20

SHORTPOEMS

from

CAPITALOFPAIN
by
PaulEluard

translatedby
MARYANNCAWS
PATRICIATERRY
NANCYKLINE

individuallyavailableforanyonewhowantstoanyofreadthem

1
SEQUENCE

Forbrilliantdaysoftopsyturvyjoy
Easylivingonthetastesofcolors
Feastingonloveforthefunofit
Foropeninghereyesatthelastinstant
Shehasarealsoftspot.

INVENTION

Therighthandletssandslipthrough.
Alltransformationsarepossible.

Faroff,thesunsharpensonthestonesitshastetofinish.
Describingthelandscapematterslittle,
Justthepleasinglengthofaharvest.

Formytwoeyesabrightness
Likewaterandfire.

Whatistheroleoftheroot?
Despairhasseveredallitslinks
Raisinghishandstoitshead.
Seven,four,two,one,
Inthestreetahundredwomen
Iwon'tseeagain.

Theartoflove,liberalart,
theartofdyingwell,
theartofthinking,
incoherentart,theartofsmoking
theartofpleasure,medievalart,
decorativeart,theartofreasoning,
theartofreasoningwell,
theartofpoetry,mechanicalart,
eroticart,theartofbeingagrandfather,
theartofdancing,theartofseeing,
theartofcharm,theartofthecaress,
Japaneseart,theartofplaying,
theartofeating,theartoftorturing.

ButI'veneverfoundwhatIwriteinwhatIlove.

2
SEQUENCE

Tosleep,withthemooninoneeye
andthesunintheother,
Loveinyourmouth,
alovelybirdinyourhair,
Adornedlikethefields,
thewoods,theroutes,thesea,
aroundthewholeworldsolovelyandadorned.

Fleeacrossthelandscape
Throughbranchesofsmokeandallthefruitsofthewind,
Stonelegswithsandstockings,
Heldbythewaist,alltheriver'smuscles,
Andthelastconcernonafacetransformed.

THEWORD

Iamfortunate:mineisaneasybeauty.
Islideovertheroofofthewinds,
Islideovertheroofoftheseas
I'msentimentalthesedays
Inolongerknowwho'sincharge
Inolongermovesilkoverice
Iamill,laughterandpebbles
InakedlylovewhateverismostChinese
Ilovewhat'smostnakedthedartingofbirds
IamoldbuthereI'mbeautiful
Andtheshadowcomingdownfromthedepthsofthewindows
Everyeveningsparesthedarkheartofmyeyes.

THERIVER

Theriverthatflowsundermytongue,
Thewaternooneimagines,mylittleboat,
And,withthecurtainsdrawn,let'stalk.

3
THEONLYONE

Shehadinthetranquilityofherbody
Alittlesnowballthecolorofaneye
Shehadonhershoulders
Aspotofsilenceaspotofrose
Alidonherbreast
Herhandsandsupplesingingarches
shatteredthelight

Shesangthemomentswithoutfallingasleep.

LIFE

Asmileforthevisitors
Whocomeoutoftheirhidingplaces
Whenshegoesoutshesleeps.

Eachdayshegetsupearlier
Eachseasonmorenaked
Fresher.

Tofollowhergaze
Shestandsononefoot.

NOTHING

Heplacesabirdonthetableandclosestheshutters.
Hecombshishair,softerthanfeathersinhishands.

Shetellsthefuture.
Andit'suptometoverifyit.

Bruisedheart,soulinpain,
handsshattered,hairgonewhite,
prisoners,
thewaterweighsonmelikeanopenwound.

4
THEBIGUNINHABITABLEHOUSE

Inthemiddleofanastonishingisland
Thatherlimbstravel
Sheisnourishedbyadazzledworld.

Thefleshoneshowsofftothecurious
Waitstherelikeharvests
Tofallontheriverbanks.

Knowingshe'llseefurther
Hereyeswiderinthewindofherhands
Sheimaginesthehorizonhasunbuckleditsbeltforher.

ROUND

Underasunsprungfromthelandscape
Awomanbolts
Herlegsskimpasthershadow
Inherselfalonesheplacesthemostmysteriousofhopes

Ifindhercredulousdoubtlessinlove
Atthelocusofassembledpaths
Oflightattentuatedtoapoint
Andofimpossiblegestures
Thegreatdooroftheface
Withitsplansdiscussedadopted
Emotionsbornofthought
Thejourneydisguisedandthecomingofreconciliation.

Thegreatdooroftheface
Thevisionofpreciousgems
Theshiftofweakestintostrongest.

5
TOBECAUGHTINTHETRAP

It'sarestaurantlikeanyother.
DoesthatmeanthatIdon'tlooklikeanyoneelse?

Atallwomanbesidemeisbeatingeggswithherfingers.
Atravelerplaceshisclothesonatableandaccostsme.

He'swrong.
Idon'tknowanymystery.
Idon'tevenknowthemeaningoftheword:mystery.

Ihaveneverlookedforanything,
neverfoundanything,
he'swrongtoinsist.

Thestormwhichnowandthencomesoutofthemist
turnsmyeyesandshoulders.

Thenspacehasdoorsandwindows.

ThetravelerdeclarestomethatI'mnolongerthesame.
Nolongerthesame!

Igatherupthedebrisfromallmymarvels,
thisdebris.

Ithrowtheminthestreamssolively,
sofullofbirds.

Thesea,thecalmseaisbetweenthem
liketheskyinthelight.

Thecolorstoo,ifyouspeaktomeaboutcolors,
Iamnotlookinganymore.
Speaktomeofshapes,Ihavearealneedofdisquiet.

Tallwoman,speaktomeofshapes,
orelseIfallasleepandleadaremarkablelife,
myhandscaughtinmyheadandmyheadinmymouth,
inmymouthwellclosed,aninteriorlanguage.

6
AWOMANINLOVE

Sheisstandingonmyeyelids
Andherhairmingleswithmine,
Shehastheshapeofmyhands,
Shehasthecolorofmyeyes,
Shedissolvesintomyshadow
Likeastoneagainstthesky.

Hereyesarealwaysopen
Andshedoesn'tletmesleep.
Herdreamsindaylight
Causethesunstodriftaway,
Makemelaugh,weepandlaugh,
SpeakwhenIhavenothingtosay.

HABITS

Allmygirlfriendsarehunchbacks:
Theylovetheirmothers.

Allmyanimalsareobligatory,
Theyhavefurniturefeet
Andwindowhands.

Thewindisbentoutofshape,
Itneedsasuitmadetomeasure,
Measureless.

That'swhy
Itellthetruthwithouttellingit.

7
INTHECYLINDEROFTRIBULATIONS

Sweepmeaway,world,andI'llhavememories.

Thirtygirlswithopaquebodies,
thirtygirlswhointheimaginationaregoddesses,
drawnearthemanatrestinthelittlevalleyoflunacy.

Themaninquestionisgamblingfervently.
Heplaysagainsthimselfandwins.
Thethirtygirlsquicklytireofthis.
Gambling'scaressesarenotthoseoflove,
andthesightisn'tnearlyascharming,seductive,andagreeable.

I'mtalkingaboutthirtygirlswithopaquebodies
andonehappygambler.

Thereisalso,inacityofwoolandfeathers,
abirdonthebackofasheep.
Infables,thesheepleadsthebirdtoparadise.

Therearealsopersonifiedcenturies,
thegrandeurofpresentcenturies,
thedizzinessofforbiddenyearsandlostfruits.

Sweepmeaway,memories,
andI'llhaveeyesasroundastheworld.

8
GOSPELSILENCE

Wearesleepingwithredangels
whoshowusthedesertwithoutsmallletters
andthosesweetdesolateawakenings.

Wearesleeping.

Asinglewingdestroysus,evasion,
wehavewheelsolderthanthefeathersflownawayandlost,
withwhichtoexplorethegraveyardsofslowness,
theonlylust.

Thebottlewesurroundwiththebandagesofourwounds
resistsnolonging.

Let'stakethehearts,thebrains,
themusclesofrage,
let'staketheinvisibleflowersofthepalegirls
andchildrenjoinedtogether,
let'stakethehandofmemory,
let'sclosetheeyesofrecollection,
atheoryoftreesdeliveredbythethieves
strikesusanddividesus,allthepiecesaregood.

Whichwillgatherthemup:terror,suffering,ordisgust?

Letussleep,mybrothers.
Theinexplicablechapterhasbecomeincomprehensible.

Giantsgobyexhalingterriblelaments,giganticlaments,
lamentsofthekindthedawnwantstoutter,
thedawnnownolongerabletocomplain,
sincethen,mybrothers,sincethen.

9
PERSPECTIVE

Athousandsavages
Arefixingforafight.
Theycarryweapons,
Theyhavemightycourage
Astheyslowlyformaline
Tofaceathousandgreentrees
Which,despiteappearances,
Stillvaluealltheirleaves.

[UNDERTHEREDTHREAT]

Undertheredthreatofasword,
undoingherhair,
whichguideskissesandshowsthespotwherekissesrest,
sheislaughing.

Onhershoulder,
ennuihasdozedoff.

Ennuicanonlybeitselfwithher,
therashone,
wholaughsmadlyasday'send
dispersingredsunsbeneathbridges,bluemoons,
fadedflowersofablasbouquet.

Sheislikeagreatwagonofwheat
andherhandsgerminateandstickouttheirtongues.

Theroadsthatshetowsinherwakeareherpets
andsheclosestheireyeswithhersovereignsteps.

10
AMONGTHEHAPPYFEW

Askyoftearsinhiseyes.
Neitherhiseyelidsnorhishands
Makeitdarkenough
forhispaintohidethere.

Hewillgotoask
TheCouncilofVisages
Ifhe'sstillcapable
Ofrunningafterhisyouth

Andofbeingthepilotofthewind
Intheplains
It'samatterofexperience:
Hetakesholdofhislifebyitsmiddle.

Onlythetwosidesofthescales...

11
[INTHEMIST]

Inthemistwhereglassesofwaterclatteragainsteachother,
wheresnakescomelookingformilk,
amonumentofwoolandsilkdisappears.

Itistherethat,
onthelastnight,
bringingtheirweakness,
allthewomencamein.

Theworldwasn'tmadefortheirceaselesswalkingaround,
theirlangorousgait,
theirsearchforlove.

GreatcountryofbronzeoftheBelleEpoque,
alongyourpathsintheirgentleslope,disquiethasdeserted.

We'llhavetodowithoutgesturessweeterthansmell,
eyesbrighterthanpower,
therewillbecries,tears,swearing,
andthegnashingofteeth.

Themenwholiedownwillnolongerbeanymore
thanthefathersofforgetting.

Attheirfeetdespairwillhavethelovelyaspect
ofvictorieswithnotomorrow,
haloesweputonunderthebeautifulbluesky.

Oneday,theywillbetiredofit,
onedaytheywillbeangry,needlesoffire,
masksofpitchandofmustardandwomenwillrise,
withdangeroushands,witheyesofperdition,
withadevastatedbody,radiantineverymovement.

And,thesunwillfloweroncemore,
likethemimosa.

12
[YOURMOUTHWITHLIPSOFGOLD]

Yourmouthwithlipsofgoldisnotforlaughs
Andthemeaningofyourhaloedwordsissoperfect
Thatinmynightsofyears,andyouthanddeath
InallthesoundsoftheworldIhearyourvoice.

Inthissilkendawnwherethecoldlingers
Imperiledlustwantstogobacktosleep,
Inthehandsofthesunallthebodieswalking
Shiverattheideaoffindingtheirheartsagain.

Memoriesofgreenwood,fogintowhichIplunge
I'veclosedmyeyesonmyself,Iamyours.

MywholelifelistenstoyouandIcannotrefuse
Theterribleleisureyourlovecreatesforme.

13