Sunsets
"One day," you said to me, "I saw the sunset forty-four times!"
And a little later you added:
"You know-- one loves the sunset, when one is so sad..."
"Were you so sad, then?" I asked, "on the day of the forty-four sunsets?"
But the little prince made no reply.
Chapter VI, Antoine de Saint Exupery, The Little Prince, Translated by Katherine Woods
-Un jour, j'ai vu le soleil se coucher quarante-trois fois!
Et un peu plus tard tu ajoutais:
-Tu sais... quand on est tellement triste on aime les couchers de soleil...
-Le jour des quarante-trois fois tu étais donc tellement triste?
Mais le petit prince ne répontit pas.
Chapter VI, Antoine de Saint Exupery, Le Petit Prince, original french text
(N.d.R. Edizione Gallimard 1946, non nell'Edizione Gallimard 1945)
Some time ago Ai Sasaki from Japan, wrote me an email asking me how many sunsets are in my books. I was surprised by the question at the beginning but something made me look. And it is true, in English translation by Mrs Katherine Woods, french word quarante-trois (43) is translated as forty-four several times. I tried to contact the Harcourt Brace & Company who helds all the copyrights to the book in US, but they wasn't able to provide me with more information. Unfortunately Mrs Woods passed away in 1968 caring this mistery with her. If you have more information, or are able to provide me with original Exupery's handwriting please contact me. (E-mail: potocnjak@prodigy.net)
- I have the Katherine Woods translated copy as well as the original Saint-Exupery copy. On page 26, chapter 6, the original says: "quarante-quatre fois!", which is 44 times and the translated version echos this by saying "fourty-four times." I see no contradiction. Maybe I have a different edition. What edition were the contradictions from? I have the 1943 Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. Edition in English and the 1971 Harcourt, Brace & Company edition in French. Roy - Latz51@aol.com
- I have a Harcourt Brace first edition in French and is has "quarante-quatre".John
Hi! I was just reading your page concerning the Little Prince and the number of sunsets. I speak and read French and checked it out! Maybe it has to do with alliteration or rhythm. You know, quarante-trois and forty-four. There was something in the flow.
Sheila - Richmond, Quebec, Canada
I am in posession of a book, in FRENCH, that says 44 sunsets on pages 26 and 27. It's yellowed pages were published in 1971 (reprinted from original 1943 version it says). Would it be possible, that one french version (perhaps mine, mind you) was translated BACK from an english or other foreign language version, thus creating the error??? Could it be that someone got confused between 19... 43 and 44 sunsets?
Timmi.
I am reading Le Petit Prince in my French class and the ook we were given says:
-Un jour, j'ai vu le soleil se coucher quarante-quatre fois!
Et un peu plus tard tu ajoutais:
-Tu sais... quand on est tellement triste on aime les couchers de soleil...
-Le jour des quarante-quatre fois tu etais donc tellement triste?
Mais le petit prince ne repondit pas.
1946: Houghton Mifflin Company, Educational edition.
S121281@aol.com
The possible meaning of 43 sunsets
As we mentioned earlier on this web site, original French text of 43 sunsets was changed in first English translation by Katherine Woods to 44 sunsets. Many argued that she did this in honor of Exupery, he was 44 when he died. But did she forget to honor something else, something Exupery wanted to be lesson in history for all of us. For unknown reason same mistake repeated in many foreign translation (have they even bother to read the original text) and new 2000 English translation of Richard Howard.
May 10, 1940 - Nazis invade France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; Winston Churchill becomes British Prime Minister.
June 22, 1940 - France signs an armistice with the Nazis.
It took 43 sunsets to conquer the home of Exupery by Nazi forces in early 1940. That is why Little Prince (Exupery) was so said on the day of the forty-third sunset. It was the last sunset of the free France. Exupery died during the WWII and never saw his country free again. After writing the book Exupery returned to Europe to fight.
Chapter VI
Oh, Little Prince! Bit by bit I came to understand the secrets of your sad little life ..."I am always thinking that I am at home!" Just so. Everybody knows that when it is noon in the United States the sun is setting over France. If you could fly to France in one minute, you could go straight into the sunset, right from noon. Unfortunately, France is too far away for that ... "One day," you said to me, "I saw the sunset forty-three times!"And a little later you added:"You know-- one loves the sunset, when one is so sad...""Were you so sad, then?" I asked, "on the day of the forty-three sunsets?"But the little prince made no reply.Note: fourty-four was changed into original Franch forty-three in this text.
E-mail: potocnjak@prodigy.net
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