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Classic and Contemporary Poetry


TOAST by STEPHANE MALLARME

Poem Explanation

First Line: THIS BIT OF FOAM, THIS NOTHING, A VERSE PURELY
Last Line: THE WHITE SOLICITUDE OF THE CLOTH OF OUR SAIL.

This bit of foam, this nothing, a verse purely
To distinguish the cup we drink,
Just as, far away, a group of sirens, many,
Their bodies turning and twisting, disappear into the sea.

We sail, oh my various
Friends, I already on the poop
You the sumptuous bow which cuts through
The billow of lightnings and of winters;

A fine intoxication engages me,
Without fear even of the pitching of the ship,
To stand and propose this toast:

Solitude, reef, star
To whatever merits
The white solicitude of the cloth of our sail.



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