Diego Isaias Hernández Méndez, Convertiendse en Characoteles / Sorcerers Changing into Their Animal Forms (detail), 2013, oil on canvas. Arte Maya Tz’utujil Collection.
Red Ice
Translated from the French by Phil Sugden
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In 1812 in Russia
when the soldiers retreated
their strong wine froze
in among corpses
of men and horses
a pick-axe
had to cut shares
even for the dying
from the block of red ice
shaped like a casket
that no museum
could have preserved.
Jean Follain (1903–1971) was a French author who published nine books of poetry and one work of prose.
Phil Sugden graduated last year from Sheffield University in England. (updated 1976)
AGNI has published the following translations:
Red Ice by Jean Follain