Literal translation
to speak heart upon hand
Meaning
to speak openly, from the heart
Explanation
The expression builds a physical image of sincerity: speaking while holding, so to speak, one's heart placed on one's hand, open and visible to the listener, hiding or withholding nothing of one's feelings or intentions. This imagined posture closely echoes the French expression about having one's heart on one's sleeve, usually applied to generosity, but here turned toward frankness of speech, the hand serving as a visible support for an organ ordinarily hidden inside the body. It is used to describe a conversation carried on without detour, calculation, or hidden motive, where the speaker exposes their true feelings with complete trust toward the person addressed. The words cor (heart) and man (hand) are direct and common in Provençal expressions dealing with feelings, while the preposition sus (on, upon) situates precisely the spatial image of the exposed organ. The register is elevated and warm, used to praise the frankness of an exchange or to invite someone to speak without fear.