voyez comme en peu d'espace,
Mignonne, elle a dessus la place
Las ! las ses beautes laisse choir !
6 vraiment maratre Nature,
Puis qu'une telle fleur ne dure
Que du matin jusques au soir ! (old way for
jusqu'au)
Done, si vous me croyez, mignonne,
Tandis que votre age fleuronne En sa plus verte nouveaute, Cueillez, cueillez votrejeunesse : Comme a cette fleur la vieillesse Fera ternir votre beaute.
Sweetheart, let's see if the rose
That this morning had open
Her crimson dress to the Sun,
This evening hasn't lost
The folds of her crimson dress,
And her complexion similar to yours.
Ah! See how in such short space
My sweetheart, she has on this very spot
All her beauties lost!
O, so un-motherly Nature,
Since such a beautiful flower
Only last from dawn to dusk!
So if you believe me, my sweetheart,
While time still flowers for you,
In its freshest novelty,
Do take advantage of your youthful bloom:
As it did to this flower, the doom
Of age will blight your beauty.