The Yale Anthology of Twentieth-Century French Poetry

JACQUES ROUBAUD

behind
grass
damaged. a circle
at the end of music.
—jacques roubaud

It Is Raining

To Charlotte Borel, on the occasion of a certain absence of moisture-induced stress

—I believe that it is raining, but it is not.
—You believe that it is raining and assert that it is not?
—Yes.
I believe that it is raining but I know that I am mistaken.
—How do you know?
—That is not the issue. The issue is: I believe that it is raining
But I am wrong.
—Who says that you are wrong?
—I do.
—But if you are wrong to believe that it is raining,
If you know that you are wrong to believe that it is raining
How can you believe that it is raining?
I need a straight answer.
—Is it raining?
—No.
—You see!
—I see that it is not raining. But I do not see how you can
Say that you believe that it is raining
And how you can
At the same time say that this belief is mistaken. I cannot
Believe it.

—I believe that I believe it is raining and that I know it is not.

—Fine.

—If I believe that I believe what I believe, I believe it.

—Fine.

—No one believes that and at the same time that not.

—That what? that what not?

—Whatever: that it is raining, for example.