It’s a word that’s much like “fête”
and others that you’ll find
that were brought by the Frogs into English.
You won’t look far for “tête-à-tête”
and others of that kind—
especially ones describing a fine dish.

“Ennui” is such a français word,
describing world-weary you,
Ennui is tinged with the Absurd—
I think that Sartre used it too.

If you want to blame someone
for all we Frenchify. . .
the guy who came and then wouldn’t leave.
From Normandy to a place:
that Sceptered Isle whose sky
is so cloudy, as if to grieve.

Not Louis, but Bill the Conqueror,
along with his Norman crew.
Anglo siege by Bill the Conqueror—
now we say things like “froufrou.”

After he came over,
court lingo was French.
Nobles went to Saxon villes
to pillage and to wench.
But the language filtered down
from the court and the bench. . .
like “eau” and “eau.”*

Hear a “moi” in lieu of “me”?
Don’t be too concerned—
it has a “je ne sais quoi.”
If you are one of a three,
well, that is, as we have learned,
commonly known as a “ménage à trois.”

Ennui is just what has occurred
now you’ve had a chance to view
parody ’bout how we use French words.
Your response might be: “Allez-vous. . . !”


*de vie, de cologne