Contrerime X

This poem introduces for the first time a Chinese element to the Contrerimes. The poet Fô, of Toulet's invention, clearly has deliberate echos of the famous Li Po. Fô is the name of a poet, lover of Doliah, wife of the mandarin Jean Chicaille, who appeared for the first time in Les Ombres Chinoises, reprised in Comme une fantaisie. There will be more Chinoiserie later on, as we will see. Fô is speaking in verses one and two.
Toulet loved puns, faire les calembours, so the opportunity to use the word for worm le ver and for verses ses vers is seized upon gleefully. Le ver dans son linceul is of course the Chinese silkworm, le ver à soie. Tirer les vers du nez à quelqu'un is to worm something out of somebody - in my case it's to drag a translation out of my brain. L' or noir des tisanes refers to les tisanes opiacées - opium, to which Toulet was hopelessly addicted.

« Ce tapis que nous tissons comme
      « Le ver dans son linceul
« Dont on ne voit que l' envers seul :
     « C' est le destin de l' homme.

« Mais peut-être qu' à d' autres yeux,
     « L' autre côté déploie
« Le rêve, et les fleurs, et la joie
     « D' un dessin merveilleux. »

Tel Fô, que l' or noir des tisanes
     Enivre, ou bien ses vers,
Chante, et s' en va tout de travers
     Entre deux courtisanes.


Translation

“This tapestry we plot
like a worm in his pall
we may never see all:
that is man’s lot.”

“Mayhap for another eye
the obverse may show
the dream, and the flowers, and the glow
of a marvellous design.”

Thus Fô, whom the dark, gold tisanes
(or his poems), inebriate,
singing, leaves in a state,
between two courtesans.