I laugh
I laugh
You laugh
We laugh
Nothing else matters
Except this laughter that we love
You have to know how to be silly and happy

Blaise Cendrars

Translation by John Lyons

Rire

Je ris
Je ris
Tu ris
Nous rions
Plus rien ne compte
Sauf ce rire que nous aimons
Il faut savoir être bête et content

The French poet, Blaise Cendrars (1887-1961), lost his right arm during the Battle of the Somme in 1915. An important member of the Montparnasse community of writers and artists, Cendrars was an inspirational influence on many American writers, including John Dos Passos and Henry Miller.