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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

Sauve qui peut

English translation:

The devil take the hindmost

Added to glossary by B D Finch
May 15, 2014 16:59
10 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term

Sauve qui peut

French to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature Sauve qui peut
I know this is usually translated "every man for himself" but I am not sure how to distinguish it from the first phrase the author uses, which he apparently means in a more positive sense.
Plus on évolue, plus les mœurs se relâchent. Jadis, l’entraide mutuelle se manifestait çà et là. Au fil du temps, « *Chacun pour soi* et Dieu pour tous » est devenu « *Sauve qui peut* ».
This is from an ebook of random thoughts and there is no more context for this.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +7 The devil take the hindmost
4 Run for your life!
3 fend for oneself
3 Abandon ship
2 Look(ing) out for No. 1
Change log

May 15, 2014 17:12: Jessica Noyes changed "Term asked" from "Sauve qui peu" to "Sauve qui peut"

May 29, 2014 08:57: B D Finch Created KOG entry

Discussion

Joan Berglund (asker) May 16, 2014:
@Nikki Tone is a bit of an odd mix. The author is a fan of classic works of philosophy, so he can take a very formal and archaic tone, but he is also speaking familiarly to the reader. I decided "devil take the hindmost" worked.
Nikki Scott-Despaigne May 15, 2014:
@Tony Hadn' realized you'd suggested "look out for number one". But I guess you see that I go with that , if the familiar tone isn't OTT.
Nikki Scott-Despaigne May 15, 2014:
@Joan Are there one or more writers? It could be confusing if there is more than one. I reckon your final choice will depend on the overall tone, the level of familiarity and so on.
Joan Berglund (asker) May 15, 2014:
The writer can be a little difficult to follow at times; he is not a professional. It is a series of one or two sentence unrelated thoughts on their own page. But I am liking "the devil take the hindmost" although looking out for number one is good too.
DLyons May 15, 2014:
It's an old army expression going back at least to Dumouriez (and probably long before). For example, Journal des débats et des décrets, Volume 36, France Corps Législatif (1795 - 1814). Essentially sounding a general retreat/rout.

"Chacun pour soi et Dieu pour tous", is in Voltaire, "Facéties, 1re anecd. sur Bélis". But, it was a proverb before that wasn't it?
philgoddard May 15, 2014:
Maybe the question should be "chacun pour soi et Dieu pour tous". I like Tony's and Matthew's suggestions.
tralamode May 15, 2014:
@Nikki I think your suggestion is the way to go except I would say:
"Every man for himself and God for us all" has become "you're on your own."
Tony M May 15, 2014:
@ Matthew I think it IS more drastic: the first one is more about 'taking responsibility for your own actions, and leaving room for God to make sure everything goes alright'; whereas "Looking out for No. 1" begs the continuation "...and sod everyone else".
tralamode May 15, 2014:
I'm not sure I totally follow the argument either; Chacun pour soi et Dieu pour tous is already pretty individualistic, so you'd need something even more so. I don't know if 'looking out for number one' is more drastic than Chacun pour soi et Dieu pour tous.
Nikki Scott-Despaigne May 15, 2014:
Also, the first version is more compelte :
"Every man for himself and God for us all" has become "look out for number one". Might that work?
Nikki Scott-Despaigne May 15, 2014:
If it's a question of simply finding a more modern, more familiar expression for the same meaning, then "looking out for number one" may work. Your context generally will determine what is possible.
Nikki Scott-Despaigne May 15, 2014:
@Joan Hello Joan,
What have your searches for alternative expressions for these produced?
Tony M May 15, 2014:
What is the thrust of the writer's argument? I can't make out whether they are saying that people support each other LESS now, or more?

If it's the former (with which I would tend to agree!), then maybe you could use something like "Look out for no. 1"

Proposed translations

+7
54 mins
Selected

The devil take the hindmost

This sets itself off against the God reference in the first part.

"An imprecation that everyone should look after their own interests, leaving those who cannot cope to whatever fate befalls them"
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/devil_take_the_hindmost
Peer comment(s):
agree DLyons : Fits well into the rout scenario and contrasts with the Dieu.
22 mins
Thanks Donal
agree Alison Kapor (X)
31 mins
Thanks Alison
agree Martyn Greenan
41 mins
Thanks Martyn
agree Nikki Scott-Despaigne : Or "to hell with everyone else"?!;-)
1 hr
Thanks Nikki. Indeed! Though I think my suggestion retains the idea of running away as fast as one can.
agree katsy
2 hrs
Thanks katsy
agree Verginia Ophof
5 hrs
Thanks Verginia
agree Jim Tucker (X) : or w/o "The"
1 day 18 hrs
Thanks Jim. Yes, the song omits "the".
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
10 mins

Run for your life!

What about this as a possibility?
Reference:

http://www.wordreference.com/fren/sauve-qui-peut

Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : But that is fairly literal, and only really works in certain specific circumstances — could well be too restrictive for the rather more figurative implication here, I'd have thought.
10 mins
I see what you mean! I like Nikki's idea of extending the first expression
Something went wrong...
7 mins
French term (edited): Sauve qui peu

Look(ing) out for No. 1

On the basis of the doubt I expressed in my earlier discussion post, I can't help thinking this is really what it means here.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 minutes (2014-05-15 17:18:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or perhaps "I'm alright Jack!"
Something went wrong...
25 mins

fend for oneself

meaning you are on your own.
Something went wrong...
6 days

Abandon ship

Fairly common translation of "sauve qui peut" which could fit in with the other ideas expressed
Example sentence:

you identify your best personnel and keep them from abandoning ship

When you run into an obstacle or a series of them, you then have a choice: Do I abandon ship or do I continue forward to my destination?

Reference:

http://www.conductive-world.info/2010/08/bandon-ship.html

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