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At five precisely out went La Marquise
Licks round carved marble chops on snails full-blown
The showman gargles fire and sword with ease
And loudly sang off-key without a tone
The roundabout eats profits made on swings
With sombre thoughts they grimly line the nave
The fertile mother changelings drops like kings
Thou homestead hillside woodland rock and cave
The wolf devours both sheep and shepherdess
One tongue will do to keep the verse agog
Watching manure and compost coalesce
Whiskey will always wake an Irish bog
Do bank clerks rule their abacus by thumb
And lessors' dates have all too short a sum


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.