Original Quatrain:

"La penultieme du surnom de prophete
 Prendra Diane pour son jour et repos
 Loing vaguera par frenetique teste
 En deliverant un grand peuple d'impos."

Translation in question:
"The last son of the man with the Prophet's name
 Will bring Diana to her day of rest.
 At a distance they wander in frenetic grief
 Delivering a great people from ruin."

 

The author, whose name escapes us, goes on to write: "The father of Dodi al-Fayed, the owner of Harrod's department store, is named Mohammed, the name of the Islamic Prophet," and has been interpreted as referring to Princess Diana. We asked fellow What? contributor Marc Desbien, French speaker and resident historian, to give us his interpretation. Here is his reply.

I've just finished working with the Nostradamus passage you sent me. I'd be interested to know the source of the interpretation. As you'll see below I have found the translation given rather shoddy and it is some what obvious the person who translated this had obvious bias. HOWEVER, given that, my translation is as accurate to the mark as possible keeping directly to the exact meaning in English. I am intrigued by this passage as it is filled with idiomatic expression and is multilayered. I found it hard to think about to long because of its nature, other meanings came up. The best formula to follow is to remember at the time of Nostradamus they incorporated heavily Renaissance imagery which drew heavily from Greek and Celtic mythology. Except, I understand that Nostradamus wrote his quatrains in three languages Old French, Latin and English, sometimes the three written backwards! He did this to confuse the inquisitors at the time. So I am rather puzzled as to how an old French translation got passed along? Well having said that I offer my translation....

 

My Translation:

"The last one nicknamed 'The Prophet' will take Diana for his day and rest. Far away, indeterminately with frenzied test, a people are greatly delivered".

"La penultieme du surnom de prophete

There is no word here to indicate "son" in this sentence. "Le penultieme" is 'The Last One' (with capitols; this is meant almost as a title in the Old French) du=with (the) surnom = nickname(d) de prophete =the Prophet

Prendra Diane pour son jour et repos

Prendra =take
pour=for
son=his
jour et repos=day and rest.
Will take Diane for his day and rest

Loing vaguera par frenetique teste

loing=far away
vaguera=indeterminately
par frenetique test= with frenzied test

En deliverant un grand peuple d'impos.

"a great people are delivered from "d'impos" translates as taxable, accessible. However I do not know the word nor can I find it in the dictionary or my translation sources. This word "d'impos" may hold the key to the entire translation.

Here is some food for thought. I am not convinced that this may be a reference to Princess Diana, however I can see how someone might come to that idea. Some questions that could offer a clue are:

Who is Diane/Diana? Goddess archetype Princess?

What test does she present by her departing (Persephone?)

The one nicknamed "The Prophet" who is he and what is his real name? Pluto? Satan? St. John de Baptiste? The Antichrist?

Of course, here I am projecting my own thoughts.... Let me know what you think.

- Marc Desbien,
 Co-founder and Contributing Editor of What? Magazine Online

 

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