The Sower
by Victor Hugo · translated by Toru Dutt
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'The Sower' is Toru Dutt's English translation of Victor Hugo's French poem. Sitting in a cool porchway at dusk, the poet watches the sunlight dying and twilight taking over as working hours end. Yet one old sower, dressed in rags, patiently lingers in the fields, scattering precious grain to and fro. His black silhouette dominates the deep furrows; though he has known many poor harvests, he sows with unshaken optimism, sure that a time to reap will come. As darkness deepens, his gestures appear to the poet 'august' and strange, and his tall figure seems to touch the starry skies. The poem is a moving tribute to the dignity of labour, patience and hope.
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'The Sower' is Toru Dutt's translation of Victor Hugo's 'Saison des Semailles: Le Soir'. It presents a simple evening scene, an old farmer sowing seed at dusk, and transforms it into a noble image of hope, patience and the dignity of honest work.
Dusk in the fields
The poet sits in a cool porchway watching the sunlight dying fast as twilight hastens to rule; the working hours have well-nigh passed and shadows run across the land. Yet a lone sower still lingers, old, dressed in rags, but standing patient. Watching him, the poet 'feels a thrill'.
The patient, optimistic sower
The sower's black, high silhouette dominates the deep furrows. Though it is late, he sets himself to the task of sowing, confident that 'soon shall come a time to reap.' He marches to and fro across the plain, scattering the precious grain wide from his hands. The poet muses admiringly as he watches him stride, for the sower embodies faith in the future despite hardship.
An august figure against the sky
As darkness deepens and the light fades, the sower's simple gestures come to seem 'august and strange' to the poet's eyes, and his tall figure seems to 'touch the starry skies.' The humble labourer is thus raised to a heroic, almost divine stature, a symbol of dignified toil, perseverance and unquenchable optimism.