de O yp
og
ra
ph
To Ode To Typography
Ode to Typography By Pablo Naruda
Ode To Typography By Pablo Naruda
al
ge br c o Bod a o let m p l ni, t as ers, e t e lea ho n g r su u n eybje ds the ct , to rec w G e tang hite o m le o f et ry ;
l,
ur
b
ic
n
e nf u
le
ill
erect like a ship’s mast in the middle of the page
Letters long, severe,
v e r t i c a
w it h on
m
a
d
e
o
f
p
u
r
e
l
th
No
Elz
ev
ep
rth
iria
rin
of
nv
tsh
th
op
ec
i
ow by
an
n
e
els
als
th
,
ca
st
ew
,c
iph
in
ate
er
th
em
r, i n
so
ft
inu
Fla he
nd
an
te
er
ste
s,
ch o
in
r;
el
o
th
e
n h
te
er
ste
s,
ch o
in
r;
el
of
th
e
Letters long, severe, vertical, made of pure line, erect like a ship’s mast in the middle of the page filled with confusion and turbulence; algebraic Bodoni, complete letters, lean as greyhounds, subject to the white rectangle of Geometry; Elzevirian vowels cast in the minute steel of the printshop by the water, in Flanders, in the North of the canals, ciphers of the anchor ;
ad
ced
sd
thi
ou
s
ble
thi
s
,
,
n.
N 8 J R
rai
of
r The
am
ngu
like
f la
ped
rs o
sha
me
re we
ic h
hey
t all
et
me
tee
.
t
age
F
s
nd
m o r
m
van
thi
thi
al a reg
l a ev
a
lik e
o y o
n a h
in
n lea
Ald
ine
c ha
e ract
rs
the air of the oceanic discovers bent down forever
firm as the marine stature of Venice
i
t s d
l, ai s g
e t a e v i s r u e h t g : t e b
m
h w n
wa
r e h t o ose
i d e
, s r te
the pr
ofile o
f writin
g.
v a n e h t i v r u h p l a
the te y bea a ch l e tt
e r,
e
ai s g
Aldine characters firm as the marine stature of Venice, in whose mother waters, like a leaning sail, navigates the cursive curving the alphabet: the air of the oceanic discovers bent down forever the profile of writing. From medieval hands to your eyes advanced this N, this double 8, this J this R of regal and rain. There they were shaped like teeth, nails,
l,
N ,
y o
r u o
s e ey
ere yw sha ped th,
ge.
tee
gua
like
lan
nai ls,
tak ing the
o h t f o t o o f y rr a t s a r o l a t e ap
h ug
t
form
a t s k c e a n l e b t i l l h a w m s the n o f o r, ri ve llen swo of a
,
d it
cte ere
e all th
et. outl the ating min t illu abe alph
s e a y h e t i e w h t d , e s l l t r fi a e e h m e eca b n e rd wo
m
,
a ess
ges
s,
,
ra ind nt w ane . erm books or p d acre or s
rs ette
t d n
a p he
g n i ss
ea s oa t ng i h rus
l p o e p f o
ised mad
e u t a t s, s e n e ext
f th
ord
s,
le p o pe
they beat each letter, erected it, a small black statue on the whiteness, a petal or a starry foot of thought taking the form of a swollen river, rushing to a sea of people with all the alphabet illuminating the outlet. The hearts, the eyes of men became filled with letters, messages, words, and the passing or permanent wind raised mad or sacred books.
ndi
n
, nary
fec
ra ty, g i d n u
sudd
e
ere nly w
b a h
p l a e h n i n r u acc
te a l u um
d
the
The p
histo
ves;
ich lo
eir lo
at me
s
oked
n see
king
their
gift
n e h t h t , ea e v i l a s a w r e t t e el
d i m yra
s, wh
ry, th
s eye aper’
their
w y l ew
p n e r i tt
re u s a tre
;
t s of umu lt, ret h , revo e sec ories all th , mem song
n o c e h t , . s l s e r e w o w v o l f e h d t e v r u c l i ke
t n a son
m o d s i w f ; o s s d r s a e c n f w o lo deck s e h t a y l e k n i l e d d r d o u s w g s ’ n r i e ad print e r p s e h t r ove
b Beneath the newly written pyramids the letter was alive, the alphabet burning, the vowels, the consonants like curved flowers. The paper’s eyes, which looked at men seeking their gifts, their history, their loves; extending the accumulated treasure; spreading suddenly the slowness of wisdom over the printer’s word like a deck of cards; all the secret humus of the ages, song, memories, revolt, blind parable, suddenly were fecundity, granary,
, , d e s l r d n i e k t t d n e a L d e l e v a r t t a h t s r e t t e L s r , d e e r t e t u q e n o c L d n a d e l i a s t a h t s r e t t Le s r e t t e L s r e t t e L s r e t t e L s r e t t e L , s r e t t Le , d e b m nd cli
a d e n wake
that a
,
d e t a r e at lib
th
w, e fl t a ed th
p
ha dove-s
w; p
e sno et in th
scarl
en
, Berceo lon and
ritt ntly w i a f y r emo rs of m m, u o d a tle dru t a troub b n o ther as on lea
gs of
roads,
and Vil
buildin
tion, unctua
a
g n i l i a s t the
. y h p a r typog
n ory fai m e m f o m, dours tle dru t a trouba b n o ther as on lea
ed,
phy.
Letters, letters that traveled and kindled, letters letters that sailed and conquered, letters that awakened and climbed, letters that liberated, letters dove-shaped that flew, letters scarlet in the snow; punctuation, roads, buildings of letters, and Villon and Berceo, troubadours of memory faintly written on leather as on battle drum, arrived at the spacious nave of books, at the sailing typography.
the letters b
anner s;
from one lett
er added to
another lette
,
d r o w s i h s a w t n e r e f f i d d n a t n e r e f f i d s a w
;
and the song
of the new b
leaflet,
ites peoples
estrial stars
s the mother
egot the terr
ndestine hard and cla er read the and the min
ymn that un the ardent h
alone,
The letter wa
h t r o f c a pe ; r i d l so of men s t a o r h t e h t and welling in he song . t f o y it r la c e it imposed th
life,
but
beauty
mine, tudes of the n to the soli it went dow
h, t r a e n o , e v o heart and ab
r and anothe
r,
not
the
letter
was
ret
c e s e h t f o s d l id it in the fo
anner s;
s sonorous a
of the new b
nt bearing it
s the mother
to people we
The letter wa
from people
h
Yet the letter was not beauty alone, but life, peace for the soldier; it went down to the solitudes of the mine, and the miner read the hard and clandestine leaflet, hid it in the folds of the secret heart and above, on earth, he was different and different was his word. The letter was the mother of the new banners; the letters begot the terrestrial stars and the song, the ardent hymn that unites peoples; from one letter added to another letter and another, from people to people went bearing its sonorous authority, and welling in the throats of men it imposed the clarity of the song.
O
in t
h t in
e r e
h t f o t tor
e l e
r e t t
,
he ora nge sha ven
P.
in t
imb
ped
ou one
cl d to
ea to h
cto f vi
ry,
he
a t r g B po t Y in t
he
E
el ech
pur
ity
of y
i
o Q e n th
ev u Q f
e
in do,
th
u ym l i l e
lt
ed ipli
of
the
Vo
in th
our
e
rofi
thu
nde
les,
rbo lt fa
e
e
e
k
h its
ep
Z wit
pur in
fr e h t
ow fl sh
s a v er
h of t
e Gre
,
ce,
But typography, let me celebrate you in the purity of your pure profiles, in the retort of the letter O, in the fresh flower vase of the Greek Y, in the Q of Quevedo, in the lily multiplied of the V of victory, in the E echeloned to climb to heaven in the Z with its thunderbolt face, in the orange shaped P.
lle
d
w
,
fi
m
e
M
y
lo
ve
yo
u
r
h
ai
r
p
ro
er
al
fo
ds
e
em
w
w ak
th
e
w
or
on
e
re
ad
s,
ro
se
th
e
,
le
on
av
e
es
of
ir, In
re
th
ad
e
s,
yo
ha
u
rit
n
e
d
yo
as
ur
na
ju
m
e
n
w
e
un
ur
s
g
ith
th
g
sp
yo
er
le
th
e
fr
es
h
in
iti
al
in
rin
gt
of
tt
s
of
de
. w
tw
is
,
im
e
rs
le
te
ng
sp
ar
kl
tte
h
d
hi
es
le
it
yt
th
e
b
y
er
e
di
th
ar
io
th
ct
ev
am
an
tin
e ov
s
e
na
d
ry
a
m
f
its
o
ith
s
w
s
e
e
m
n
rs
p
ve co
lit
e
ta
th
to
d
s
re
re
of
fo
y
t
la
ng
ua
ge
e
al
ph
ab
et
;
e U an d S of th e of y he a v of o e y ns th u e o Bl r u ac k g r Is le l ,i fi a n th g n e ni u c g Il
ot
di
In
ve Lo
ro
.
ni
gh
t,
re
ad
s,
gu n c re e, . Love I love the letters of your hair, the U of your glance, the S of your figure. In the leaves of the young springtime sparkles the diamantine alphabet; emeralds write your name with the fresh initials of dew. My love your hair profound as jungle or dictionary covers me with its totality of red language. In everything, in the wake of the worm, one reads, in the rose, one reads, in the roots are filled with letters twisted by the dampness of the forest and the heavens of the Black Isle, in the night,
as ju n g le
e
e h t
di ap ha no us w ith be au ty un fu rle
ap hy
of
th
ur yo
h
,t
r ea
tw
gr
e h t
sh
po
n,
s ip
ty
e
y
th
g
e re
d a
he
he
re
fa
e liv
d n a
s e c
en
tw
in
ed
t
th
e
i ov r p
h
he
ia nc
li
ti ni
al
o
w ith ca pi ta la nd er w lo ca se st ar
lo
s an
st
d cla ex at
th
m
in
d n
g i n
nd
a e d e e h , t a r h I r e a d in l l t d a e r a I re ad , d e a r I re ad k d I e o s a r o s d e b gra r a a he I e r n in t I in
t
e v
t n
r u
sa
t h
f o
l a
e
he
u a
r t s
h C
li e
th
d,
, d
c
d l o
m r fi
am
en
f o t
a o c
, t s
io
y
ns
of
e
fro
ze
ce le st ia ls ol itu de s
t
e h
r
e e
o f
m f
u s
l i h
, e
r u
s e
po gr ap hy of th e ru
or pl ex th
e
tru
th
s
an
d
,
th
e
rth
tio
y
li
ea
ia nc
ti ni
at
ic
io
st
n a h
e h t
d
vi
, s d
al
o
ou y f
r
m na
e
I read, read in the cold firmament of the coast, intense diaphanous with beauty unfurled, with capital and lower case stars and exclamations of frozen diamond; I read, read in the night of austral Chile, lost in the celestial solitudes of heaven, as in a book I read all the adventures and in the grass I read, read the green, the sandy typography of the rustic earth, I read the ships, the faces and the hands, I read your heart where live entwined the provincial initial of your name and the reef of my surnames,
ns
s
n r u
m a
e
, s
of fro n ze di am on d;
ro its
ld
fo
un
g
ev at
,
ds
el
e
or
rs
w
tte
th
e
un
ce
as
in
g
sp
rin
w
le
gt
ne
en
im
e
th
e
dd
in
hi
rit
e
w
th
n
e
he
in
w
m
t,
jas
Bu
e
Id
ec
ip
he
rt
he
bu
rie
d
an
tl
et te
e
ex
d
le
th
ro
ac
ol
ar
e
fs
um
m
er
t
flo
w
er s
:
th
e
sc
ar
ad
g,
in
en
rd
ga
ial
nt
se
es
ts
ri
tte
le
e
ey
re
th
th
u
d
yo
an
e
th
d
an
he
til
d
un
n
th
s
re a re d ad y ou yo r ur fo r ha eh
n
o
w
or
ds
,
ha eh ir an
ec
ip
he
he
w
bu
ng
ni
de
rie
er s
,
flo
rt
d
pu
nc
of
tu
at
m
io
y
n
th
e
so
po
pp
y
ng .
I read your forehead, I read your hair and in the jasmine the hidden letters elevate the unceasing springtime until I decipher the buried punctuation the poppy and the scarlet letter of summer: they are the exact flowers of my song. But, when writing unfolds its roses, and the letter its essential gardening, when you read the old and the new words, the truths and the explorations,
ing
du
rin
gs
om
en
igh
to
rs
or
to
ue
r tte
bre
ak
the
of
ot y
,
m,
pe
ste
lin
sy
Le
sc
r. ate fw ,o ce l en fal to sil ue tin of on
tig
rn
r fa
etu
eo trik
, on mo of
fly
ur
lik
,
ep
rec
u
all
of
v
Oh
in
es
li v
t tha
s
y
s,
die
,
s
p lee
ou y if d
d an
ein
e th
a
f
an
m to
an r ou f o u Yo
res
tn
eit
he
rn
igh
tn
or
ise
wi
rai
ws
na
ne
pe
go
r li
ay yw gm
ok
ir n
or
the
bo
s to
the
ird
to
fb
ew
do
an
lou
wn
ac
do
ke
lon
pa
you
t h
nte
r,
g i l
t
s ter let
e lat
c cir
u yo
as
s r
e l
pe
f o e t t
u he t o
l b ala p na
d r eo
lig el int o er
e. c en
f o
r.
ou
d nd
s
ies
p lee
s
p lee
,
I beg a thought for the one who orders type, and raises them, for the one who sets for the linotypist and his lamp like a pilot over he waves of language ordering winds and foam, shadow and stars in the book: man and steel once more united against the nocturnal wing of mystery, sailing, perforating composing. Typography, I am only a poet and you are the flowery play of reason, the movement of the chess bishops of intelligence.
,
,
the
mo
vem
en
to
f th
ec
he
ss
bis
ho
ps
of
. ay yw gm
an
dr
ais
es
the
m,
os
ing
.
e.
mp
nc
co
ge
ng
elli
ati
int no
ctu
rn
al
the
lin
oty
ng
ilo to ve rh ew av es of lan gu ag eo rd eri ng wi nd sa nd
pis
of
ter
y,
do
my s
sha
wa
foa m,
nd
sta
rs
in t
he
bo
ph y wi
ap
e
or
of the
ps
t yp
erf
st
ho
ra ag ain
bis
ers
,p
d
ss
ord
ing
ite
he
ho
for
un
ec
ew
ail
re
f th
on
ts
mo
to
the
se
ce
og
on
en
for
ho
el
vem
ht
ew
ste
mo
ug
on
d
the
tho
the
an
ik e
ga
for
n
yp
ma
pl
ok:
be
the
mo ve m
en
to f th ec he s
y the
ch e
ss
bis
ho
ps
of
int
ell
ige
nc
e.
typ
ist
of
om
po
sin
g.
You rest neither night nor winter, as you circulate in the veins of our anatomy and if you sleep, flying during some night or strike or fatigue or break of linotype, you go down anew to the book or newspaper like a cloud of birds to their nest. You return to the system, to the unappealable order of intelligence. Letters continue to fall like precise rain along my way. Oh, letters of all that lives and dies, letters of light, of moon, of silence, of water.
and
an
se sen
dre
yo
bu
d
s,
ss,
ur
t
ou in y
u o y e v o l I n sou
ds:
the I gaM
an
ght
d
lik e
T
tr of
igo
d an
tow
yo
ur
ot
na
me
of
y
,
nza
na
.
--Pablo Neruda
ma
bat
onl
com
rn
and
A
o
fg
lor
s u io
e v a
, a n
, u I love you, and in you I gather not only thought and combat, but your dress, senses, and sounds: A of glorious avena, T of trigo and tower, and M like your name of manzana.
go
a
nd
tow
er,
--Pablo Neruda
onl y
ma
nza
na .
This book is set in garamond and Univers. The paper is 80 lb text weight, smooth. The book was created by Adam Lowe in 2012 at RISD. The book was created for Type 3 under Hammett Nurosi.