Here’s a translation of a song by Charle Cros, from Black Scat Review 18.

SONG OF THE SCULPTORS
(Charles Cros, 1879)

Proclaim the principles of art!
And shout with all your might!
That marble is a stone apart,
Because it is so white.

Proclaim the principles of art!
And fix them in your head!
Like lobsters ordered à la carte,
When clay is cooked it’s red.

Proclaim the principles of art!
Be joyful and amused!
For bronze, according to the chart,
In bells is what is used.

Proclaim the principles of art!
Drink all that you can hold!
Though plaster may not look too smart,
It sets well in the mold.

Proclaim the principles of art!
The lesson is complete!
Though curvy women charm the heart,
They’re only fat and meat.