Oh, Anne, doux
But. Cueilles ma chou.¹

Trille fort,
Chatte dort.²

Faveux Sikhs,
Pie coupe Styx.³

Sève nette,
Les dèmes se traitent.⁴

N'a ne d'haine,
Écoute, fée daine.⁵

Éléphant tue elfes
Dit qu'en Delft.⁶

Tartines, fortunes,
Miséricorde d'une.⁷

Fit vetîmes Sixtine
Médecine quitte Chine.⁸

C'est Fantine est d'Inn
Mais Arouet dîne.⁹

Nanini, Toine est dit,
Met plâtres, sème petit.¹⁰

We can only consider this series of proverbs and epigrams in rhymed couplet form as a garland or bouquet of versified wit and wisdom.

¹A tender dedication to the poet's muse.
²An early version of "When the cat's away, etc., etc."
³"Mangy Indians, Pius cuts the Styx." An attempt to impress unbelievers with the powers of the Popes over pagan mythology and superstition.
⁴This could be assumed to mean, "When the sap rises, the people (demos, Gr.) rejoice."
⁵"Harbor no hate, good fairy." In this instance, she appears as a doe. It was the common practice of fairies and sprites to assume animal shapes.
⁶"Only in Delft is it believed elephants kill elves."
⁷"Bread or money, give charity of one or the other."
⁸"We caused the Sistine to be dressed (i.e., decorated). Medicine comes from China." This unquestionably refers to Sixtus IV, saint and pope, 1414-1484. Just what influence he had on the pharmacology of his time is hard to determine. It is known, however, that the Chinese at that period were far more advanced in medicine than their European contemporaries.
⁹Fantine must have been a greaty beauty from the Inn River valley in central Europe. In any case, Voltaire preferred to continue dining. He must have been a very old man at this time.
¹⁰Nanini (Giovanni Maria), c.1545-1607, Italian composer and for a time choirmaster of the Sistine Chapel. It would seem that Italians have always been called Tony, and it was automatically assumed that they liked to work in plaster and were generally improvident, since they sowed little.

Befuddled? Want a hint?