Paul Eluard

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Paul Eluard Ecstasy I am in front of this feminine land Like a child in front of the fire Smiling vaguely with tears in my eyes In front of this land where all moves in me Where mirrors mist where mirrors clear Reflecting two nude bodies’ season on season I’ve so many reasons to lose myself On this road-less earth under horizon-less skies Good reasons I ignored yesterday And I’ll never ever forget Good keys of gazes keys their own daughters in front of this land where nature is mine In front of the fire the first fire Good mistress reason Identified star On earth under sky in and out of my heart Second bud first green leaf That the sea covers with sails And the sun finally coming to us I am in front of this feminine land Like a branch in the fire. Five Haiku The wind Undecided Rolls a cigarette of air The mute girl talks: It is art's imperfection. This impenetrable speech. The motor car is truly launched: Four martyrs' heads Roll under the wheels. Ah! a thousand flames, a fire, The light, a shadow! The sun is following me. A feather gives to a hat A touch of lightness: The chimney smokes. Hunted A few grains of dust more or less On ancient shoulders Locks of weakness on weary foreheads This theatre of honey and faded roses Where incalculable flies Reply to the black signs that misery makes to them Despairing girders of a bridge Thrown across space Thrown across every street and every house Heavy wandering madness That we shall end by knowing by heart Mechanical appetites and uncontrolled dances That lead to the regret of hatred Nostalgia of justice I Cannot Be Known I cannot be known Better than you know me Your eyes in which we sleep We together Have made for my man’s gleam A better fate than for the common nights Your eyes in which I travel Have given to signs along the roads A meaning alien to the earth In your eyes who reveal to us Our endless solitude Are no longer what they thought themselves to be You cannot be known Better than I know you.

Ecstasy

I am in front of this feminine land
Like a child in front of the fire
Smiling vaguely with tears in my eyes
In front of this land where all moves in me
Where mirrors mist where mirrors clear
Reflecting two nude bodies’ season on season
I’ve so many reasons to lose myself
On this road-less earth
under horizon-less skies
Good reasons I ignored yesterday
And I’ll never ever forget
Good keys of gazes
keys their own daughters
in front of this land
where nature is mine
In front of the fire the first fire
Good mistress reason
Identified star
On earth under sky in and out of my heart
Second bud first green leaf
That the sea covers with sails
And the sun finally coming to us
I am in front of this feminine land
Like a branch in the fire.

Five Haiku

The wind
Undecided
Rolls a cigarette of air

The mute girl talks:
It is art's imperfection.
This impenetrable speech.

The motor car is truly launched:
Four martyrs' heads
Roll under the wheels.

Ah! a thousand flames, a fire,
The light, a shadow!
The sun is following me.

A feather gives to a hat
A touch of lightness:
The chimney smokes.

Hunted

A few grains of dust more or less
On ancient shoulders
Locks of weakness on weary foreheads
This theatre of honey and faded roses
Where incalculable flies
Reply to the black signs
that misery makes to them
Despairing girders of a bridge
Thrown across space
Thrown across every street
and every house
Heavy wandering madness
That we shall end by knowing by heart
Mechanical appetites and uncontrolled dances
That lead to the regret of hatred

Nostalgia of justice

I Cannot Be Known

I cannot be known
Better than you know me

Your eyes in which we sleep
We together
Have made for my man’s gleam
A better fate than for the common nights

Your eyes in which I travel
Have given to signs along the roads
A meaning alien to the earth

In your eyes who reveal to us
Our endless solitude

Are no longer what they thought themselves to be

You cannot be known
Better than I know you.