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Don Pedro from his shirt has washed the fleas
Licks round carved marble chops on snails full-blown
Upon his old oak chest he cuts his cheese
And loudly sang off-key without a tone
Oh how oh how he hates such pilferings
The North Wind Bites into his architrave
Proud death quite il-le-gi-ti-mate-ly stings
That every verbal shock aims to deprave
Emboggled minds may puff and blow and guess
Shallots and sharks'fins face the smould'ring log
To prove mamma an adult with a tress
Their sculptors did our best our hulks the clog
And let you off from your opinions glum
For Europe's glory while Fate's harpies strum


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.