About Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

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Today is the anniversary of the publishing of the poem written in 1678 by Jean de la Fontaine - 'La Laitière et le Pot au Lait'.

It is the origin of the saying “Don’t Cry over Spilled Milk”.

Below is the English Translation from the original French.

The Milkmaid and the Pot of Milk, By Jean de La Fontaine

Perrette, on her head having a pot of milk

Well-placed on a little cushion,

Was intending to get without problem to the town.

Dressed lightly and short, she went with long strides,

Having put on that day, so she’d be more agile,

Simple garments and flat shoes.

Our milkmaid so attired

Counted already in her thought

The income from her milk; was using the money;

Bought a hundred eggs; had a triple brood of chickens.

Everything was going well thanks to her diligent care.

“It is, she said, easy for me

To raise chickens about my house.

The fox will be very skillful.

If he doesn’t leave me enough to have a pig.

The porker to become fat won’t take much bran;

He was, when I got him, of reasonable weight:

I will have, when I sell him, fine and good money.

And who can stop me from putting in our stable,

Considering the money I will have, a cow and her calf,

Whom I will see leap about among the herd?

Perrette on this thoughts, leaps also, carried away:

The milk falls; goodbye calf, cow, pig, chickens.

The lady of all these goods, leaving with sorry eye

Her fortune hence spread out,

Goes to ask forgiveness to her husband,

With a good chance of getting slapped.

The story was made into a farce:

It was called the Pot of Milk.