James Laughlin
What Is It Makes One Girl
more lovely than all others
it is the light within omne
quod manifestatur lumen est
a fructive light that shines
within the radiance of the il-
lumined heart risplende in se
perpetuale effecto the light
descending to her from sun
moon and stars lux enim per se
in omnem partem se ipsam dif-
fundit the light of the ima-
gination the light that wakes
and shines the light of love.
[The greater part of this poem is stolen from Hugh Kenner’s The Pound Era, pages 451-2.
‘Omne quod manifestatur…’ Ephesians, V, 13. All that is manifest is light. ‘Risplende in se…’ From Guido Cavalcanti’s ‘Donna mi priegha’ canzone. The lady has asked the poet to tell her ‘of an affect that comes often and is fell . . . Love by name.’ And in part of his response he tells her how Love in ‘spreading its rays…is its own effect unendingly . . . ’ (Pound’s translation). ‘The light descending . . .’ Pound’s explication, in his Confucian ‘Terminology’, of the Chinese character
‘The light descending (from the sun, moon and stars). To be watched as component in ideogram indicating spirits, rites, ceremonies.’‘Lux enim per se . . .’ Bishop Robert Grosseteste (c. 1170-1253). For light by its nature pours forth itself into every part.
The last three lines are a rescription from William Carlos Williams’ ‘Asphodel, That Greeny Flower,’ pages 181-2.]
Page(s) 103
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