Below is a paragraph-by-paragraph English translation and interpretive description of the poetic promotional text titled "AIDE MÉMOIRE"—a lyrical, dreamlike ode to Guerlain perfumes from the Revue des Deux Mondes, issue of December 15, 1923, likely published as part of a holiday campaign. All perfume names are preserved in their original French, with English translations provided in parentheses.
Translation and Interpretation:
"Feet resting on the andirons and cozily nestled near the hearth, I dozed off the other evening and began to dream: It was "Après l’Ondée" (After the Rain Shower), with the soothing freshness of "Mi Mai" (Mid-May). I had sat down in the "Jardin de Mon Curé" (My Parish Priest’s Garden), on an old stone bench, and near a fountain aged and moss-covered, there frolicked (why had it come here?) an entire "Bouquet du Faunes" (Bouquet of the Fauns)."
This opening sets a poetic scene: the narrator is daydreaming by the fire and transported into a romantic, fragrant reverie shaped entirely by Guerlain perfume names. Each scent evokes a place, a feeling, or a sensory moment. “Après l’Ondée” suggests the damp, floral calm after rainfall ripe with petrichor, while “Mi Mai” places the dream in springtime. The “Jardin de Mon Curé” invokes rustic innocence, and “Bouquet du Faunes” adds a mythical, mischievous touch—a nod to Guerlain’s more whimsical or nature-inspired blends.
"In the distance, on an old harpsichord, someone was playing an old-fashioned tune—a "Gavotte" from "Bon Vieux Temps" (The Good Old Times). It was "L’Heure Bleue" (The Blue Hour), that exquisite moment when, "Quand vient l’Été" (When Summer Comes), one likes to dream a little—an hour made "Pour Troubler" (To Disturb) the heart."
This paragraph is rich in nostalgia. “L’Heure Bleue,” one of Guerlain’s most famous perfumes, symbolizes twilight’s melancholic beauty. A gentle harpsichord plays the “gavotte,” a medium-paced French dance, popular in the 18th century, further enveloping the scene in an old-world charm. “Quand vient l’Été” and “Pour Troubler” conjure romantic yearning, suggesting the way scents stir memory and emotion at dusk.
"Surrounded by "Pois de Senteur" (Sweet Peas), "Verveine" (Verbena), and "Jasmin de Siam" (Jasmine of Siam), "Une Rose" (A Rose) bloomed at my side, and the perfume of a "Fleur Qui Meurt" (Dying Flower) floated toward me like an enchanting "Sillage" (Scent Trail)."
This passage bathes the reader in a lush, floral landscape. Guerlain perfumes personify the garden: sweet peas and jasmine add heady brightness, while “Fleur Qui Meurt” adds a note of decay—perhaps a dying beauty, underscoring how even faded fragrances have a haunting elegance. The term “sillage” is particularly poignant here, as it refers to the lingering scent trail left by perfume.
"Then, like a "Vague Souvenir" (Vague Memory), my thoughts turned to the Paris I love. My dream wandered from the "Champs-Élysées" to the "Rue de la Paix"—the very heart of the capital. It was the hour for rendezvous: "Voilette de Madame" (Madame’s Veil) lowered, and "Mouchoir de Monsieur" (Monsieur’s Handkerchief) fluttered in farewell."
This paragraph turns nostalgic, invoking Paris as a setting for fleeting romantic encounters. The Champs-Élysées and Rue de la Paix, home to Guerlain’s iconic boutiques, root the story in reality. Scents like “Voilette de Madame” and “Mouchoir de Monsieur” evoke accessories of romantic courtship and longing, suggesting that perfume is as much a part of ritual as gloves and lace.
"Kadine"—for it was she—carried a bouquet of "Violette à Deux Sous" (Two-Sou Violets) under her arm. Her charming little Pekingese, "Mitsouko," was with her. And then my dream drifted to you. I said to myself: “There! I loved Rosine for her sweet innocence.”
This portion introduces characters: “Kadine” (referencing Guerlain’s Orientalist fragrance from 1911) and her pet Pekingese dog named “Mitsouko,” another iconic scent, named after the heroine of a novel. She carries “Violette à Deux Sous,” suggesting simple, affordable charm. “Rosine” references another woman from the dream. The blending of perfumed figures with emotion underscores perfume's role in memory.
"And all around me the flowers stirred in the wind that carries away April in bloom and brings back the "Vere Novo" (New Spring) of nature. All of them, swaying, whispered to one another about nothings—trifles, murmured nothings. It was truly a ballad—or rather, a "Guerlinade!"
Here, nature, fragrance, and time merge. “Vere Novo,” Latin for spring’s rebirth, invokes timeless natural cycles. The phrase “Guerlinade,” originally used to describe the signature olfactory base common to many Guerlain fragrances, becomes a poetic summation of this fragrant dream—a “Guerlain ballad,” a life expressed in scent.
"My awakening was soft and very pleasant—soft, because at the piano my wife was playing Werther’s Clair de Lune; pleasant, because it gave me a flash of inspiration: this year, for Christmas and New Year’s gifts, I will offer Perfumes! More Perfumes! That is what pleases women."
The dream ends with a return to the real world, where the narrator’s wife plays Werther's “Clair de Lune,” adding a gentle, sentimental flourish. The dream becomes a moment of epiphany—perfume is the ideal gift. Emotional, evocative, luxurious, and intimate, it is what “pleases women”—a notion rooted in both marketing strategy and social custom.
This aide-mémoire is both a poetic fantasy and a clever piece of Guerlain advertising. It artfully blends romanticism, seasonal imagery, and Parisian sophistication to weave a narrative that showcases the brand’s perfumes not just as products, but as experiences—each with a story, personality, and emotion. The inclusion of more than 30 scent names shows the richness of Guerlain’s catalog during this period, and positions perfume as a poetic language of memory, identity, and desire.
