The Yale Anthology of Twentieth-Century French Poetry

GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE

I felt them rise up in me and spread out over the countries they wound through
With the forests the happy villages of Belgium
Francorchamps with l’Eau Rouge and the mineral springs
Region where the invasions always take place
Railway arteries where those who were going to die
Saluted one last time this colorful life
Deep oceans where monsters were moving
In old shipwrecked hulks
Unimaginable heights where man fights
Higher than the eagle soars
There man fights man
And falls like a shooting star
I felt in myself new and totally capable beings
Build and organize a new universe
A merchant of amazing opulence and astounding size
Was laying out an extraordinary display
And gigantic shepherds were leading
Great silent flocks that were browsing on words
With every dog along the road barking at them
I’ll never forget t
hat nigh
t when no
ne of us s
aid a sin
gle word

O

dark O

departure ten

when our der

three head pre- O

lights were w a r vil

dying night lages with t

heru

s

gnih

BLACKSMITHS CALLED UP

between midnight and one o’clock in the morning

to sil

v e r v e r

yblue or else y e r

L i s i s a i l

eux les

and (^3) tim
es we stopped to change a tire t
hat ha
d blo
wn o
ut