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The acid tongue with gourmet's expertise
His nasal ecstasy beats best Cologne
He bent right down and well what did he seize
While sharks to let's say potted shrimps are prone
To one sweet hour of bliss my memory clings
When flame a form to wrath ancestral gave
The learning linguist cameramaniac sings
Till firemen come with hose-piped tidal wave
Staunch pilgrims longest journeys can't depress
Shallots and sharks'fins face the smould'ring log
Socrates watched his hemlock effervesce
Bard I adore your endless monologue
Poor reader smile before your lips go numb
In cognac brandy is Bacardi rum?


Raymond Queneau

Translation to English by Stanley Chapman
found in "Oulipo Compendium"
Atlas 1998, ISBN 0-947757-96-1

Idea and implementation by Magnus Bodin 1997
Produced in the wonderful country of Sweden.