« English? – French?- Nazi?- Who knows?
But Young, Oh! yes! Drowned, that’s for
sure ; doubly drowned : the mouth open
for the ultimate gulp of green water.

On the Beach Translation of Etiemble s poem "Sur la plage" by T Wignesan

(The end-rhyme scheme of the orignal : abb(b)a, cdcd, efef, ghgh, iijj,
klkl, fmfm, nnhh)

How good-looking he was this spy
all studded with sea-shells,
that the sea disgorged on the beach
[that the waves buried on the beach ?]
at the very moment we departed this world!

Anemones for his eyes,
a clam instead of an ear,
a bouquet of algae for haïr.
Long, hard, white and similar

to those statues of salt,
for every tongue a cuttlefish bone
whose caress rough and dry
awaited only a venomous kiss.

Clothed only in sand whose fever
and the shock of our death
had turned to wood our lips,
we called into question the treasure :

« English? – French?- Nazi?- Who knows?
But Young, Oh! yes! Drowned, that’s for
sure ; doubly drowned : the mouth open
for the ultimate gulp of green water.

How tenderly you leaned forward
to seal the ancient eye-lid,
that a tear, born of your needle-eye,
heavy, colourless like stone

trickled from his mouth : the honey
suave !- « Oh ! the sea anemone flowers,
there, unfolding their double rainbows,
bubbles of rubber easily stained ;

look,I killed him!» «Fool",I said tohim,
admire with me the prodigy,
and the proud perfume of his body
the body of a deceased still faltering.»

© T. Wignesan – Paris - Posted on Poetrysoup.com, 2014.