Paul van Ostaijen (1896-1928) is the most influential poet Flanders has ever produced. Every avant-garde movement since the interwar years has drawn inspiration from his work, and yet at the same time he has developed into the most enduringly popular modern Flemish poet.

Van Ostaijen gained his place in the international avant-garde canon with the collection Bezette Stad (Occupied City, 1921). Written in Berlin, it deals with life in his native city of Antwerp during the First World War. After complete translations into French and German, an entire translation is soon to appear in English (in Jacket Magazine) of this partly dadaist, partly political-activist book that to a great extent owes its fame to its inventive rhythmical typography and cynically unrivalled evocation of wartime suffering.
(more information at http://belgium.poetryinternationalweb.or... )

COUNTRY CHARLESTON
			Paul van Ostaijen

Tulip bulbs and bulbs of tulips tulip petals 
rose petals 
farmers' roses farmers' faces farmers' fumes 
farmers' fumes and dancing faces 
faces dancing basses 
dancing bulbs and basses 
bugle and bassoon — 0 hop!
                                  Marie Cathleen  Marie Katrine 
                                  who has seen the little bugle 
                                  who has seen the big bugle 
                                  who's seen       Mister June with his bassoon 
for this is no pavanne or saraband now 
this is no gigue or allemand now 
and not a waltz 
                                  this is the charleston 
                                  the country charleston 
                                  by Mister June on his bassoon 
and who has seen the little bugle 
and who has seen the big bugle 
who's seen       Mister June and his bassoon 
The little bugle's sitting by the roses
with Rosalie
                         the big bugle's sitting in the buggy
with Melanie
                         Marie Cathleen  Marie Katrine 
                         and Mister June 
are sitting in the saloon         I mean Café La Lune 
                         Bulbs and faces dancing basses 
                         bugle and bassoon 

© 1928, Paul van Ostaijen
From: Verzamelde gedichten
Publisher: Bert Bakker, Amsterdam, 2005
ISBN: 90 351 2820 6


© Translation: 1982, James Holmes
From: The First Book of Schmoll. Selected Poems
Publisher: Bridges, Amsterdam, 1982


© Translation: 1982, James Holmes
From: The First Book of Schmoll. Selected Poems
Publisher: Bridges, Amsterdam, 1982

Here it is in the original Flemish.

Boere-Charleston
Tulpebollen bolle tulpen tulpetuilen
rozetuilen
boererozen boerewangen boerelongen
boerelongen ballen wangen
wangen ballen bekkens
ballen bolle bekkens
bugel en basson — o hop!
                             wie heeft er de kleine bugel gezien
                             wie heeft er de grote bugel gezien
                             en wie      Gaston met zijnen basson
                             Marie-Katelijne  Marie-Katerien
want dit is geen pavane of geen sarabande meer
dat is geen gigue of geen allemande meer
en geen wals
                             dat is 'nen charleston
                             'nen boerecharleston
                             van Gaston op zijnen basson
En wie heeft er de kleine bugel gezien
en wie heeft er de grote bugel gezien
en wie      Gaston met zijnen basson
De kleine bugel zit in 'nen rozetuil
bij Rozalie
                        de grote bugel zit in de sjees
bij Melanie
                        Marie-Katelijne  Marie-Katerien
                        En Gaston
die zit «In de Ton»         ik vraag u pardon
                        Bolle wangen ballen bekkens
                        bugel en basson 

I've never heard of this poet. I like his poetry.

I never heard of him, either, Leola. I like the play with the sound of words. It looks like the translator was true to that idea. But other than that, I'm not sure what the poem's about. Anyone have any ideas?

Ruth wrote: "Here it is in the original Flemish.
Boere-Charleston
Tulpebollen bolle tulpen tulpetuilen
rozetuilen
boererozen boerewangen boerelongen
boerelongen ballen wangen
wangen ballen bekkens
ballen bolle ..."

Oh my goodness! Are you able to read the original?

Not at all, Leola. But you can see letters that recur.

Big and Little Bugles, tulips, big bassoons, dancing bulbs and basses? Could this be about the Joy of Sex? I am pretty sure it's not about the Trinity.

This is a poem from Van Ostaijen's last period. In the poems in the previous period he had experimented. In those poems syntax is usually missing, words seem to be grouped intuitively etc. Van Ostaijen was getting a bit tired of people not understanding him so he began to write poems based on Flemish folk tunes. Country Charleston is an example of this, it is about a village-party and the music that's being played - and about sex. Van Ostaijen's poems are both language and music; image and story.
From: http://www.connectingconversations.nl/ar...

Someone wrote the music to Country Charleston:
http://www.anniebank.nl/Scores/19800042....

Country Charleston performed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ1B6_zfN...

An example of Van Ostaijen's experimental poetry:

Thanks, Sibyl. That's very helpful. I caught the playful aspect of it, but darned if I caught the sex. I even wondered if there was some deeper, dark meaning.