Hortense wrote these words a year after the physical demise of Napoleon.

I’ve been translating a book about Hortense’s banishment from France and the problems politics was causing her.

Here we have some words written by Hortense to shade the narrative.

Adjustments.jpeg


Ton écorce n’a plus d’odeur / Ta feuille hélas paraît flétrir / Bel arbre d’où vient ta langueur / Je ne suis plus dans ma patrie


Your bark has no smell / Your leaf alas seems to wither / Beautiful tree why do you languor / I'm no longer in my homeland.