CHAPTER IX.

LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE.

There are two languages spoken in Hayti, French and Creole. French is the language of public life and of literature, whilst Creole is the language of home and of the people. President Geffrard, among other eccentricities, used to extol the Creole as the softest and most expressive of languages, and his countrymen are unanimously of his opinion; but no Frenchman can accept as a language this uncouth jargon of corrupt French in an African form.

No doubt, African languages, like those of other savages, are very simple in their construction, and the negroes imported into Hayti learned French words and affixed them to the forms of their own dialects. Mr. J. J. Thomas of Trinidad has published a very painstaking grammar of the Creole language as spoken in that island. I gather from it that this patois is much the same as that spoken in Hayti; but in our colony it holds the position of the Saxon in the Norman period, and interpreters are required in our law-courts to explain the language of the people. It shows also that in the French colonies of Martinique and Guadaloupe, as in our French-speaking colonies, wherever the negroes attempt to speak French, they do so in the same way that the Creole is spoken in Hayti. I may add that the patois of the inhabitants of the interior is so corrupt and African, that those who can converse freely with the negroes of the coast are often puzzled when they visit the mountains, and require an interpreter.

As this Creole language is spoken by about a million and a half of people in the different islands of the West Indies, it merits the attention which Mr. Thomas has bestowed upon it; and I would refer those curious on the subject to this elaborate work, in which everything possible is done to raise the status of a patois which remains still, in my opinion, but an uncouth jargon.

There is naturally no Creole literature, but there are many songs and proverbs, some of which may serve to show the kind of language spoken by the Haytians.

The only songs which I can quote are written by persons familiar with the French language, and therefore do not sufficiently represent the pure Creole. The proverbs, however, are genuine, and are therefore the reflex of popular ideas.

Moreau de St. Méry, who lived in Hayti during the latter part of last century, quotes a song written about the year 1750, which, though often reprinted, I will insert here, with a translation made by a Creole some years later. St. Méry has all Geffrard’s admiration for the Creole language, and thinks that the inarticulate sounds, which cannot be rendered on paper, are the most admirable part of the language of the Haytians, and perhaps it may be so:—

Creole.French.
Lisette quitté la plaine,Lisette tu fuis la plaine,
Mon perdi bonheur à moué,Mon bonheur s’est envolé,
Gié à moin semblé fontaine,Mes pleurs en doubles fontaines
Dipi mon pas miré toué.Sur tous tes pas out coulé.
La jour quand mon coupé canne,Le jour moissonnant la canne
Mon songé zamour à moué,Je rêve à tes doux appas,
La nuit quand mon dans cabaneUn songe dans ma cabane
Dans dromi mon quimbé toué.La nuit te met dans mes bras.
Si to allé à la villeTu trouveras à la ville
Ta trouvé geine candio,Plus d’un jeune freluquet,
Qui gagné pour trompé filleLeur bouche avec art distille
Bouche doux passé sirop.Un miel doux mais plein d’apprêt.
To va crér yo bin sincèreTu croiras leur cœur sincère,
Pendant quior yo coquin ho,Leur cœur ne veut que tromper:
C’est serpent qui contrefaireLe serpent sait contrefaire
Crié rat, pour tromper yo.Le rat qu’il veut dévorer.
Dipi mon perdi Lisette,Mes pas loin de ma Lisette
Mon pas souchié Calenda,S’éloignent du Calenda,
Mon quitté bram bram sonnette,Et ma ceinture à sonnette
Mon pas batte bamboula.Languit sur mon bamboula.
Quand mon contré lant’ négresseMon œil de toute autre belle
Mon pas gagné gié pour li,N’aperçoit plus le souris,
Mon pas souchié travail pièceLe travail en vain m’appelle
Tout qui chose à moin mourri.Mes sens sont anéantis.
Mon maigre tant com ’guon souche,Je péris comme la souche,
Jambe à moin tant comme roseau,Ma jambe n’est qu’un roseau,
Mangé na pas doux dans bouche,Nul mets ne plaît à ma bouche,
Tafia même c’est comme dyo.La liqueur se change en eau.
Quand mon songé toué Lisette,Quand je songe à toi, Lisette,
Dyo toujours dans gié moin,Mes yeux s’inondent de pleurs,
Magner moin vini trop bêteMa raison, lente et distraite,
A force chagrin magné moin.Cède en tout à mes douleurs.
Liset’ mon tardé nouvelle,Mais est-il bien vrai, ma belle,
To compté bintôt tourné,Dans pen tu dois revenir:
Vini donc toujours fidèle,Ah! reviens toujours fidèle,
Miré bon, passé tandé.Croire est moins doux que sentir.
N’a pas tardé davantage,Ne tarde pas d’avantage,
To fair moin assez chagrin,C’est pour moi trop de chagrin,
Mon tant com ’zozo dans cage,Viens retirer de sa cage
Quand yo fair li mouri faim.L’oiseau consumé de faim.

It will readily be remarked that every word is a corruption of a French one, and as no standard of spelling can exist in what may be called an unwritten language, every writer has a distinct system of representing Creole sounds. The seductive beauty of this language can only be for the initiated, as the beauty of the native women is rarely remarked except by those who have made a long voyage, and have almost forgotten what beauty is. The versified translation of the song does not give an exact idea of the construction of the Creole sentence, I may therefore insert one verse with an interlined literal translation:—

Lisette, quitté la plaine,

Lisette, quitta la plaine,

Mon perdi bonheur à moué,

Je perdis mon bonheur,

Gié à moin semblé fontaine

Mes yeux semblaient une fontaine

Dipi mon pas miré toué.

Depuis je ne te vois pas.

La jour quand mon coupé canne

Le jour quand je coupe la canne

Mon songé zamour à moué;

Je pense à mes amours;

La nuit quand mon dans cabane

La nuit quand je suis dans ma cabane

Dans dromi mon quimbé toué.

Dans un songe je te tiens.

It is very difficult to find any very definite rules of grammar in this song—

Lisette quitté (Lisette has left or left),Past.
Mon coupé canne (I cut the cane),Present.
Si to allé (if thou shouldst go),Subjunctive.
Ta trouvé (thou wilt find),Future.
Qui gagné (who possess),Present.

Absolutely the same form is preserved in all tenses and moods, and in conversation various expedients are adopted to render the meaning clear.

A. M. L’Hérison, a Haytian, has written a song, which is quoted in Mr. Thomas’s grammar, and as it represents the cultivated Creole of the present day, it is worth while inserting it:—

Badinez bien avec Macaque.

Grand ’maman moïn dit: nans Guinée

Grand mouché rassemblé youn jour

Toute pêpe li contré nan tournée

Et pis li parlé sans détour:

Quand zôt allez foncer nan raque

Connain coûment grand moune agi

Badinez bien avec Macaque,

Mais na pas magnié queue à li

Grand ’maman moïn, dit moïn bon qui chose

Lô li prend bon coup malavoume.

Li dit moin you ça, “Mourose,”

Nan tout ’grand zaffaires faut dit “Houme”

Mais peut-on flanqué moin youn claque

On pilôt terminer ainsi;

Badinez bien avec Macaque

Mais na pas magnié queue à li.

To get the true ring of popular Creole it is necessary to examine their proverbs. M. J. J. Audain, a well-known Haytian, whose first literary efforts brought him into trouble, has published a collection which is very complete.[19] As Hayti becomes older as a nation and loses its French element, we may have a distinct Creole literature. There are many proverbs in M. Audain’s collection that would be quite incomprehensible to an untravelled Frenchman:—

The following are easy enough to understand:—

Some are so simple that they do not require translation, as—

M. Audain’s collection contains one thousand and eleven proverbs; they are constantly quoted by the people, who interlard their conversations with them as much as ever Sancho Panza did. When speaking of a very talkative person, they say, “Bouche li pas gagné dimanche” (his mouth has no Sunday or day of rest).

It is scarcely necessary to multiply specimens of Creole proverbs or translations. The former certainly convey a better idea of the language spoken by the negroes than the latter, though, as written, it is much more easily understood than when it is spoken. The negroes appear often to clip their sentences, and leave it to the intelligence of the hearer to divine their meaning.

Official documents are always written in French, more or less correct; it is therefore unnecessary to refer particularly to them; but I may remark that they have a set stock of phrases which are constantly repeated. I will, however, quote a short official letter which amused us.

A Haytian had committed, or was supposed to have committed, a crime, and instead of being arrested and tried, he was ordered to be banished. The letter addressed to him was as follows:—

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.
République d’Haïti.

No. 392.

Quartier-Général de Port-au-Prince,
Le 30 Avril 1867,
An 64ᵉ de l’Independance.

Le Général de Division, Chef d’éxécution de la volonté du peuple souvrain, et de ses résolutions, et Vice-Président du Governement Provisoire,

Au Citoyen Jules C——.

Monsieur,—Dès la présente reçue, vous aurez à chercher une occasion pour les plages étrangères, afin que vous partiez du pays qui a reconnu en vous l’homme qui cherche à pervertir la société haïtienne.—Je vous salue.

(Signed) V. Chevalier, G.

This Monsieur Chevalier had been educated in France, and was shrewdly suspected of having had a hand in drawing up the Acte de déchéance launched by the revolutionary committee of St. Marc in 1867 against President Geffrard. Amongst the different articles are the following:—

“Attendu que le Général F. Geffrard assassine et empoisonne les citoyens les plus éminents d’Haïti: attendu qu’il entretient à l’étranger un très grand nombre d’espions et d’empoisonneurs à un prix exorbitant: attendu que toutes les écoles de filles de la république, notamment celles de Port-au-Prince, ont pour maîtresses des femmes d’une vie dissolue, afin de faire de ces établissements des maisons de séduction à son profit,” &c., &c.

A Frenchman inquired, “Etait-il indispensable pour incriminer Geffrard sur ce dernier chapître de faire tort à toutes les demoiselles du pays?”

Among the most remarkable works published in Port-au-Prince may be noticed the History of Hayti by Thomas Madiou (clear mulatto). As it was written in the republic by a Haytian for Haytians, it may be judged from that point of view. I have read it with great care and with considerable interest, and some of the descriptions have been much admired, as the detailed account of the attacks of the French on the Crête-à-Pierrot. As an historical production it is a work of considerable value and merit, for although full of prejudiced statements, and with a strong leaning against foreigners, there is, as far as local politics are concerned, an apparent desire to be impartial. This, however, is not the general opinion. St. Rémy, in his Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture, speaking of Madiou’s history, says, “Du reste qu’il soit dit en passant que tout le livre de Monsieur Madiou n’est qu’un tissu de faits érronés et de fausses appréciations.” The French condemn it as a false account of the war of independence, and resent the implied defence of Dessalines’ massacres. His partiality may be proved by his asserting that the French Governor Blanchelande was the instigator of the black insurrection. Madiou wrote his history whilst in Hayti, and after searching for materials among the old survivors of the war, whose prejudices were still warm. No doubt he was influenced by them, but the industry shown is undoubted. The friends and admirers of Toussaint had, however, a right to complain of the evident wish to depreciate the qualities of almost the only black Haytian who rose above mediocrity.

Occasionally M. Madiou’s style is very extravagant, as in the description of a battle (see below[20]) which took place between the coloured men of Jacmel and their black antagonists. Never was there such desperate fighting since the days when—

“For Witherington needs must I wayle,

As one in doleful dumps,

For when his legs were smitten off,

He fought upon his stumps.”

M. Madiou is a mulatto, who has played a prominent part in the history of his country, and his leanings are evidently in favour of his own colour, and, as I have observed, he is severe on Toussaint L’Ouverture for his endeavours to crush the attempts at independent command made by Rigaud.

Another work of inestimable value for the students of Haytian history is the one written by M. Beaubrun-Ardouin (fair mulatto). It is entitled “Études sur l’Histoire d’Haïti.” M. Ardouin attempted to collect in this work all the documents that could illustrate the history of his country, and, at the time of his death, ten volumes had already been published. He was for many years Haytian Minister in Paris, which gave him full opportunities for examining the French archives. I only knew him slightly; he was evidently a man of talent and industry, but as he was justly credited with a prejudice against the whites, he was generally avoided by them.

A Monsieur St. Rémy of Les Cayes wrote a Life of Toussaint, which is but a poor production, and is full of prejudice and virulence against both black and white.

A Frenchman, M. Edgar la Selve, has published a work called “L’Histoire de la Littérature Haïtienne.” It is a volume of some interest, containing as it does a collection of poetry written by natives, but it is considered to be inferior in point of style and extravagant in its appreciations. When you find M. La Selve ranking the crude productions of a rude school with the writings of the most distinguished among ancient and modern authors, one may readily feel that this work is an offering to the vanity of acquaintances.

It is to be regretted that a person like M. La Selve should have undertaken this task, as, instead of real criticism, which might have proved of value, he puffs up the vanity and presumption of Haytian writers by such observations as the following:—“Rapelle l’invotion de Pindare”—“La grande éloquence et la magnificence des images”—“Sa plume magique”—“La délicatesse de Charles Dovalle combinée avec la grâce de Lamartine”—“Le nom modestement glorieux”—“Esprit vraiment prodigieux et universel”—“Trois génies supérieurs”—“Cet autre Augustin Thierry”—“Comparer aux dialogues de Platon.”

What more could be said of the best classics? No wonder this work was unable to command any attention.

In the collection of poetry, it will be noticed that although there are some very pretty verses, there are none of any remarkable merit. It is not a special literature; there is seldom much local colouring: it is rather a reflection of French productions where Lamartine holds the place of honour.

It has been remarked by a French critic that the further we recede from the time of the Declaration of Independence the worse the poetry. The expressions become less exact, the phraseology common, the style incorrect, with less cadence in the verses. The versification is seldom accurate throughout any of these poems. It is but another proof of what I have elsewhere stated, that Hayti is in a state of decay.

I may mention a few pieces that have struck a French friend as being among the best. I prefer his judgment to my own, as I am one of those who believe that no one can appreciate fully the poetry of another nation; but as, in this case, my own opinion agrees with that of my friend, I can take the responsibility of the judgment.

Coriolan Ardouin (mulatto) has written a very charming piece called “Alaïda,” beginning thus:—

“Sur la natte de jonc qu’aucun souci ne ronge,

Ses petits bras croisés sur un cœur de cinq ans,

Alaïda someille, heureuse, et pas un songe

Qui tourmente ses jeunes sens.”

There is no local colour in this sonnet beyond, perhaps, the natte de jonc. Only in the tropics are children to be seen sleeping on mats.

Dupré has written a patriotic hymn which might pass muster among many others of the same kind. It closes with the following ferocious sentiment:—

“Si, quelque jour, sur tes rives

Osent venir nos tyrans,

Que leurs hordes fugitives

Servent d’engrais à nos champs.”

Pierre Faubert (mulatto) has written several pieces which might be quoted:—

La Negresse.

Le suis fier de te dire, O négresse, je t’aime,

Et la noir couleur me plaît, sais-tu pourquoi?

C’est que nobles vertus, chaste cœur, beauté même

Sont ce qui charme enfin, le ciel a mis en toi.

These lines might have been addressed to the pretty negress of Pétionville of whom I have elsewhere spoken.

Another, “Aux Haïtiens,” is an appeal to union among blacks and coloured.

There is a pretty song by Milscent (mulatto), in the style of Béranger, commencing:—

“J’entends en mainte occasion

Prêcher contre l’ambition;

Mon âme en est ravie—(bis.)

Mais ceux qui nous parlent si bien

Regorgent d’honneurs et de biens

Cela me contrarie”—(bis.)

Ignace Nau (mulatto) contributes a very attractive piece called “Le ‘Ttchit’ et l’Orage:”—

“Voici, voici l’orage,

Là bas dans le nuage;

Voici le vent, le vent

Tourbillonnant au champ,

Et disant au feuillage

Repliez votre ombrage.

Au lac, à ses bambous,

‘Roulez, agitez vous.’

Au parfum ses délices

‘Refermez vos calices;’

Au palmier haut dans l’air,

‘Gardez-vous de l’éclair.’

Pauvre tchit égaré, chétif oiseau des champs!

Le mont a disparu sous les rideaux de pluie.

Hâte-toi, cher oiseau; viens t’abriter du temps,

Déjà l’eau du lac est ternie.”

And many more verses equally good.

Perhaps the most poetic piece in the collection is that written by a Haïtienne, Virginie Sampeur, “L’Abandonnée,” which I will quote entire:—

“Ah! si vous étiez mort, de mon âme meurtrie,

ferais une tombe, où, retraite chérie,

Mes larmes couleraient lentement, sans remords:

Que votre image en moi resterait radieuse.

Ah! si vous étiez mort.[21]

Je ferai de mon cœur l’urne mélancolique

Conservant du passé la suave rélique,

Comme ces coffres d’or qui gardent les parfumes;

Je ferais de mon âme une riche chapelle

Où toujours brillerait la dernière étincelle

De mes espoirs défunts.

Ah! si vous étiez mort, votre éternel silence

Moins âpre qu’en ce jour aurait son éloquence,

Car ce ne serait plus le cruel abandon.

Je dirais, il est mort, mais il sait bien m’entendre;

Et peut-être en mourant n’a-t-il peut se defendre

De murmurer:—Pardon.

Mais vous n’êtes pas mort! Oh! douleur sans mesure,

Regret qui fait jaillir le sang de ma blessure:

Je ne puis m’empêcher, moi, de me souvenir,

Même quand vous restez devant mes larmes vraies

Sec et froid, sans donner à mes profondes plaies

L’aumône d’un soupir.

Ingrat! vous vivez donc, quand tout me dit vengeance!

Mais je n’écoute pas! à defaut d’espérance

Une fantôme d’idole est mon unique port,

Illusion, folie, ou vain rêve de femme,

Je vous aimerais tant, si vous n’étiez qu’un âme.

Ah! que n’êtes vous mort.”

There is something superior in the tone and sentiment of this piece, the only one of the author that M. La Selve publishes. I may notice that Virginie Sampeur is a lady of colour. As she is still living, I will only add that her poem tells her own story. As a rule, these Haytian poets express fairly well all tender sentiments, but they are wanting in a careful literary education, and they have not a very exact appreciation of the genius of the French language.

In miscellaneous literature there are many publications of merit. Emile Nau wrote an interesting book called “Histoire de Casiques,” although a critic might fail to discover in it “une mine immense d’érudition.” It is seldom that a Haytian writer dedicates himself to anything useful, so that the efforts of Eugène Nau to bring superior agriculture into vogue have a double merit. He is best known for his two productions, “L’influence de l’Agriculture sur la Civilisation des Peuples” and his “Flore Indienne.” I knew Eugène Nau very well. He was married to a very charming woman, a sister of Auguste Elie, and no one who has passed a few days at their estate in the plains of Cul-de-Sac will ever forget the pleasant gaiety that reigned in that house. Civil war has, however, devastated that portion of the country, and I fear that even the inexhaustible spirits of Eugène Nau will scarcely be able to bear him through such accumulated misfortunes. The small diplomatic corps were ever welcome guests at Digneron, and I recall with pleasure the evenings spent there with my French and Spanish colleagues. He had a fund of intelligence and good sense; and his steady advocacy of a metallic currency did honour to his perspicacity.

As might have been anticipated, the black portion of the population has shown no literary aptitudes. Occasionally an Edmond Paul has written a political essay which has fallen flat, or a Salomon has indited a vigorous defence of his policy; but, as a rule, the coloured portion of the population has produced the historians and poets of Hayti.