Description

Transcribed by Breton, this manuscript of a sleeping fit and drawings by Desnos apparently dates from 12 November 1922. "We bring you love and the divine pox", a fragment from Les Chants de Maldoror, which a note by Breton (undated) states was copied "31 [or 39?] years ago". Discovered by Aragon in 1918 in a volume of Les Chants published by Paul Fort, read in full in a copy lent by Adrienne Monnier, Lautréamont would, even more than Rimbaud, remain the ultimate poet for the surrealists. We are familiar with the legend of Breton copying the Poésies in the Bibliothèque nationale, in the only known copy of the original edition. However, this is only a fragment of the Chants, perhaps one of those that Breton communicated to Aragon and Fraenkel in his letters of 1919. It remained in draft form, and is followed here by a few small drawings obviously from a ‘sleeping fit’ of Desnos, the last sheet bearing the name of Ducasse. First period of hypnotic sleeping fits 12 November 1922: - 3 pages in-4° in black pencil of a text entitled: "Maldoror (Copy 35 years ago)" written by André Breton: "Ah! Ah! It smelled of pepper and it also smelled of those golden flies which respect love but which love does not respect, the erotic flies. Ah! Ah! Young man with black hair who knocks so late at the door of brothels, we bring you love and the divine pox." - 3 in-4° pages probably in Desnos' hand, two of which indicate "Ducasse" (Lautréamont). A note indicates: "12.11.22 probable date."

Creation date	12-nov.-22
Date of publication	1922
Languages	French
Physical description	Ms et Ds - crayon noir
Library	Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet, Paris : BRT 161
Method of acquisition and collection	Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet, Paris, don Aube et Oona Elléouët
Reference	52000
Breton Auction, 2003	Lot 2026
Keywords	Dream, Automatic Writing
Categories	Manuscripts, Surrealists Manuscripts
Set	[Manuscripts] Sommeils
Permanent link	https://www.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100193530