Late Celan

Sometimes it's just a word or phrase that catches. Takes you somewhere. Off the page. Back. Forward. Nowhere. Doesn't mean you've even come close to "capturing Celan."

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From SNOWPART (SCHNEEPART)


TO SPEAK WITH the blind
         alleys
of the opposite,
of its
expatriated
meaning --:

to chew
this bread, with
writing-teeth

MIT DEN SACKGASSEN

       sprechen

vom Gegenüber,

von seiner

expatriierten

Bedeutung --:

 

dieses

Brot kauen, mit

Schreibzähnen.



[Translation by Pierre Joris]