André du Bouchet 1924–2000
paris, france
D
u Bouchet moved to the United States in 1941 to earn his B.A. at
Amherst and his M.A. at Harvard, where he also served as a teaching
fellow. He published an important monograph on Alberto Giaco-metti. His poetry, unlike any other, is remarkable for its spaciousness and depth.
Du Bouchet was a close friend of Yves Bonnefoy, Claude Esteban, and Louis-
René des Forêts, founding the journal L’Éphémère with them. He translated
works by William Shakespeare, Friedrich Hölderlin, Gerard Manley Hopkins,
James Joyce, Osip Mandelstam, Boris Pasternak, Laura Riding, and Paul Celan.
Principal works: Air, 1951; Dans la chaleur vacante, 1961; Où le soleil, 1968; Gia-
cometti, 1969; Qui n’est pas tourné vers nous, 1972; L’Incohérence, 1979; Laisses,
1979; Rapides, 1980; Peinture, 1983; Aujourd’hui c’est, 1984; Ici en deux, 1986;
Cendre tirant sur le bleu, 1991; Axiales, 1992; Pourquoi si calmes, 1996; D’un trait
qui figure et défigure, 1997; L’Ajour, 1998.
Stone or Water
... ahead
of the center
gripped
like stone an instant
or water.... forgetfulness
at the center
where
stone
an instant or water
has been gripped.... and motionless
after the center.