From: The Ink’s Path by Bernard Noël
Translated by Eléna Rivera
5.2
and now a door a face and behind them the wall all the same
life falls into the gaze becomes the reverse of horizon
breath goes toward its equal to see what invisible looks like
all unfolds a few lines leave the hand to make grooves in the air
better for signs to fade and with them the time of illusions
maybe we will know how to tame wound and absence without them
or stitch them up with a bit of savagery and amnesia
sight seeks at present its own trace so as to see itself be
and the body tracks the movement to join space and its presence
a dream where moment absorbs the term then vomits it and dies
rendering reality its full inexorable weight
a rumor states it then remains stuck in the back of the throat
fate which we no longer believed in is suddenly stifling
the old fear lives in the chest now without reasonable cause
what’s life we ask ourselves conscious of saying something stupid
still desiring though to make a quiet noise against danger
time’s also a place a one-way street where only time exists
From: Le Chemin d’encre de Bernard Noël
Original French
et maintenant une porte un visage et derrière eux le mur quand même
parfois la vie tombe dans le regard et devient l'envers de l’horizon
un souffle alors s'en va vers son pareil pourvoir à quoi ressemble l’invisible
tout se déplie quelques lignes quittent la main pour faire en l'air des rides
mieux vaut que les signes s'effacent et avec eux le temps des illusions
peut-être saura-t-on sans eux apprivoiser la bléssure et le manque
ou bien les recoudre avec un peu d'oubli et de sauvagerie
le regard cherche à présent sa propre trace afin de se voir être
et le corps suit le mouvement pour unir l'espace et sa présence
c'est un rêve ou l’instant absorbe la durée puis la vomit et meurt
rendu qui rend à la réalité tout le poids de son inexorable
une rumeur l'annonce puis demeure coincée dans le fond de la gorge
le destin auquel on ne croyait plus devient tout à coup étouffant
la vieille peur sans cause raisonnable occupe maintenant la poitrine
qu'est-ce que la vie se demande-t-on conscient de la bêtise
mais désireux de faire un peu de bruit intime à contre danger
le temps lui aussi est un lieu à sens unique où n'a lieu que le temps
Bernard Noël (1930-2021) was a poet, novelist, essayist, historian and art critic. He received France’s highest literary honors, including the Prix National de Poésie and was given the poet laureateship as well as the Grand Prix International Guillevic-Ville de Saint-Malo for his oeuvre. He was the author of numerous books of poetry including: La Chute des temps and Extraits du corps from Poésie/Gallimard and Le Reste du voyage: Et Autres Poèmes from Points/poésie Seuil.
Eléna Rivera is a poet and translator who was born in Mexico City and spent her formative years in Paris. She won the 2010 Robert Fagles prize for her translation of Bernard Noël’s The Rest of the Voyage (Graywolf Press, 2011) and is a recipient of a 2010 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Translation. She has also translated four of Isabelle Baladine Howald’s books, the most recent being Phantomb (Black Square Editions, 2021), Body Was by Isabelle Garron (Litmus Press, 2021) and two chapbooks by Sandra Moussempès (above/ground press, 2017 & 2021). Her translation of Catherine Weinzaepflen’s The CCawingg of Crows will appear in 2025 from Litmus Press. Eléna’s latest books of poetry are Epic Series (Shearsman, 2021) and Scaffolding (Princeton University Press, 2017). She has also received fellowships from the Djerassi Foundation, the Witter Bynner Poetry Translator Residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute, and the MacDowell Colony. www.elenarivera.net