Il Faut Cultiver Notre Jardin

This is the final line from Voltaire’s Candide – one of my favourite books – where Candide goes in search of his love Cunegonde, together with the ever optimistic Pangloss (‘’all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds’’) and a changing band of companions. The group travels across continents, witnesses horrors, loses riches and ends up much worse for wear, but with a small home and garden.

In its simplest form, the final line means:

We must cultivate our garden i.e. we must grow and create something beautiful, without recourse to others or their resources.

Or given the context and the ultimately rather horrible adventures the hero and his troupe have experienced, it could mean:

(Let’s forget about all those ill-fated adventures) and work on our garden i.e. let’s get down to work and make the best out of what we have.

As a, possibly overly cynical, teenager, I interpreted the line and the book’s message as “Forget about silly dreams, put your nose to the grindstone and make the best of what you have because all is definitely not for the best - and this is certainly not the best of all possible worlds’’.

Now, I see Candide as someone who always knew what he wanted and at the close of the book has achieved that. During his adventures, he has experienced many highs and lows and has come full-circle and is again with Cunegonde. Albeit in a different set of circumstances than originally envisioned, he is living his dream. In terms of his professional pursuits, if he works hard, he can create something beautiful that sustains and enriches.

The point is, let’s appreciate and make the most of what we have.