Guillaume Apollinaire
(1880-1918)
The Windows
From red to green all the yellow is dying
When macaws in native forests are singing
Pihis’ giblets
There is a poem to write about the single-wing bird
We will send it by telephoned message
Gigantic traumatism
It is eyes watering
There is a pretty young girl among young Turinaise girls
The poor young man blew his nose in his white tie
You will raise up the curtain
And now there is the window opening
Spiders when hands were spinning the light
Beauty paleness unfathomable purples
We shall vainly try to get some rest
We shall start at midnight
When one has time one has freedom
Winkles Monkfish multiple Suns and the Sunset’s Sea Urchin
An old pair of yellow shoes in front of the window
Towers
The Towers they are the streets
Wells
Wells they are the squares
Wells
Hollow trees shelling the vagrant Mulatto Women
Male Chabins are singing tunes to death
To the maroon female Chabins
Then the go’gooz goose is trumpeting in the north
Where raccoon-hunters
Are scraping off the fur dressing tools
Twinkling diamonds
Vancouver
Where white with snow and nighty lights the train is flying away from winter
O Paris
From red to green all the yellow is dying
Paris Vancouver Hyères Maintenon New York and the West Indies
The window opens as an orange
Light’s beautiful fruit
Translated by Gilles de Seze