CLEANTHES: To gossip seems to be a human need;
Our best protection is to pay no heed.
Let’s live in innocence as best we may,
And let the gossipmongers have their say.[Contre la médisance il n’est point de rempart.
À tous les sots caquets n’ayons donc nul égard;
Efforçons-nous de vivre avec toute innocence,
Et laissons aux causeurs une pleine licence.]Molière (1622-1673) French playwright, actor [stage name for Jean-Baptiste Poquelin]
Tartuffe, or the Hypocrite [Le Tartuffe, ou L’Imposteur], Act 1, sc. 1 (1669) [tr. Frame (1967)]
(Source)
(Source (French)). Alternate translations:There's no guarding against Calumny: Let us therefore not mind silly tittle-tattle, and let's endeavour to live innocently our selves, and leave the gossiping part of Mankind to say what they please.
[tr. Clitandre (1672)]There is no protection against slander. Let us, therefore, pay no regard to all this silly tittle-tattle; let us endeavour to live honestly, and leave the gossips to say what they please.
[tr. Van Laun (1876)]There is no safeguard against calumny. Let us, therefore, not mind all that foolish gossip, but only endeavour to lead a virtuous life, and leave full licence to the scandal-mongers.
[tr. Wall (1879)]There is no defence against calumny. So let us not mind foolish tittle-tattle, and let us endeavour to live innocently, and leave the gossips to say what they please.
[tr. Mathew (1890)]There is not any protection against slander. Do not let us pay any attention to foolish gossip, but endeavour to live honestly and leave the scandal-mongers to say what they will.
[tr. Waller (1903)]Against backbiting there is no defence
So let us try to live in innocence,
To silly tattle pay no heed at all,
And leave the gossips free to vent their gall.
[tr. Page (1909)]There is no wall so high it shuts out slander.
So let's not give a thought to silly gossip,
And let us try to live in innocence,
And let the talkers talk just as they please.
[tr. Bishop (1957)]One can't fight slander; it's a losing battle;
Let us instead ignore their tittle-tattle.
Let's strive to live by conscience' clear decrees,
And let the gossips gossip as they please.
[tr. Wilbur (1963)]There is nothing that can hold back gossip.
Let's give no attention to fools who chatter mean things;
Let's try to live in all innocence,
And leave it to other people to say what they will.
[tr. Siniscalchi (c. 1994)]Tongues would still wag, it's what tongues do,
Scandal will find a passage through
No matter how secure a wall
We built against it -- hang them all!
Their talk won't bother us a bit
As long as there's no grounds for it.
Provided we've done nothing wrong
They're free to babble all day long.
[tr. Bolt (2002)]There's no defense against slander.
Let's pay no attention to their cackling;
we'll try to live virtuously and
let busybodies have their way.
[tr. Steiner (2008)]There is no defence against malicious gossip.
Let's just concentrate on living a good and decent life
And let people talk all they please.
[tr. Campbell (2013)]There is no rampart that will hold out against malice.
[Bartlett's]