Mikhail Houellebecq
From “The Pursuit of Happiness”
Michel Houellebecq/Qalam
One of Qalam's primary aims is to illuminate and explain our world by exploring various historical and cultural phenomena. In this section, we have decided to do without unnecessary words and familiar comments. What you will encounter here are fragments of verses collected from different eras and parts of the world. These speak for themselves and are notably beautiful to us.
I can still see the blue eyes of German tourists
Discussing society over their beers.
Their thoughtful 'Ach so's, slightly nervous perhaps,
Crossed the fresh air; they filled several tables.
A few chemistry friends chatted on my left:
New perspectives in organic synthesis!
Chemistry makes you happy, poetry makes you sad,
We would have to arrive at a single science.
Molecular structure, philosophy of the self
And the absurd fate of the last architects;
Society rots, decomposes into sects;
Let's sing hallelujah for the return of the king!
Michel Houellebecq (born 1956) is widely regarded as one of the most prominent contemporary French novelists. His poetry, like his novels, often reflects the existential concerns of a white cisgender individual.