"Aquéu que ié durbira la presoun ounte es clavado
Aquéu que ié durbira
Belèu elo l'amara."[6]

We may note here instances of the special features of Provençal
versification mentioned above. The _i_ in _i'a_, the equivalent of the
French _il y a_, is really a consonant. This _i_ occurs again in the
fourth of the lines quoted, so that there is no hiatus between _que_ and
_ié_. In like manner the _u_ of _belèu_, in the last line, stands with
the sound of the English _w_ between this and _elo_. The _e_ of _ounte_
is elided. It will be observed that there is a cæsura between the
seventh and eighth syllables of the long line, and that the verse has a
marked rhythmic beat, with decided trochaic movement,--

/_u/_u/_u/_|/_u/_u/_u/_u

In his use of French Alexandrine, or twelve-syllable verse, Mistral
takes few liberties as to cæsura. No ternary verses are found in
_Mirèio_, that is, verses that fall into three equal parts. In general,
it may be said that his Alexandrines, except in the play _La Rèino
Jano_, represent the classical type of the French poets. To be noted,
however, is the presence of feminine cæsuras. These occur, not
theoretically or intentionally, but as a consequence of pronunciation,
and are an additional beauty in that they vary the movement of the
lines. The unstressed vowel at the hemistich, theoretically elided, is
pronounced because of the natural pause intervening between the two
parts of the verse.

"Per óuliva tant d'aubre!--Hòu, tout acò se fai!"