Christine Hill reading ‘Rules for Girls’

1. Listen to the man

Tout homme

2. Do what the man says

Toujours

3. Stay silent

Même si l’homme te fait mal

4. The man decides who owns you

Et quando.

5. Obey the priest.

Il primero Papa

fu Pierre

Upon this rock

hypocrisy was built,

pédophiles cachés.

Praise the church?

Obey the priest?

Tu blagues!

6. Fais attention aux animaux hommes!

Your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit

selon le prêtre.

Don’t be too loose, too louche, trop salope

too

pissed

No lo des todo

Cover up les jambes, les seins,

your silky skin              

o il grande lupo cattivo ti divorerà.

7. Stay alive

Don’t lead him on

Dale lo que quiere

Don’t be too demanding

o demasiado cansado

o troppo brutto

Put on some lipstick, look happy

y no te quejes

Don’t make him kill you. 

8. Own your prayers.

Au nom du Dieu le Père

et Dieu le Fils…

For god’s sake,

even a Holy Ghost

is conjured up to humble you,

te mettre à genoux.

Where is God the Girl?

Preghiamo per lei.

9. Know your father.

Le non du père, selon Lacan

Can take you further

farther from your mother

Le Nom du Père

is there

Go find your self

Choose other

règles du jeu. 

Translation and notes

Translation and notes (opens in a new page).

Christine Hill is a midwife, psychotherapist, and writer from Melbourne. She studied French and Spanish at university and continues to enjoy reading, writing, and conversing in these ‘other ways’. She is learning Italian.

Her PhD included an experimental play about the emotional world of a baby. Her essay, ‘How could you do this to us?’ was awarded the 2017 Writers Victoria Grace Marion Wilson Prize. In 2018 Meanjin re-published the essay. She is currently writing a selection of short stories.