EZRA POUND
POEMS AND TRANSLATIONS
T H E
L I B R A R Y
O F
A M E R I C A
Contents
HILDA'S BOOK ([905-1907)
"Child of the grass," 3
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"I strove a little book to make for her," 3
"Being alone where the way was full of dust, I said," 4
La Donzella Beata, 4
The Wings, 4
Ver Novum, 5
To One That Journeyeth with Me, 6
Domina, 7
The Lees, 8
Per Saecula, 8
Shadow, 9
The Banners, 10
"To draw back into the soul of things." PAX, 10
Green Harping, n
Li Bel Chasteus, 12
The Arches, 13
Era Venuta, 13
The Tree, 14
Being before the vision of Li Bel Chasteus, 14
Thu Ides Til, 15
L'Envoi, 15
The Wind, 16
Sancta Patrona / Domina Caelae, 16
Rendez-vous, 17
from A LUME SPENTO (1908)
Grace Before Song, 21
La Fraisne, 22
Cino, 24
In Epitaphium Eius, 26
Na Audiart, 26
Villonaud for This Yule, 28
A Villonaud. Ballad of the Gibbet, 29
Mesmerism, 31
Fifine Answers, 31
Anima Sola, 33
In Tempore Senectutis, 34
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CONTENTS
Famam Librosque Cano, 35
The Cry of the Eyes, 37
Scriptor Ignotus, 38
Vana, 4 0
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That Pass Between the False Dawn and the True,. 40
In Morte De, 41
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Threnos, 41
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Ballad Rosalind, 42
Malrin, 43
Masks, 45
On His Own Face in a Glass, 45
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Invern, 46
Plotinus, 46
Prometheus, 47
Aegupton, 47
Ballad for Gloom, 48
For E. M c C , 49
Salve O Pontifex!, 50
To the Dawn: Defiance, 53
The Decadence, 53
Redivivus, 54
Fistulae, 54
Song, 54
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Motif, 55
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La Regina Avrillouse, 55
A Rouse, 56
Nicotine, 57
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In Tcmpore Senectutis, 58
Oltre La Torre: Rolando, 59
"Make-strong old dreams lest this our world lose heart," 60
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from THE SAN TROVASO NOTEBOOK (1908)
San Vio. June, 61
Roundel for Arms, 61
Roundel, 62
To Ysolt. For Pardon., 62
Piazza San Marco., 63
For a Play, 64
Alma Sol Veneziae, 64
Ballad of Wine Skins, 65
"Thoughts moving," 65
"I have felt the lithe wind," 65
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CONTENTS
A.QUINZAINE FOR THIS YULE (1908)
Prelude: Over the Ognisanti, 69
Night Litany, 69
Purveyors General, 71
Aube of the West Dawn. Venetian June, 72
To La Contessa Bianzafior (Cent. XIV), 72
Partenza di Venezia, 74
Lucifer Caditurus, 75
Sandalphon, 76
Fortunatus, 77
Beddoesque, 78
Greek Epigram, 78
Christophori Columbi Tumulus, 79
To T.H. The Amphora., 79
Histrion, 80
Nel Biancheggiar, 80
from PERSONAE (1909)
Praise of Ysolt, 83
Tally,-O, 84
At die Heart o' Me, 85
Xenia, 86
Occidit, 86 An Idyl for Glaucus, 86
In Durance, 89
Guillaume de Lorris Belated, 91
In the Old Age of the Soul; 94
Alba Belingalis, 94
From Syria, 95
From the Saddle, 97
Marvoil, 97
Revolt, 99
And Thus in Nineveh, 100
The White Stag, 100
Piccadilly, 101
from EXULTATIONS (1909)
Guido Invites You Thus, 105
Sestina: Altaforte, io_s
Piere Vidal Old, 107
Ballad of the Goodly Fere, 109
Hymn III, i n
XI
XU
CONTENTS
Sestina for Ysolt, m
Portrait, 113
"Fair Helena" by Rackham, 113
Laudantes Decem Pulchritudinis Johannae Templi, 114
Aux Belles de Londres, 117
Francesca, 117
Nils Lykke, 118
A Song of the Virgin Mother, 118
Planh for the Young English King, 119
Alba Innominata, 120
Planh, 121
from THE SPIRIT OF ROMANCE (1910)
Inscriptio Fontis, 123
A War Song, 124
The Lark, 124
"Vedut' Ho la Lucente Stella Diana," 125
Sequaire, 125
Cantico del Sole, 127
from CANZONI (1911)
Canzon: The Yearly Slain, 131
Canzon: The Spear, [33
Canzon, 135
Canzon: Of Incense, 136
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Canzone: Of Angels, 138
To Our Lady of Vicarious Atonement, 140
To Guido Cavalcanti, 140
Sonnet in Tenzone, 141
Sonnet: Chi E Questa?, 141
Ballata, Fragment, 142
Canzon: The Vision, 142
Octave, 144
Sonnet, 144
Ballatetta, 145
Madrigale, 145
Era Mea, 146
Paracelsus in Excelsis, 146
Prayer for His Lady's Life, 147
Speech for Psyche in the Golden Book of Apuleius, 147
"Blandula, Tenulla, Vagula," 148
Erat Hora, 148
CONTENTS
Epigrams, 148
La Nuvoletta, 149
Rosa Sempiterna, 149
The Golden Sestina, 150
Rome, 151
Her Monument, the Image Cut Thereon, 152
Victorian Eclogues, 153
A Prologue, 156
Maestro di Tocar, 159
Aria, 159
L'Art, 159
Song in the Manner of Housman, 160
Translations from Heine, 161
Und Drang, 164
POEMS WITHDRAWN FROM CANZONI
Leviora, 173
To Hulme (T. E.) and Fitzgerald (A Certain), 174
Redondillas, or Something of That Sort, 175
THE SONNETS AND BALLATE
OF GUIDO CAVALCANTI (1912)
Introduction, 187
Sonnets, 197
Madrigal, 214
Ballate, 215
from RIPOSTES (1912)
Silet, 231
In Exitum Cuiusdam, 231
Apparuit, 231
The Tomb at Akr Caar, 232
Portrait d'une Femme, 233
N.Y., 234
A Girl, 235
"Phasellus Hie," 235
An Object, 236
Quies, 236
The Seafarer, 236
Echoes, 239
An Immorality, 240
Dieu! QuTl La Fait, 240
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XIV
CONTENTS
Aoopict, 241
The Needle, 241
Sub Mare, 242
Plunge, 242
A Virginal, 243
Pan Is Dead, 243
The Picture, 244
Of Jacopo del Sellaio, 244
The Return, 244
Effects of Music upon a Company of People, 245
from CATHAY (1915)
Song of the Bowmen of Shu, 249
The Beautiful Toilet, 249
The River Song, 250
The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter, 25:1
The Jewel Stairs' Grievance, 252
Poem by the Bridge at Ten-Shin, 253 •
Lament of the Frontier Guard, 254
Exile's Letter, 254
Four Poems of Departure, 257
South-Folk in Cold Country, 259
from LUSTRA (1916-1917)
Tenzone, 263
The Condolence, 263
The Garret, 264
The Garden, 264
Ortus, 265
Salutation, 265
Salutation the Second, 266
The Spring, 267
Albatre, 267
Causa, 268
Commission, 268
A Pact, 269
Surgit Fama, 269
Preference, 270
Dance Figure, 270
April, 271
Gentildonna, 272
CONTENTS
T h e Rest, 272
Les Millwin, 273
Further Instructions, 273
A Song of the Degrees, 274
Ite, 275
Dum Capitolium Scandet, 275
To KOIAOV, 275
The Study in Aesthetics, 275
The Bellaires, 276
The New Cake of Soap, 277
Salvationists, 278
Epitaph, 278
Arides, 279
The Bath Tub, 279
Amities, 279
Meditatio, 280
To Dives, 280
Ladies, 281
Phyllidula, 281
The Patterns, 282
Coda, 282
The Seeing Eye, 282
Ancora, 282
"Dompna Pois de Me No'us Cal," 283
The Coming of War: Actaeon,. 285After Ch'u Yuan, 286
Liu Ch'e, 286
Fan-Piece, for Her Imperial Lord, 286
Ts'ai Chi'h, 286
In a Station of the Metro, 287
Alba, 287
Heather, 287 .
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The Faun, 287
Coitus, 288
The Encounter, 288
Tempora, 288
Black Slippers: Bellotti, 288
Society, 289
Image from d'Orleans, 289
Papyrus, 289
"lone, Dead the Long Year," 290
XV
XVI
CONTENTS
290
Shop Girl, 290
To Formianus' Young Lady Friend, 290
Tame Cat, 291
L'Art, 1910,
291
Simulacra, 291
Women Before a Shop, 292
Epilogue, 292
The Social Order, 292
The Tea Shop, 293
Ancient Music, 293
The Lake Isle, 294
Epitaphs, 294
Our Contemporaries, 295
Ancient Wisdom, Rather Cosmic, 295
The Three Poets, 295
The Gypsy, 296
The Game of Chess, 296
Provincia Deserta, 297
Sennin Poem by Kakuhaku, 299
A Ballad of the Mulberry Road, 300
Old Idea of Choan by Rosoriu, 300
To-Em-Mai's "The Unmoving Cloud," 301
Near Perigord, 302 Villanelle: The Psychological Hour, 308
Dans un Omnibus de Londres, 309
Pagani's, November 8, 310
To a Friend Writing on Cabaret Dancers, 311
Homage to Quintus Septimius Florentis
Christianus, 313
Fish and the Shadow, 315
Impressions of Francois-Marie Arouet (de Voltaire), 315
The Temperaments, 317
Three Cantos of a Poem of Some Length, 318
'NOH' OR ACCOMPLISHMENT (1917)
Parti
Introduction, 335
Sotoba Komachi, 345
Technical Terms in Noh, 348
Kayoi Komachi, 349
Suma Genji, 355
CONTENTS
Part II, 368
Kumasaka, 370
Shojo, 377
Tamura, 379
Tsunemasa, 384
Part III
Fenollosa on the Noh, 388
Nishikigi, 406
Kinuta, 418
Hagoromo, 426
Kageyiko, 433
Part IV, 441
Awoi No Uye, 442
Kakitsubata, 450
Chorio, 459
Genjo, 463
Appendices, 471
from ARNAUT DANIEL (1917)
Chansson Doil Mot Son Plan e Prim, 481
Can Chai la Fueilla, 482
Lancan Son Passat li Guire, 484
Lanquan Vei Fueill' e Flors e Frug, 486
Autet e Bas Entrels Prims Fuoills, 487
L'Aura Amara, 489
En Cest Sonet Coind' e Leri, 492
En Breu Brisaral Temps Braus, 493
Doutz Brais e Critz, 495
Er Vei Vermeills, Vertz, Blaus, Blancs, Groucs, 497
Amors e Jois e Liocs e Terns, 498
Ans Quel Cim Reston de Branchas, 499
Sim Fos Amors de Joi Donar Tant Larga, 501
Lo Perm Voler Qu'el Cor M'intra, 502
from PAVANNES AND DIVISIONS (1918)
L'Homme Moyen Sensuel, 504
Pierrots, 511
from QUIA PAUPER AMAVI (1919.)
Langue d'Oc, 515
Moeurs Contemporaines, 522
Homage to Sextus Propertius, 526
XVU
XVlii
CONTENTS
H U G H SELWYN MAUBERLEY (1920)
E.P.
Ode Pour L'Election De Son Sepulchre, 549
"The age demanded an image," 549
"The tea-rose tea-gown etc.," 550
"These fought, in any case," 55:
"There died a myriad," 552
Yeux Glauques, 552
"Siena Mi Fe', Disfecemi Maremma," 553
Brennbaum, 554
Mr. Nixon, 554
"Beneath the sagging roof," 555
"Conservatrix of Milesien," 555
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"'Daphne with her thighs in bark," 556
Envoi (1919), 557
1920 (Mauberley)
"Turned from the 'eau-forte," 557
"For three years, diabolus in the scale," 558
"The Age Demanded," 559
"Scattered Moluccas," 561
Medallion, 562
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from UMBRA (1920)
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Oboes, 564
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Phanopoeia, 565
The Alchemist, 566
Cantus Planus, 568
Poem: Abbreviated from the Conversation of Mr. T. E. H., 568
from PERSONS (1926)
Salutation the Third, 569
Monumentum Aere, Etc, 570
Come My Cantilations, 570
Before Sleep, 571
Post Mortem Conspectu, 571
Fratres Minores, 572
Cantico del Sole, 572
from GUIDO CAVALCANTI RIME (1932)
"Who is she that comes, makyng turn every man's eye," 575
"A breath of thy beauty passeth through mine eyes," 57s
"Surely thy wit giveth not welcome place," 576
CONTENTS
XIX
"This fayre Mistress, w h e r e b y Love maketta plain," 576
"Every fresh and sweet-flavoured w a t e r - s p r i n g , " 577
D o n n a mi Prega, 578
The C a n z o n e , 581
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A L F R E D V E N I S O N ' S P O E M S (1935)
The Charge of t h e Bread Brigade, 589
Alf's Second Bit ( " T h e N e o - C o m m u n e " ) , 590 . •
Alf's Third Bit ( " D o l e t h e Bell! Bell t h e . D o l e ! " ) , 590
Alf's F o u r t h Bit, 591
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Alf's Fifth Bit, 592
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Alf's Sixth Bit, 593
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Alf's Seventh Bit, 594
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Alf's Eighth Bit, 594
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Alf's N i n t h Bit, 596
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Alf's T e n t h Bit ( " W i n d " ) , 597
Alf's Eleventh Bit ("Sir L a u n c e l o t H a s a N e w s p a p e r N o w " ) , 598
AlPs Twelfth Bit ("Ballad for the 'Times' Special Silver Number",), 599
Another Bit—and an Offer, 6 0 0
Safe and S o u n d , 601
Song of Six H u n d r e d M.P. 's, 602
Ole Kate, 602
The Baby, 603
National S o n g ( E . C . ) , 6 0 4
from G U I D E T O K U L C H U R (1938)
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[The Lioness Warns H e r C u b s , 605
Praise Song of d i e B u c k - H a r e , 60s
from P E R S O N S (enlarged version, 1949)
To Whistler, American, 608
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Middle-Aged, 6 0 9
Abu S a l a m m a m m — A S o n g of E m p i r e , 610
M. P o m - P O M , 611
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CONFUCIUS: T H E GREAT DIGEST &
U N W O B B L I N G P I V O T (1951)'
Ta Hsio: The Great Digest, 615
Terminology, 615
Chu Hsi's Preface, 618
Confucius' Text, 618
Tseng's Comment, 620
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XX
CONTENTS
Chung Yung: The Unwobbling Pivot, 634
Chu Hsi's Preface, 634
Part One
Tsze Sze's First Thesis, 635
Tsze Lu's Question, 638
Part Two
Tsze Sze's Second Thesis, 639
Duke Ngai's Question, 646
Tsze Sze's Third Thesis, 651 •
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THE CONFUCIAN ANALECTS (1951)
Procedure, 659
Brief Concordance, 660
Note to This New Version, 662
The Analects, 663
THE CLASSIC ANTHOLOGY DEFINED BY
CONFUCIUS (T954)
Part One:
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Part Two:
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Folk Songs
1. Chou and the South (1—11), 755
2. Shao and the South (12-25), 76°
3.-Airs of Pei (26-44), 766
4. Yung Wind (45-54), 776
5. Wei Wind (55-64), 782
6. Songs of Wang (65-74), 789
7. Songs of Cheng (75-95), 794
8. The Often Mildly Satirical Verses of Ts'i (96-106), 803
9. Songs of Ngwei (107-113), 809
10. Songs of T'ang (114-125), 813
11. Songs of Ts'in (126-135), 819
12. Songs of Ch'cn (136-145), 825
13. Songs of Kuei (146-149), 830
14. Songs of Ts'ao (150-153), 832
15. Songs of Pin (154-160), 834
Elegantiae or Smaller Odes
1. Deer Sing (161-169), 841
2. The White Flower Decad (170-174), 848
3. Red Bows (175-184), 853
4. Minister of War (185-194), 860
5. Lesser Compleynts (195-204), 872
6. North Mount (205-214), 884
CONTENTS
B o o k 7. Sang H u (215-224), 895
B o o k 8. T h e O l d Capital (225-234), 9 0 4
Part Three: The Greater Odes
Book 1. Decade of King Wen (235-244), 911
Book 2. Decade of Sheng Min (245-254), 925
Book 3. Decade of T'ang (255-265), 939
Part Four: Odes of the Temple and Altar
Book 1. The Temple Odes of Chou (266-296), 964
Book 2. The Horse Odes of Lu (297-300), 979
Book 3. The Odes of Shang (301-305), 986
ELEKTRA (ca. 1949-early 1950s), 993
SOPHOKLES: WOMEN OF TRACHIS (1956), 1065
from PAVANNES AND DIVAGATIONS (1958)
Words for Roundel in Double Canon, 1114
Guides to the Montanari Poems, 1115
"Werewolf in selvage I saw," 1117
from TRANSLATIONS (enlarged version, 1964)
Chansson Doil, 1118
For Right of Audience, 1120
Canzon: Of the Trades and Love, 1121
Rica Conquesta, 1124
Lo Ferm Voler, 1126
"Quant L'Herba Fresq el Fuell Apar," 1127
Las Grans Beautatz, 1127
Certain Poems of Kabir, 1128
Strophes, 1133
Sonnet to Guido Cavalcanti, 1134
Cabaret Vert, 1134
Comedy in Three Caresses, 1135
Anadyomene, 1136
Lice-Hunters, 1136
Rus, 1137
Catullus: XXVI, 1138
Conversations in Courtship, 1138
Air: Sentir Avec Ardeur, 1142
Catullus: LXXXV, 1143
Roma, 1143
L'Ultima Ora, 1144
XXI
XX11
CONTENTS
"Ask not ungainly," 1145
"By the flat cup," 1145
"This monument will outiast," 1146
UNCOLLECTED POEMS AND TRANSLATIONS
Ezra on the Strike, 1149
Amor de Lonh, 1150
A Dawn Song, 1151
To the Raphaelite Latinists, 1152
In Epitaphium, 1152
Clair de Lune, 1152
Lied Maritime, 1153
Thersites: On the Surviving Zeus, 1153
The Fault of It, 1154
LTnvitation, 1155
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Selection from Collection Yvette Guilbert, 1155
Epilogue, 1167
from Hesternae Rosae, 1167
Pax Saturni, 1170
The Choice, 1172
Xenia, 1172
Xenia, 1173
Ikon, 1173
Legend of the Chippewa Spring and Minnehaha,
the Indian Maiden, 1174
Homage to Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, 1175
Pastoral, 1175
War Verse, 1176
1915: February, 1176
Gnomic Verses, 1177
Our Respectful Homages to M. Laurent Tailhade, 1177
Et Faim Saillir les Loups des Boys, 1178
Love-Song to Eunoe, 1178
Another Man's Wife, 1179
Reflection, 1179
12 Occupations, 1180
To a City Sending Him Advertisements, 1183
Chanson Arabe, 1185
Dawn on the Mountain, 1186
Wine, 1186
A Canticle, 1186
Fever Chart, IT87
CONTENTS
XX111
Troubadour Songs, 1189
Highbrow's Translation of Horace, 1192
Drafts for Guido Cavalcanti Rime (1932), 1192
"Gentie Jheezus sleek and wild," 1196
Drafts for "Cavalcanti: A Sung Dramedy in 3 Acts" (1932), 1198
"If the prelates would take some honest advice from me," 1198
"King Constantine, as I will relate," 1199
Envoi', 1199
"Thais habet nigros...," 1200 '
Papillon, 1200
Old Zuk, 1200
More, 1200
By the River of Stars, 1201
"Age of Gold," 1201
Pigeons, 1201
Prayer for a Dead Brother, 1202
Chronology, 1207
Note on the Texts, 1235
Notes, 1255
Index of Titles and Tirst Lines, 1342