100,000,000,000,000 poems

He bent right down to pick up his valise
His nasal ecstasy beats best Cologne
His toga rumpled high above his knees
One gathers rosebuds or grows old alone
Old Galileo's Pisan offerings
Filching the lolly country thrift helped save
In salads all chew grubs before they've wings
Till firemen come with hose-piped tidal wave
It's no good rich men crying Heaven Bless
One tongue will do to keep the verse agog
While homeward thirsts to each quenched glass say yes
No need to cart such treasures from the fog
The Taj Mahal has trinkets spice and gum
The bell tolls fee-less fi-less fo-less fum


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.