Read Mute Objects of Expression Online
Authors: Francis Ponge
Mute Objects of Expression (15 page)
Variation
The high brushery high-tufted in green bristles
With tooled handles set about by mirrors . . .
Did Venus comb her hair there, come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder?
Remains, on the resilient ocher depth
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops,
A peignoir of shadow splashed with sunlight
Obliquely woven of sleepless atoms.
With tooled handles set about by mirrors . . .
Did Venus comb her hair there, come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder?
Remains, on the resilient ocher depth
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops,
A peignoir of shadow splashed with sunlight
Obliquely woven of sleepless atoms.
Another
The age-old brushery, high-tufted in green bristles,
With tooled handles set about by mirrors . . .
In a peignoir made of shadows splashed with sunlight,
Venus slips away, come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder.
Nothing remains on the resilient ocher carpet
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops,
But ribbons woven of sleepless atoms.
With tooled handles set about by mirrors . . .
In a peignoir made of shadows splashed with sunlight,
Venus slips away, come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder.
Nothing remains on the resilient ocher carpet
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops,
But ribbons woven of sleepless atoms.
Another
The whole of a brushery high-tufted in green bristle
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors
Spirits away a figure come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder
Leaving nothing on the resilient ocher carpet
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops
But a peignoir of shadow splashed with sunlight
Obliquely woven of sleepless atoms.
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors
Spirits away a figure come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder
Leaving nothing on the resilient ocher carpet
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops
But a peignoir of shadow splashed with sunlight
Obliquely woven of sleepless atoms.
Another
The alpine brushery high-tufted in green bristles
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors:
Did Venus comb her hair there, come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder?
â There remains a peignoir of shade splashed with sunlight
On the resilient depth of ocher ground
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops,
And ribbons woven of sleepless atoms.
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors:
Did Venus comb her hair there, come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder?
â There remains a peignoir of shade splashed with sunlight
On the resilient depth of ocher ground
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops,
And ribbons woven of sleepless atoms.
Another
The alpine brushery high-tufted in green bristles
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors.
Of the glistening body risen from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder,
On the deep resilient ocher ground
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops,
Remains a peignoir of shade splashed with sunlight
Obliquely woven of sleepless atoms.
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors.
Of the glistening body risen from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder,
On the deep resilient ocher ground
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops,
Remains a peignoir of shade splashed with sunlight
Obliquely woven of sleepless atoms.
Another
In this brushery high-tufted in green bristles
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors,
Of you, radiant body come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder,
There remains on the resilient ocher carpet
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops,
But a peignoir of shadow splashed with sunlight
Obliquely woven of sleepless atoms.
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors,
Of you, radiant body come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder,
There remains on the resilient ocher carpet
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops,
But a peignoir of shadow splashed with sunlight
Obliquely woven of sleepless atoms.
Â
August 31, 1940
Sunlight in the Pine Woods
The alpine brushery with tufts of green bristles,
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors . . .
Should Phoebus appear there, come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder
Nothing would remain â on the resilient ocher carpet
Of the aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops â
But a peignoir of shadow splashed by sunlight
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors . . .
Should Phoebus appear there, come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder
Nothing would remain â on the resilient ocher carpet
Of the aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops â
But a peignoir of shadow splashed by sunlight
(
Var.
)
Var.
)
But shadow enlivened by atoms of sunlight
Contantly crisscrossed by sleepless flies.
Contantly crisscrossed by sleepless flies.
Variation
Through this brushery with tufts of green bristles,
With tooled handles set about by mirrors,
With tooled handles set about by mirrors,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder
Â
On the deep resilient ocher ground
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops.
Nothing remains but shadow splashed with sunlight
And ribbons woven of sleepless atoms
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops.
Nothing remains but shadow splashed with sunlight
And ribbons woven of sleepless atoms
Of Sunlight in the Pine Woods
In this brushery high-tufted in green bristles
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors
Which a radiant body enters come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder,
No weave of sleepless flies remains
On the deep resilient of ocher ground
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops
But a peignoir of shadow splashed with sunlight.
With crimson wood handles set about by mirrors
Which a radiant body enters come from the bath,
Marine or lacustrian, that steams by the low-lying shoulder,
No weave of sleepless flies remains
On the deep resilient of ocher ground
Of aromatic hairpins
Loosed above by masses of indolent treetops
But a peignoir of shadow splashed with sunlight.
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