Death Fugue by Paul Celan 1948

Paul Celan, born Paul Antschel, (23 November 1920 – c. 20 April 1970) was a Romanian-born French poet, Holocaust survivor, and literary translator. Celan is regarded as one of the most important figures in German-language literature of the post-World War II era and a poet whose verse has gained an immortal place in the literary pantheon. Celan’s poetry, with its many radical poetic and linguistic innovations, is characterized by a complicated and cryptic style that deviates from poetic conventions.


Death-Fugue

Black Milk of Daybreak we drink it at evening

we drink it at noon and morning we drink it at night

we drink and we drink

we dig at a Grave in the Air there one lies unconfined

A Man lives in the House he plays with the Serpents he

writes

he writes while it falls dark over Germany your golden

Hair Margerete

he writes and steps from the House and they’re shining the Stars he

whistles his Jews up to dig at a Grave in the Earth

he commands us to strike up the Dance.

Black Milk of Daybreak we drink you at night

we drink you at morning and noon we drink you at evening

we drink and we drink

A Man lives in the House he plays with the Serpents he

writes

he writes while it falls dark over Germany your golden

Hair Margerete

Your ashen Hair Shulamith we dig at a Grave in the

Air there one lies unconfined

He cries dig the soil deeper you there you others sing out and

play

he grabs the Steel at his Belt he waves it his Eyes are

blue

dig your Spades deeper you there you others play on for

the Dance

Black Milk of Daybreak we drink you at night

we drink you at noon and morning we drink you at evening

we drink and we drink

a Man lives in the House your golden hair Margarete

your ashen Hair Shulamith he plays with the Serpents

He cries play Death more sweetly Death is a Master from

Germany

He cries stroke the Strings more darkly you’ll rise like Smoke in

the Air

then a Grave you’ll have in the Clouds there one lies unconfined

Black Milk of Daybreak we drink you at night

we drink you at noon Death is a Master from

Germany

we drink you at evening and morning we drink and we drink

Death is a Master from Germany his Eye is blue

he strikes you with leaden Bullets he strikes you true

a Man lives in the House your golden Hair Margarete

he sets his Dogs onto us and he grants us a Grave in the Air

he plays with the Serpents and dreams Death is a Master

from Germany

your golden Hair Margarete

your ashen Hair Shulamith



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