No laws should rule by force or guile,
But let your verse go singing soft,
And in the solvent air aloft
Find music, music all the while.
Nor be too diffident in phrase,
But let your song grow drunk with wine
Where mystic unions vaguely shine
In luminous and errant ways.
Like veilèd eyes your song should be,
Like noondays trembling in the sun,
Like autumn dusks when days are done
And stars and sky join secretly.
Not vivid colors should adorn,
But shades alone when dream to dream
Is wed, and tender shadows gleam
Like flute notes mingled with the horn.
The "point" which slays and cruel wit,
And smile impure you should despise,
For like base garlic they arise
To spoil the poem exquisite.
Take eloquence and twist its neck!
And sophist rhyming which would lead
You headlong into sing-song speed
'Tis well for you to hold in check.
Oh, who shall tell of evil rhyme!
A trinket coin with hollow ring,
A barbarous or childish thing
Passed downward idly to our time.
Music, music, evermore,
The burden of your song should be,
Inherent like the melody
Of souls a-wing to distant shore;
Or like the brave emprise and pure
Of morning breezes which imbue
The thyme and mint with honey dew--
The rest belongs to literature.
[ Transcriber's Note:
The following is a list of corrections made to the original. The
first line is the original line, the second the corrected one.
fragrance For him childhood was paradise, because his poor weak soul,
fragrance. For him childhood was paradise, because his poor weak soul,
Plus familier, voila."
Plus familier, voilà."
"Je voudrais, si ma vie était encore a faire,
"Je voudrais, si ma vie était encore à faire,
Qu'une femme très calme habitat avec moi."
Qu'une femme très calme habitât avec moi."
first work, and had a "_joli succés de hostilité_" with the press. The
first work, and had a "_joli succès de hostilité_" with the press. The
passion, yearns for soft, womenly hands.
passion, yearns for soft, womanly hands.
transferrel unchanged into his poetry, filling it with the force of life
transferred unchanged into his poetry, filling it with the force of life
Sentimentale_, a dark pearl of indefinite, infinite sorrow. Out of masks
Sentimental_, a dark pearl of indefinite, infinite sorrow. Out of masks
Etez vous fous?"
Êtes-vous fous?"
It is truly "_le coeur plus veuf que tout les veuves_" that speaks in
It is truly "_le coeur plus veuf que toutes les veuves_" that speaks in
"C'est des beaux yeaux derrière les voiles,
"C'est des beaux yeux derrière les voiles,
"Prends l'eloquence et tords-lui son cou!
"Prends l'éloquence et tords-lui son cou!
word" which Rimbaud believed, to have discovered, a relationship between
word" which Rimbaud believed to have discovered, a relationship between
colors, vowels and sounds depending on idiosyncracy. It is a secret
colors, vowels and sounds depending on idiosyncrasy. It is a secret
]