by Jean (Hans) Arp (1887 - 1966)
Translation by Joachim Neugroschel (1938 - 2011)

Cloud‑Carrier
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
you carry a stone gaze 
on four feathers
you carry a stone sigh 
on four leaves
using the polite or the familiar form 
on a mountain of cups 
refreshes the façade of kisses 
waters the symmetrical souls 
that drop from their left hands 
into their right-hand mouths
and gobble one another down without kid gloves 
using the polite or the familiar form 
on a mountain of cups 
gives night to a day 
that's dressed to the hilt 
and that flies off with posh ears 
and snowy shoes
to alight on the head of a star 
that imitates the human voice

Confirmed with Jean, Arp, Arp on Arp: Poems # Essays, Memories, New York : The Viking Press, 1972, p.93


Text Authorship:

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-08-15
Line count: 19
Word count: 100