The virtue of a woman

A poem by F. Schiller translated by JM Rakotolahy

THE VIRTUE OF A WOMAN

 

A man needs virtues

If he wants to throw himself daringly into life,

If he wants to face the better fortune in a doubtful battle.

 

One virtue is enough to the woman.

It is in herself, it is lovingly obvious to the heart,

It appears lovingly to the eye, all the time!

Author's Note

suggestion of improvement welcome

Reviews

[x]

This is cute. Simple and sweet. Nice to know that a man thinks of such things from time to time. You captured something quite special here and tinkering won't improve it as it is often in that first glance of thought that a truth is lassoed. Well done and much appreciated.

[Ed Hart]

you should meet two or three of my former wives...in fact, I can arrange it...

[None]

I believe you capture the essence being each woman has their own special virtue to offer. A woman may keep her virtues hidden to see what man will take the time to get to know her and find out. Many are in a hurry and think they know a woman right away. You bring up many speculations with this tender and beautiful poem.

[Ani Ashford]

I like the spare use of your words - direct, and in a way that very daring aspect of which you speak. The symbolic virility of language on a page to reflect the aspects of the male human even in speaking of women. Ahhh... generalities become dogma in our world.

As a woman I relate to your second stanzas. Though to be 'the woman who is lovingly obvious to the heart' is also a complex matter. I note the 'appears'. :) Nothing is as it appears, as we often know. It is also the aspect that love cannot be 'direct' as hard and fast 'virtues' often dictated by religion, society and culture, though the majority of the world would think so. Even within those niches of work, play, comraderie, dogma - then there is the world of love which is so often a feared enigma to men who look for hard and fast hallmarks of success to measure themselves by.

I like your writing and will read more.
Thank you.

[Blackbirdsong]

I love what you have here, but I wish you'd tell us what the virtues are you're talking about. "Appearing lovingly" is beautifully written, but it doesn't tell me exactly what you're talking about. Just the same this piece has a certain quiet grace to it that I found quite appealing.

[Antonionioni]

I wouldn't be so bold! Thanks for reviewing me. I know what you mean - I have to forgive my wife all the time but she is so gorgeous. I am not worthy!

[Deborah Shepard]

Loved it ..

[Kara Emily Krantz]

well, you might want to fix the typo in the title, hehe but you might have already done this by the time I press the "submit review" button.

"A man needs virtues
If he wants to throw himself daringly into life,
If he wants to face the better fortune in a doubtful battle."

i love the "throw himself daringly into life" - that's beautifully put.


"One virtue is enough to the woman.
It is in herself, it is lovingly obvious to the heart,
It appears lovingly to the eye, all the time!"

is it necessary to use the two 'lovingly"s in the same verse? I suppose if he used the same words twice, then that makes sense. it just reads a little strangely. but i really like this piece. the "it is in herself" - nicely put :)