twilight thieves Booz

 The Grove at twilight.

A  sinister police notice is posted in The Grove. "Cat thieves," it warns, "are working in the area. " There are a number of cats I know around here. Every time I meet one I feel that I  need to advise it to beware of strangers. But we speak different languages.

Such are wonders of You Tube and Google. The other day I draw the attention of a friend who lives in Paris  to a poem by Victor Hugo. It is well enough known in French apparently. It is based on the Bible story of Boaz and Ruth, who gleaned ears of corn in his fields. Hugo's poem is confusing to a newcomer unused to the French spelling of Boaz, which is Booz. I ask her how the name is pronounced in French. Today she emails to tell me of a video on You Tube where the poem is read by the actor Gerard Philippe. To my relief it is pronounced in two equally stressed syllables, removing once and for all the intrusive and inappropriate association with booze.