Tristan Tzara

Translated, from the French, by William Kulik

Circus

I
you were a star too
elephant bursting out of the poster
to see beams of light fall curving to earth
from a huge eye
that only sees under the canvas
muscular strength is slow and serious in the bluish light
giving us certainty in specific examples
the precision of the acrobats sometimes the clowns
must wait?
perspective twisting the body's shape
it's exciting in this light
far from here
invisible hands torturing the arms and legs
all the steel-tipped yellow spots coming
inches nearer the center
of the circus
we wait
ropes dangle from above
music
it's the ringmaster
who doesn't want to show he's pleased
he is correct

Circus

II
entrance
of chocolate truth hazelnuts newspaper
we assume corridors and trunks
from signs on doors
you're nervous but I'm confident
there are many soldiers with novel expressions
narrow layers of air strong light falling
on the stairs
filtering through the wire net of relationships
the elephants lie down
dark satellites
is this a brochure of appearances? lead us under the curtain
and into the friendly rooms
an unexpected finger suddenly touches us

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Tristan Tzara was the author of the first Dada texts La Premiere Aventure celeste de Monsieur Antipyrine (1916) and Vingt-cinq poemes (1918), as well as the manifestos, Sept manifestes Dada (1924). William Kulik is a poet and translator who lives in North Central Pennsylvania. His most recent book is The Selected Poems of Max Jacob (Oberlin, 1999). A volume of prose poems, Nowhere Fast, is looking for a publisher. contents | previous | next