The peasant in heaven


Le petit paysan au Ciel


Once on a time a poor pious peasant died, and arrived before the gate of heaven. At the same time a very rich, rich lord came there who also wanted to get into heaven. Then Saint Peter came with the key, and opened the door, and let the great man in, but apparently did not see the peasant, and shut the door again. And now the peasant outside, heard how the great man was received in heaven with all kinds of rejoicing, and how they were making music, and singing within. At length all became quiet again, and Saint Peter came and opened the gate of heaven, and let the peasant in. The peasant, however, expected that they would make music and sing when he went in also, but all remained quite quiet; he was received with great affection, it is true, and the angels came to meet him, but no one sang. Then the peasant asked Saint Peter how it was that they did not sing for him as they had done when the rich man went in, and said that it seemed to him that there in heaven things were done with just as much partiality as on earth.
Il mourut une fois un pauvre bon paysan qui vint à la porte du paradis. En même temps mourait un riche, riche seigneur qui monta aussi au ciel. Saint Pierre arriva avec ses clefs, ouvrit la porte et fit entrer le seigneur; mais sans doute il n'avait pas vu le paysan, car il le laissa dehors et ferma la porte. Le paysan entendit la joyeuse réception que le ciel faisait au richard avec le chant et la musique. Quand le bruit se fut apaisé, saint Pierre revint et lit entrer enfin le pauvre homme. Celui-ci s'attendait qu'à son entrée le chant et la musique allaient recommencer. Mais tout resta tranquille. On le reçut de bon cœur, les anges allèrent au-devant de lui; mais personne ne chanta. Il demanda à saint Pierre pourquoi la musique n'allait pas pour lui comme pour le riche, et si la partialité régnait au ciel comme sur la terre.

Then said Saint Peter, "By no means, thou art just as dear to us as any one else, and wilt enjoy every heavenly delight that the rich man enjoys, but poor fellows like thee come to heaven every day, but a rich man like this does not come more than once in a hundred years!"
"Non," lui répondit le saint, "tu nous es aussi cher qu'aucun autre, et tu goûteras, tout comme celui qui vient d'entrer, les joies du paradis; mais vois-tu, des pauvres paysans comme toi, il en entre tous les jours ici, tandis que des riches, il n'en vient pas un tous les cent ans."