for Dick Higgins
in memor I am
[translator’s note. In 2002 I was asked to contribute to Alec Finlay’s edition of translations by several hands of Paul Celan’s poem “Irisch.” While working on my translation (which duly appeared in the second volume, Irisch (2), Edinburgh 2002), I began to work on other dimensions of the poem, then of other Celan poems. The present homeophonic translations are one result. By homeophonic translation I mean: listening to the sound of the [in this case German] poem until you hear it in English – the result, the poem heard, no doubt “says” a “different” thing from the “original.” Those quoted words are all questionable, more question than answer, I mean. So here are some of my hearings of Celan poems. They are, in effect, translations into Earish. A reference in italics at the end of each poem identifies those reproduced below as all coming from Celan’s book Fedensonnen here heard heading towards English.]
WILD YOU THENNOTE SHARING FONDEST
in the view’stongue
rune theshattered yards hounded a neighbor to rouse
and hay runthick thank him
Feel like it’sa war,
dash here thefreed of twice failed curb’s rock
out tone ― goface them.
faden214
------------
THE STREAKER,salt’s washer, clomb
the wiser
grove’s keynotein dismal
gate andknickers off
Off the shuddersee grass down even
in anchor shotand
naked as numberdares
(ant’s willing)
red sail.
f186
------------
EARISH
Give me this vague wreck
Give me this vague wreck
heave her thecorn’s teacher to die in his laugh
this vaguewreck
heave her downlaugh’s path
this wreck thathis story’s taken on
on hurts hung
more gone.
f184
------------
THE TWISTEDNINE
gone haggled tohill free
vexedthe numb unblue
sets out
the glaciermilkcart
the foal vixenagain dour
thus swimmingthe seal
ear herunbearable un-
brandy
f96------------
SPADE. Unswam eager fetish
buys stitch thesopping fun Christ bomb,
off gay rowedfun
frost spree kin
hipped fromwomb shy noon neck,
day’s fencestar flees off, where sand rouses,
neat even sobring him
the hovel theresign,
I need cuplasting, a
deep unafraidwalker ―
coaches art oneseeks there, over
him.
f166
------------DO WARS meandeath
thick Kant Icalled them
weary of all itunfeels
f142
------------
DARES OUT ASHOCKED HEADED HEARSE
daring she goesfeel install earring
groves shy mastforty
tiles of
milk sweaters
shovel.
f110
----------
ALL DYINGSEAGULLS ARE BROKEN? NAY.
Gay verse etheroak
see, the brief
haughty elf
hoofing tookher:
that the well,the hornet
fern, the milk
knower, when
the mood shetours clock be awayed,
the clock bedumb mood, weed her,
that she nickedoak
then electthrone dear idiot and
speak low, thedottle
for a biter toofor
many take along dying
often.
f80
------------POE KNOCKS
The unstirredbleak kite’s if a fawn-high hayrick
dame fear themin
den, she’llgird a needle key fixed
her n’t a Leahdish
hinter seekhere.
f58
------------f58
EYING A HIMHILL tempest
lock in. Arm
enter knockedit them
or it.
The lid’s slackreflex averring
the hip begone
tomorrow’s twofor
null.
f118
------------EDGE LOCKED,edge locked.
When weary atsemester’s veering
blond catsgoing we to malls
allowing goneto Paris
though arcticis a steer
came againsprung and
under croonedemit on his sighing horn or
under tease tohis tease to.
f174
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