phillipe lacoue-poetry as experience

7/28/2019 Phillipe Lacoue-Poetry as Experience

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MERIDAN

Cros;Athetics

erne Hamcher

& David E. Wellby

Eiton


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Traslated by

Andrea arnowki

Stanfrd

Ulumi

Slfird

Clria

1999

POETRY AS

EXPERIENCE

hilippe Lacoe-abarthe


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d wona uled in Frn i 8und e t

C8 y riian ouroi Edeur

i{ for ion pvidd y IhRn Miiy fCulUR

\

99a a I end of e ook

Contets

rR I: W S BY L L

I RMMB S 39

, Cataoh 4

Prcr

Sublme 87

4 Hiraph 9

5 The w of Nmn 5

6 98

7 Eay 0

8 Vrti '04

Bindn 0


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vi

10 Lird

ky

/2 e Ufgle

Not

ks u

COu

.7

"7

Note on Citation

Te bvio GWes Pl Cl' mmuWke;SWee Feh Hl mhe kt


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POERY ASEXPERIEE


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T

Two Poem, Pal Cn

ExpndNo. BUI ccoany o )u own un

p o no p. nd M Medn'


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Hr wo poms by Paul Ccln:

Zu idhe rt Anr-"nl t Rerun-, reErnern wmmn Hdlrme mwnh

Beuc unener Sheierbidntauede Wn:

Kmme ein Mnc

me ei Mns zu Wlt md ba drPata r dresprh r v dZ erdUe

J


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4 7i/ /Onlb P"C wo Pob Palum ,

/ur la d ae. ie n d Bchmm mme- -SI Name nhm aufz vo m mne?_

(\lIakh. Paksh")e n BchgricbencZdl von

TOBINGN. JANUARYe Honng hee,

e DekdE (aked to kommedbJds WoTheir-n egma s m eehe pe

ldwaen nngebtogate heOhs nd s nememoy of

deJ towe aRot cced Kde spter m Fare,by whng gs dch

Vsts o downed jone 10 de s ht de Menschh= de's m anh[smegng wod:

de hab-

Shod, bchen Kpp-shod a mn pe m ochooshod a m come to the wod oday, with

ehthe shg br oheatachs he od e!

f he soke othstme he TDTNERG

od eght theon bld babbe da m the we wth theove, over staed e aov t

nagan he

PaJakh Pakh ht

)NERGte newhose ame dd the book

Arka gentost, der st befoe mneTrk as dem ren mt em e e nscbedtwr da n that book abot

n r a hope, today

Hi\e o a thng man's


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Po C

UX paolavuglsungmeceq natde soue pu le

souven detous Hldeln nge, ounoysde moues

Vsi de menuisies noy


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\16 PomsbP!

bl phr.uc whe with gs" to noy de moes"),12But I anol hep tnsating hee o I e with emendatonsto : de I 3epe a few yeas ago whe woking onHin:

OBINCEN, JANVER

u Rot d'lounvcugl J yex.Uu-unenm t Jepur jil [cummoidetous Hldcrln nacm, IOUnoy&s de mouctts

Vists de menu sumerg souo

paols poe:

Viedrit,viedrit n hommvcndt u homme u mode ujourdhui ve b d [um Paah utpeit- e temp lnuri!q CycCgyesn nsan es.

(Plah. a.)

TlCEN ANURY

nh o of louelidd th ysThir-anig is hepur Sprun oth- thmmr

TwPobPau "m

ldlin we wimmnwheed w gs

oe vtsmrd th"vnwods

Ithee meifr e mnthe me m nO he wld ty hted olih o hPtih he ould e olyih pke o hitim he oud n oly0 sler stute

itho hoho e

h Pksh)1

7

What t few bly phaed phas say n the extenatedn dose sttteing on the edge of sene o t he inompehensibe (gibbes doati l aaksh") s not aSto"; they o no eont anYng an mos ertany not avist to the Hiltr n Tngen hey ndotedy meansomethng a mesage" as were is eivered Tey peent ny c an ineigbe eane f a an a Jewish maa agea ophet o one of te RghtC with I the beard of h oIthe aiars"-waed today to speak o abot the age asdern di in s te he wo be onemned stamme nthe ane et tS say of Bekett's aphysia tps ewod sn o aphasia o pe dom) as we ae tod dein

did in any ase derns "d ae o dene the aphaih

MNESNE ()

En Zihn id deuslshmos sin i ud hcn tDi pc de Frmd vlo


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7 Poems b Pal

\ gn e meaninglesn :He and ha\c nrl r lg n foren pla.

More p


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'0 iw /01 b Pnul

ing to saywht it CQ ad say i tat from which t wrenchaway as a poem Ifwe peak of "poetc emotion, we must hinkots conae 8whoe etymoo indi the asenc o d-pivon of trengh "A une passane s no he noagc tory ofan ncouer b the enteay ha aies fom colape, e pueecho of such an mo a ongor a paye Benjamn ardy daeS1Y. ough hek prcy well, that hi s peraps (2nd tsthe "prap what PoSt did not ndsand in nderandingBaudelaie ad poaby ao what he overy nostalgic Badelaiometms did not undesad in understanding himslf (thouge did wie the prose poems, whic reeem all

BU the poem' "wangnotosay do not wat not 1 ayA poem wa to say; indeed, i i nohing ut pue wantngto-ay Bu pue wantingtosay nohing, nhingnes that against

wich and hough which there is presene what i And becauenohingness is nacceible [ wanting he poem waning colapss as sch a poem i al ways invounary, like anguish ove, adeven efchoen death) en nthng Je itsef be said, e thng

ie and e tef be aid n ad by [he man who goes o t despie imelf, eceives i a wa canot e received, and umi10 it He acceps i. tremling hat t hould ref suc a angeeeing elive "being a e meanng of wa

In e end, f hee is no c thing a "poec epeien t imply ecause eperience maks the aence of wa "lvedThi why ricy peakng, we can talk of a poetc niIU, a-uming exen i wat a ime UtS ho n life, endng it oUt ide oulve t s so why given tha eence i ftve

- and dsconinous, poems ae re and nesrily brief en weney epand to ry to ay the lo or deny e evanecence of whacompel them into being Further. his is why tee is notngnecesarily grandose about he poetic and why t is genealy

wong to confse poey wth celebration; one can nd in hemost exreme trvality in insigncance, perhaps even in frivolitywhere Mallarm occaonally lot himself) pure, neverpestngeness thegi ntng orpT compaable tohe lile tOen oe descie saying "'s noting Indeed is

Tto Poms Pal C"I "

neve noting, i is nth; can a well be piiable o talywithot gndeur tering or overwhemingly joyous

We ae Od tha when Hdelin wen mad he constantlyrepeated, Nothing appenng o me nohing s appeningto me

e ins ofxistence iswha he poem "Tbngen aaysays It ay it inamuch as i ay tseas a poem nasmc a itsays wh aose from o emain of. e nonocred n he ngula event i commemoate "n_occurence i what wrences th e'event om i singulaiy so hat at the heigt of singlay. ingu-larty itself vshes and saying suddenly appeasthe pom s po-sibe SgaTRm: a ngbe remainde as elan ay ewhee

his is why the poem commemoate eperience i an expe-rince of emory The poem speaks of Errg but also se-cretly cls upon the Andk of Hlderlins poem on Boreaux,and the GichtnJ whee Hldel in fond Mnemo yne' o -nance The poem w not born in te mome! of he HTn

l vsit ropely paking, it wa not bon in any mome! oonly becaue dizine or edaement y denton never constutes a momen. b bwhat ings on the dizines and eals e wter of he ekar is not thoe wae anohe rive:he Hderlina iver isel A dole maning he: St he rivero rves at Hdelin sing the hne, the e. the ouce ofe Danue etc and hen e ive of Hldelin poey r, ave sd. e Rood of eloquen

In "Tngen anay the eyes ae not in c blinded no be-dzement akes pace They are Zr Blndut b, pe-suad to blindnes Bt to tanlate bd by pesuade o"convince, does not convey the full ense of br and all it contains a a signer of overow o be jbrd/-1 take this onMicel DeuSch's authoriyis smpy "o e ken in run cis around, overhelmed y a tide of eoquece Less "taken fora ride than submeged, "drowned, or, mOSt accuratey, to behad he eyesthe eyes hat see Hlderins ower, the waters ofte ecr, he wheeling gullsar blinded by a ood of words


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1ilO Poemsb ul C

merged n e ood hat t bought forth iself as Hdern to

erhaps w:d to say when he spoke of the rve hat ow backd I

Z.Owar I Clr source.

JEK ITER

Dr sheine ber Rk zu gehen und

Ich men, er m ommenVon steVek' weZu sgen davon.

Umsont nich ghn1m rkn ie Strme Aber wie? Ein Zhn raucht e .

Yet almos ths rer eemso rv backards ndI thnk t mst ome fromThe Eas.Much cld

e said a ths

Not fo nohing rs RowTou dry lad ut ? A sign i nded . . 2S

What poetry sn into, what downs poery, s an eoqenceBut we mst make no mistake about eloence; a "sayng tOOmuch is of cose at sse bt the "O mch dos not meanonly abundance o overabndance ("overow; t means, also orst ecess ("sayng oo much abot something I s nOt heword that ivlges a sret but ather, the one hat transgresses annterdict.

n lderlnian thmatc sch a word is manly tragic theword ofdbnm; for exampe, Agone vyng and dentingwi the dvin s the wod of nnie desie, desre of the nnite and of the neanall; t s he word of furor and fusion, sonative and natural to he Greek, those men of the 1s possessedby he vine that all th formal rgor and sobriety of their a was

Two ob Pal "

required to pr and contain t; only thus could they avoid

burnng hemsves wh "haven's re, o dy losng themselvs

in enhusiasm. Hlerns dention of [agey

he prnatn e ra res rimariy on the rrcmcndous( h te god an mn mat and how naural orcean man's nemost bounley unte n rathceng of it-sel; {(I] on the budlss unin n sel t bo

und

s

seadon.

B acoding to a ogc I cannO deail here, t i riely [hswod that Weterne, eserianshat s st of al Germansmst ind or redscover. They who a naturally sober, or, asHderlin says f edpus the hero wth a Wetern detny naturlly t"oi, lacing a god wthout furo or esie, "wanderng beneah {he unthnkble. They mUSt rescove this word, the "sa-ce pathos even at he sk of snkng of leing themselve goEven at the rk of losng the nnate "claity of resentation(Dntelrg), ther sense of proportionof "neglecting the na

tve, a the Ge dd in he oposte ction when they nstitute the "emre of art2 This was Hlderlins e aboa, nFance n Grece, acorng to he mth h e himsef had forged ofhis existence (and of he W' fae) "I can say what [hey say ofheroes I have een suck by Aolo t wa th e e of p,bn for havg an eye tOO many. oth wee stuck n the ex-tremiy of the ir eloence in the sacred wor "May the sacrdbe my wo!) their "too innie inerpreaion of the oracle orvne signs In heir "mane

Madness s, nd the absence of atistc producio In ning away from madness he Geeks lost hemselves in woks, inartistic virtuos f they unego the ial of madnes, Westeer

or moderns rsk he nablt to accede to work, to atstic sobrey;and yet in this obrie resdes that which is their own Poportionis thus needed, a Hd eln's poems ceaseessly repeat becaselrn pressed by madness, knew his oems drew ther fragilepossibilty from this source Lmts a neeed he law The accep-tance even he aggravation of ntue What lerin calls loy

I


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liuo Po b a Ck

ay. An rst lly o [h o's "cagora rng away hs wihawa, tha , h vy obvousns na apa, th p aaa o nong

IN EE 8E . . ane e enlcki no ern, de ine, duer,

msse nct unlch der Mensc sic mi de Goe I un

beann Go? s e oenb we e Himm di lub c eheD Menhen Mass s Voll Verns, doc icherisch, wohneder Mensc au dee E

I LEL BLEESS A lon s ndness, wch s ure, remns n hs hert not

unhaily man my comare msel wth the dvn s God unknown? s He mnest a e sk Ts te belee s Ie mesure o mn. Full o acqurements bu oeilly, man dwls n thise

h po ha p Tgn Janay h oo, an who otf gvs h olon s cal :

LNiemad keet us wede s Ede und Lem,nemnd besric nse S2ubNemand

Celob ses du, NemadOir zuleb wollenwi bnDineen

En Nicswen wr sind wir, werdnw bleen, blendie Nch deindsose.

Two Poby

Mdem ri elenhldem taubden mms(,de Krone room Puruo da wir nenber, berdem Do

PSAM

No one mods s ain out o eh 2nd yno oe conjurs or dusNo ne

Prsd be you nme, no oneFor your skewe s oweroardsyou

nonwe were are, sllreman, owerne ohng, eno oes ose

our sl soul-bwi our smen hvenaadou or1 wth e cimson word wch we snover, ovrthe Ihorn

on of os who hav ungo h ra ofmN and ng guf on of th hos a n) e-go

of sra "Th Rhn na Rossau h osau of thR/rjJ, w sppo, n a pr po o onan oong loun, ofmowng n hsas. h po naugson yrs


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Po Ct

IEI

. Halgoter dek'c jentUd ke mu h deTeue,\il h Lebe s shede B mir wgetWem ar we Ru dUewdch de le

De sarkasdaede wadUd shee SUd se Ga hoeZu ede s dss ras helige FlleWie de Weigt toig gotchUd geels se de pche de Reiese gVesdlih de Gue ae m Rehe Acgsls mi Bidhei schlgie wihde Keche wie e i Femd?

RIN

Ofdemigds w I hik

Ad I mus kw hse dea eBause e h lvsMv me ad l me wth lgigBut he whse sul lke yRe ee sg ad paeme viieEdwd wh sds prpseAd a SW1 g hg speag ha fm hy pLke he wegd flshly dveyAd lawlly he gves awayhe laguage he puest cmprehesile he gdB ighly skes wh lidess the irreethe pig ale what sha I call ageJ!

Rossa, t " Sag t ob spiit-o wos omb, says oof Hdcr's arst poms "he hld rr . . szd by a gratshvirdc; he he rst o s ra wo drood hwto grasp a sg th sg rom Gr lad Doyss: the di

by Ce

vi,s) sgn It was o wo od p he possbity o

poy ta s ts pobyT o td osausay so u:

d tle au de shoe Zei a- die Bte dei e gede

Vemme h du se vesde die pche deremdlge

Gedeute ihe ee em ehede wae Wk geug d Wke sid

V es her die p:che de Goer

Ud wdea als he v A-gs Meshe Geis das Wede ud Wike l

Ds s ale Wese sch he

Ke e m se Zche Vlldes schd igt de khe GeiS, we Adler de

Gewie wessged eiemmede Goe vus

ae a - ge. heeld wh lked f yu heart have d i.

Yuve hd d cmpheded the sgs gueIepted her sul r he yeg ma

The i sucd i hi fmTime mmemial the gd have se

Ad mellus as hgh rm he vey rshe hma md had w al hat gws ad mvs

Few lies meldy ad rhyhm

I sd gas c mas the gow plat;Ad is ld spi as he eagle d

Aead thderms pcedigds is w gds ac he cmig

uh s oqe he propti o or wha Hdr asos ntr thsas (ao am o sard paos[ ie o disrs a t worlds gt btw


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' Two Pems b Prm! C

m tarre. SlOp1 catch a setlike rU whe oo-frontL-wilsch tougr.

N nC,Jsywlog hepau i bet-the hoght and teslpng at e cwl .

Te poem i oe h i aloe uewy. Woeve writ tIut a i ompy

Bt dsn't te pom, fo psly th n, : ti poit pni

pt in a ennter tNJ o/an cour?e poem wa 1 the Ote it ee the Oter it n vs vis h rce it oU[ d addit

It beoes dogeit i ote deprigloge3

From that place, hat soliudepaineI: speaks s thesame soiUde and pain that Hlderlin fe i the end, when hehad succmbed t the ecess of eloquence and been sbmeged,reduced to silence by sacred pathos Tbinge, Janar is apem [ this pain and slitde becase i s the poem /this painand this soliude that f lway beng hrwn back frm the d-alge ne had thught psibe and then, in wihdawal hd-

dling" as Hedegger says of Hlderln, n longer abe to spea;suttering, swaowed p in idiom Or lling silent In a wordwith nthing and 0on athrize o even garantee the letdiaogue the slget reaton to anohe, however or whoever hemay be how to wrench away from apha, frm silence Thepoem, says Celan once agan n The Meridian, today shows a stong nclnain twards lling silent. . . . t akes spositin a he edge of ielf; in orde 0 be abe 10 es itwithout nerrupton calls and feches itself from its nwnoonger back i is asalways".

The question of perys possibityand elan neve ased

antheris he queston f the possibity f sch a wenchingTh esion of he pssibility f goig O0/tu hs alsmeans as The erdan" again recalls, going outside the hn" in the sense f example (bt is this still USt xampe)ht he nie transcendence f Di in the experience fnthingness in eksstence is a going utside the human Herewe ave steppd beynd man natue, gne wards and en

Two " C1 J

ted a mysteous ealm ye one trned towads tha whch isuman."]

It wold be an nderstaement o say Cean had ead Heidg- n's poety go eyond ven an nreeed ogniion ofHeidegger; I think ne n asse hat i s in ts enirey, a dia-lge with Heidegges thught And essenialy wit he part ofthis thgt tat was a dialogue it Hldens poey. WtutHdr's commer on Hderln Tbingen Januy" wldhave been mssbe; sch a poem culd simply never have beenwritten Ad i wld etainly remain incmprehensble if one didt detec in i a to hs commny ndd, the dzinessn the edge f Hlderlinian pathos is Ut much dzziness vis-s its amplicatin by Heidgger vsvis the in which He-dgger persisted whateve hs sense of sbriet in ther mattersA belie not nly in he possibility that he wod ldlin keptin resere" migh stll be heard by Germany by us) bt also andpehaps espeally in the possiblty that he god ths wor an-

nced r pophesed migh come hs even thoug eideggerainrained ntil the end up throgh the ls interviews gtedtoD Spil. tha i w a neesay o pect, and prepae fo,th denive deine or nadvent of the god Pse be 0yo noon.

In he same way lm s indecipheabe wthot Heideersmditatons on nothngnes t is he praye born of them t is n-dcipherable without he pages f Piik of&OI, Stz voCrnt pmptd by Lbnizs quetion Why s there somehingrahe than thng? hse are pages ben n saying the abyssf being or presence the Ablwd and UI-ud, the withut-

grounds and he nngrond; they recl Angel ileiuss famusprae he rose s witho a why booms because it blooms"j8

A dalg ke this in n way requires an encnteran eec*e ennter, as we sa rbably th pposite he encnter isas that whh n prhibit or break dialge. Dige in ths sense is fragiity itsel


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by Paul ri

Ye beWce n and Hir, coumook pla. Ihee in 67 pobaby ing t su Can wnt oiit ed n Tonab' n h Bac For ca Htht \ is reg ac we wro ro [is ingo wc I ow w wiss, dic o indrc-h ans a : a scon vi of wch, n concson nyo o ra

is how I a i

ODNlC

Ai au d yeux [gg Ia fie ve[e jCt d'ti[oud

ds [ehe

, ds Ie ivCde qui es ms uI v e mie

das e ivre ige riesu pi udhuidns m veidn puu u

humus d p[nihis et rs prs

ud p d e vilUredise

qu us uit Ihe s OUe ussidemirays Is de dis d: ge,

humdi!uu

ms b l C1

TONR

Ani ye am thedght a witte spra STS ve

i hu

here te k-whse he mes it eee mi-i tt kth e wrie u hpe, dayi he migwda hiker.i he he

wd humus ueveedrhis nd hs seed,

ude e the dsi

he wh div he miseig 1

hared the phsgs i he mire

mpessmuh

My asaon i y rugh; wiss r nt who c ow wha asions o? "Todnaubg is ay bay a po; a sing nona pas, coy dstndd and eipca nwng [Qae sap i is n oin bu eainde- sido ab narie consss o bif nOS o notaions siny jtte in a wi oe o a u oe pnsibony to on wo wo e is an Xenaed poe or, [Q


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'liv Porb PalCrI

That is why lhe pom o , ad mp rhe meng ofhe cnou wh Hedee-ht i i pponten I

pe mh, b I onf h I w od i, b fe whoha on he b ot.

o Hege he nke-he Ge thie-Ce epoehe Jewh poe-e w ge et pee ente:(ha he hnke who itee o poe; he me hke wo

ompome ef oweve be even f the ehef w w USt wh wo e n Ahw ehke who howeve b h don w NionS d obeve o ee on AwL h wi rehe US ge wo wo bo pi Fo theepep gt t be pobe o "fe, wh i aw pobe, wh eined posbe we ow ve n Ahw bexee, poey peeh age eio o oe

Co h wod be w:nchrd?I the e of 167 Ce we n the getbook of heHm n Todbe e no oge kow who ed befo

hm ignt-pope me ppen-e e A ew wo US wo He w-w? A ine o veeHe o fo the wod the wod, of o i o poken.hn; ee; o oe e dvent of e wo "e evewot we)

I o o ow w wo Cen o ve eped Wwo he fe wod hve had eogh foe o wenh hm fo eheat of phi d o dvent of he wod) io whii poe mbed gn he ene o on k f o bo Wat wo o e hve otute rnf.

I o ot kow Yet oeg e e t oe he hb o wo o , e oe h eqe pe "on o of he e e wo h he We, i patho of epio, ha eve bee be m a The wo t ei fo o a 0 pea, et we ho ink oeve The wo paro.

Ca ha pe befoe th wod A n?

PA RT T WO

Remembering Dats

Ptrh:p!On y (e pm h i-10h ofJ:nu? l'rp ht novey pesh: e wen y I foud in precie

h pn; h3 ee e aemp m eymd emn mnd c d3.

Te Merd3n"


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Catarophe

"Tbigen, Januay: the PaHarchs' beard of g the stammerng. Might t not be asks A R., an alusion Moses?1

Not for a mome had I hought of ths Bu rereadng page devoted as i dpe themsee e oedpa motif of bdng Ihad to oday I beame awae [hat hey may indd seety hae

ony one obje: the tedton agast epesetaton; o aerIhey ae haund oey by e ungae o unpsnae Theyare fdamety oewhemed moe o wttngy y edeson of apho or mag ha ms draw n ens poCy as n oqest TUgn auay shattes a image{the eeton} odtnabeg a oem about the dsaptmeo oety no ge otans ay mage unes t s-hs shoude heked suosg t oud e-thsaed d hStnw of he thd staz hextenato oe mght sy o hetroi

he Merda appopriaey prods some expaatio o

hisAppropatey beause the te se or moe pesely thewod when it makes its appeaane in he ouse o the speechdos not do so whout ossng o terseting wthout eountring a a Won tropes and (the) tops the p of"Top: open. Vrtuay the as wods a:

4'


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42 RlIemberingD

1dis :d Cmn I nd methng whh oers m some conso-ion r hanmvcfe he impossbe path ths path of the impo-bl in r resence I nd omethng whih binds and whch, likeh pom leads 0 an encuner I nd mehng ie langug, abrJC. ye eahly (ea, somhing circar whih veres bohles and eturns f if hbyI am happy to rortevnrosng the topi and Hps I nd . a mrn.1

Te tropi" e. On te daoge ,ha i oem, a dalogewit eng u o wi thing we n ad:

When we spak wth thing in this manner we lway nd ourselvcd with the ueton of hi when ad whither a quston whcMremans open and does nO ome to an end whih points intoopennss mtiness reedomwe ar otside, a a onsidebdistance.

The pom, I belive, al sees this placeTh oem?h poem wih images and topLdi and glemn, what I rlly speaking o when from J

diton, in di


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Rnmbrig Dnus

cacal o, wth arone, obos and acial bombas).hs s why or lan a remns what Bcne mself opposto a us undersood Namel-adng o that most ancentndsructbe odee natul Creaon a amle says n sgreat speec on at: The pope] forget Go mse ey perhis bad iao So at s smpl nare once one as pans toimtae Tat s once natue pens a spctace eners te m

of repesenaon-n shot, when algn tself w Th etableau o e tw girls in the vall that Lnz evokes when espek o ar and den his or rer Bcners) ts "A tmone woud lie to be the Meusas ea so s be abe o tansform such a goup o tone and call Out o he people so tha might 19-92 32; 69 elan comments on ts lines ine folowing term "adies and gelemen please ae note newould lke to be e Mdusas head' in orde to copehend atwhch is naual as at whc s narul, by means of art! (192; 372 And he ads, a ite the on, ou can see, wheneve artak an appean . [the pompou one cannOt be gnore

'92 33; 73)Behnd Bchne's en stands Bcne hiself But behndBchne thee s e hsoica (lieay hsoia) Ln Rnhoenz te autho of the Not on te Theaer ' Behind hm, nu the Abb Mercer wi s pas"Earsn lim."That swa narism's m d'rdan coans "e soca an polroos of Bcner's ougt 9 32 7), is scacel imortan heBUI n most geneal sense, ton from hstorca nscripton ancontext, En lmtels the ve secret of ar i indcaes ar'smoveen-and e obscue wll pdng over ths ovmentor animaing i from wthn At wants to epan f; clamors1 be epaned. t wants ts dierence rom the tings and bein

ofnature ece. n a way, hat whic is arts own, "poper o artI to he Uumc/u) s he tenency to mtgate dierentation,d in so dong invae and conaminae everything r medateverythng according to LenzBchner's dalecical formulaton(naure is onl naue by eans o at). Thus, to "sown /rthing. At s, the word can be rsked generalied nevendng

47

stangeen-the Medusas hea the robos, th spechesithout en

Wen he brngs up s theme Can knows he s echong vercien rus about at So ancent that the pce even he(atonic) phoopil dsgnation of mm an s executono appopaion s represenaton repoducon semblance, o

smulation mitaton. An Clan no onl acs as an eco, aing e "lsens o e nose pessteny 19 33 3), bur seems olend t a vorable bngng back along w te ruors teol fea and cndemnaon of he imetc whc n be and asbeen conjone wth the intediction aganst epntaton) AlHeidees sength is equiredan even that may not suceto dipate th vl au of te Uum/u to l the aml anddemonic to e lev of re "aeonic Not smpy succumb,opposng i-n te en aecticaly-to te H -Hmche Zhas ven the Hkhr al the gus and vau o teown, the la, the "at home e natve land, and so on-theway Celan ms to o when nar the end of "e Merdan, hearks the cose of the poec ouney a E,UAHmkhr" "And o omecomng (1 39; 8)

An t s ue that for poery what an opposes o seems tooppose to UhmCu to art a eas "a as Launaywoud say) s under varou nams, he own-e ownbein esl or "I, even e he of sngua (he, enz n himselfand nOt Bchnes Ln), the son Clan aso cuious calsthe gure (Glt) 94 34 7) r, o use a word whcthough borro m Bchner o not ack eigo ronancethe crature 97 36; 7 Neverels, epite apearncs, t snot smpl e subjt in e metaphysca sense at s a issue

ne word codenses al hese names he human dI Mshu.he human, ot an. And n the huani of an But the huan as wha aows thee to be one man or anoe- manthere singuarin the hee and now, says Celan e huan,then a the sngula esence (a pue oyoon, pilosophilly unteabe) e sngulary of an or of beingman t is Camille n


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Rnmbrng Ds

T Du fIon as Lcile peceve him when he dscouson art n he dos no sten (0 wha he says bU hea hm himpaculry. for lange s somehng pesonal, somehing pe-pible" 89 3 70 Or her we suspe. it is ucile heself." one who is lind to a (189 3t 70 u who sll peev(J wjJ etun o this word

The Uim estrangement, is estangeme of he human

taken n this sense t aect existence. undo it ealiy he Un-c dpte what Can's fomulations mpy d not openp an doman It takes us outde he hman" (19 3 7,bu opens up a domain rned towad hat whch s human" E-isence sef bu made stange": he human fees out of pa[nimlicJ (192 3 7) Life in a o in ight of a. life in thepeocupation with arteven more simply, life benmbed andcaied o by art, what I would cal fe in mimesis o rpreseaon s he lfe n which oneforges oneself" 93 33 73) The result is tha Ln gets lost in his speeches (on liteatue hatCamille and Danton SpoU gand phaalthe way to the ffold And that he Revoution is theae Again, the motif of eloquence And damazton

But n ety eoqence pced drmatiaton and provd aeon for it: heate and thaiclizd exstene only RTuthere s dsco. O ather, duOmilg. This means ha the U-ili is naly a matte oflagage O that aguag s helos of he Uhi, if indeed suh a ous exss n oherwords angage is wha age" [he human. No ause t ishe oss or fogetting of he singua snce y denition langageembaces generalty (his is a fue efain and an od motif deved from so-called phosophies of exstence); becase ospeak to et oneself be caught up and swep away by speech, to

rust language, or ven, pehaps, to be coent to orrow it or submit to t, is to foget onesel" Language s not the Unumlic/.though ony language coains the possbli of he Unmche.ut the Unemcheappears or aher, sets in {and no dout it isalwys aleady there)omething turns in man and displaces hehman, something in mn even overnsIZ perhaps. o uns

Cttph

ound, expusing him fom the hmanaong wih a cetain poe n anguge the atisti" posture if you wll. o the mimec

ha s the most naua posture n langage. as long one

think or pendetand language a mimeme n the inniterpposes f the arsc" and he natual" n lingistc ms-psion, he Uhei is nally forgefulness forgettng whos when spak, whch learly g wth forgeng 10 whom

speak when I sak and who lsens when I am spoken to Adlway hus prmpted. fogeing wha s spoken o

The motif offorgetfulns and turnarond versal indicat

here that he Unluimclu,ecase of langage. is the caastropheIofIhe human13 And hs expains ha poetrywhat Celan cals

oetryo ies to save wth the name ofpoetry emoving and pre-

seving it fom atis, every time" the iterupon oflanguage:

uciles absud ong live the King!" (189 31 70) cried out in de-spa ove Cailes death, and above al enz's terile silence"(193 3S 76) he silence that fragments chnes narrative, Stpsit (and top a nldng natualism) bu which aready eng-maially sgned s pesence in a phrase without gandilo-uence ha says the ataStphe's mt secet essence now andthen he xperiend a sense of neasine ecas he was not ableto wk on his had (95; 34 7).

The nteruion of langage, the suspenson of langage he

aesra (counterhyhmc rpre" ad Hdein)14ha sp

ry then "IRobed) . of eath and speech" he urn of

reah the "rm a heend of inspiation" (195; 33; 76). Poey oc-

urs where lnage, conay [0 al epectaons gives way Pe-

ciselyat inspiion's lingand ths can be undetood in at lat

wo senses O even moe precisely at eained expaion, the

reahholding: when speking(iscoursing) is aou t contnue-I

ndsomrole, sddenly fre fords what was to be sad When awordoccrs inthe pre sspenson ofspeech. Poety s the spam

o syncope of anguage Hlderin caled he caesua the pureword6

Would it seem, hen that poety is appopiation. of speechnd, indissocialy of the human? Yes, in a sense And would this


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memng Dts

mea that potry s popely spee, beuse spech aess o e"pesc o( the human? Yes, agan; his s ideed what la wn he commens o Lcle's og live he Kng! whch hecalls-not wthou phlosopi an polcl risk-a coune_wod

After al te ws spokn on te patfo the l-ha aword!

It is a countewor, a word ta es e wr. a re tobow befor te "loitees d pade oe ohso. It is an ct o(frdom t is a step

o be sure, it sounds le an exprsion o algianc t te ancenrie-and tat migt not b a coincidnc, in viw o( wa I amventuing to say abou e subject now today Bu tes wordpleas alow one wo lso gew p wit writings of PerKropokin and GUta Landae exp t mpsiz te poites words are no a cebration o e onacy and a pst wicsold e pesved

They ae a ibue to te maest o t absud, wic bars witno mannd's ee nd now

a adies and genleen, as no nivrslly recognze naebt it is, I beie poet. (189-90; }I; 70)

We sou o be oo quck-let se Cela's ow polcalcaricao as a model-o ess e uneiae phiosophoedeeiaion of s emas is woud be ing he 1in. It woul aos be comtng e an jusce

Wha elan cals uce's counewod des o popely oppose anythg no even te speecs delee efoeanCamle a Daton's gand phras a e foo of he scol.Not ee discours i genel he counewo appoves nothng ehe says nothg n vor of the monacy is no a polical wo-or ven anacic one It s absud does not meananythng Bu ths oes no mae t neutal or f so we woulhave agee on e meang of he tem I s a gesue It s acouwod only o he exen s such a gesure and pocees,a Bchne says, fom a dson he ges of dying o decsono de. By shotng og live the Kng ucile ls hesel Hee

" ,Ctp 5

he word s scal; it s as Hderl said o Gee tragic speech,deadlycal . . . [it tuly ls pr provoon t sgn e decisio o ie) u a mode othe han sgncaion Itsgnes who sinng it is ac an en thogh I woulhae somwa to us e wo peforave)

ere s e scene:

L ee IIZN. e?UI. ong ve KingIIZE n h nme of te Rpbic

Se s srondd by the WH and ld away

If ucle's cy-poy-popey says what s proper o the hman, we must undesan he pope hee as beig le e ofow eah In e conerwor o ahe hroug e counteof he counerwo, the possbly of death esoluely opes upas does somehng ie what Hedegge cas, with respec o Da-, ts ownmost posbly d fm tha po o exse

ar Cs wordse and dieton 188; 30; 69). hat s, lbty Excly le h sy openng as an abyss benah enz

In 1c e t sence the uan say stenceno bcuse aes e opposng couse o discose o bease iups e u"m/" uod the ttrpe of angag ecatatophe hat s anguage) poey s O a casope of aaophe B use agg3V3 he aaophe ise i is onegh say, lraZ.I hs s wha he gue of Le signs eisence sueny eeased at e heght of casophehe otal's sudn elaton of hmse as he one whose existce s on the ayss-he botomlessnssof he heavens

hs is whyoet does not ae place outside at in some elsehee supposed o be he ohe o at o o s srangenes taeslace n the stnge place l And ifn says of this place hat s the place whe a pson [succsJ n seng hmslf fre, asestangedI 95 5). we mUS not lose sght othe c he daecl st of such a rea vey close a t ap


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Remmbrng Dus

pen ol('linian fomua(on hal he I wch [ lan f tf wich Mcome ome whc perhap eve op 0

hav eached te occpabe ea, h I te viciiy ofea, sience a iy I s i fe ef he vod If ei ppprao t a Hden ayma Oe co amoa [at t oe o ae pace c-a hat poey doe otcur e i by de e art gea macin e vey erece o at om te o te tgee to efoftagee AI te gabe he o te UJke.

Th expas wy Bcnee poe n[ te poeticacaon ca eve be te ovoy paadoxic oppotunity fo he:empt ay he eece o poetr a t ca at in qeto

A I mst ow ask if th wos of Go Buch, the oe of all livin beis o ot cotai a has m has only haf coscios, o that accn no les aical-o fo isly hat n he most asic ss a radcacaignOquo of a? . . Aalinoqsio, to which all comoay oety mst if it is o conie osi sions? To ehe a anticiate my

slf somewha: may w fm a

somehi v, somhin o akn foat, as w oe oe; shol w, i con te ao alllet s yw Mallam hs oic concsion? 9 } 7)

i o expains ut revere wy Cda ce wh what dic" 20 8; 80 o ay mpssibeto gii he at page he peak o te "impossible pa" te "pahof (he impobe" orc to e a obe agage Now (heagage of mpe oppoto wch itog oiheangage o hope poet udetood as eg at eg te enofa)

Phas ehas oy, i the compay of he I whch has forO isel als th same ath as a, towa h w mym:rous [lch] an al [d). A oce aait we?b wha lace? bu how? as what_ sets self fe?

n tha cas a wol be h ah tavll by oeyntm a hi less (19}9; 33; 7)

Cutph

Now in te m of icly te anguage o he mpobe

teagge of ece wch ot ioncay te agage of

depa poey eSod a e beato ofar art ever doe

wit

oey i i a rofeh Who kows erhaps oeyals s ahwhih is so th path of afo th e of sch aah ? Phas it scce, sc sass

{ Fha is, ayss ad th Msa's ha, h ayss ad th oots,m l n th same oehas t sccs h i ssh bwe staee a strnns, has a sely hiso th Msa's hea shivls, erhas h oos cse to fcto niqe, Ri momn? Is has at his poi, owth th Iwi e est I f a thpo n is eas a this oi a h st f?

P he m assmes is ow ieit as a l and is accoily t avl othe ahs, ha s, th ahs of ain anan his aless afe ma

Phas. (956; 5; 76

O yet an t me he mot mag (hat to ay emot epeate ho pobe ut always wit tabe ony

a n, I hav rec h ccoI hav eo h ng

/! This qio cms s wt s msti [U",h/ ew n o I aoach Buche is comaylblve I wol oc an n h

I aso ha a answ ray, a "Lcia cerwo I wane e st oosio, I wa o he wih mycoaito.

Exa a?No B accomay a int yur w uniq lace of o scae

Andst yolf fHe, OO, yo esence, I ha aele hs ath It was a

cian o mst as icl h Mesas hea, mchai7ao,

oos the mysio$ iistishale, an i th ehas holy strgs I d-a lis o (2; 3; 798)


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5 "brjg

I th dic ca eve be made, f tere Xi the slgestposbl of a epaato o poey, hen we mst thk of tis dfence ad his sepaato as inenal to a tse nside a p0et woud sucd-hapsin widawg rom a it wodeit a wthin a Thus we ms th, in a's geatt itmayad this intimay ise of a sot of spacing o iatus sretgapng Pehaps inmahe "eart of the same-is always

sch a gaping a e possbily for the sme be itsl and to joinwth telf o tsef; the pue-emp-aication ote samend pehaps fo at he Unhd) ts intmae gapg woudbe pecisey wat ceaselessy "esrages he sangee of at othe sange): pecisey he caesra of a he spasm-uve! hady fet-of the strage n whch se poey wold o be, narroutsideofa, the Raw o ilg o ar, ofl agage let S sayslece Bu rathe e pa of a (of laguage) Hece the aggavaio o e catastrophe whch is, stctly speakg a revolt (Lcie nz)

Ths is why poery i it eve occs occrs a the rutal revela

to of the abys at contans ar lagage) and nevertheess constittes it, a sc, i its stangeess. oety akes place, n akepla, in art Bt this pae s o aplace Te plae o poetry, epace whee poery aes place eve tme, is te pace wioutplace of te inimate gaping-somethg we must cery conceve o as te pure spacing wich paces (do ot) suppose adwhch pols them wth no hold

No dobt this is wat Cea igoously alls opia

odeta! t liht o tat whih is be tudd: lht o

upa

Ad ua e? A all liv U th lig. 199 3 79

Poetry by this accou, can be caled the abyss of ar (lagage): maks at (laguage) abysmal. n ses. hs mode of occurence advent s "proper t

ut t dos O{ occur if eer t does occu as Poety, eve if af

Jb

terwad an wth dculy eogied suc "he absoltepoemno, t does ot exist, t no eist (199; 38; 7) t occus, the ee ime he tme o twntme of the caesura, a ope, a a poem, hat is o y a wod-singua, uniqe occu i his uie Reeting mome (96 5 76), i teistat (Agck he wn o an eye or e eads incliao(Cela sp ofe nge of nclination o . . isnc 97

7 n e bk of "reee, o the "fe act: i he insant o thectatrope he evo-the convero of the I a opens to xisence nd allows he uman ae "place withi t

his insan makes a date each me-t s daemaking hepoem emains md of dates:

Peaps oeca a at eve pom has t "20t ofJaua ap Ie ovelt of poms that a wtte toa i t b fond ecsely th pot that ere te atemp i most ealy mad to remanmdl uch dat?

U we all ot desded fm sc da? A wih datesdo we arbUe orslv? (9 ;

a way ha die ltogehe om he stdrd pron, andus in is sronge sense, poey s On pO21 s on thisacout [ht t eeps, i yo wl, a dat egister o a it is eseac poem aer poem, for the daes a I can ribe o elfCea plays on Jb "o wte and z whose pima maing s "to note on an acco) is t e memoofves, ta is eac me o he singla hog ly notqe adven into existence. Ye ths memory is no pe kewise, thee ae pobaby eithe pure eves no pe adves teya numes, epeatable pompted in advance by anguage Ththe singular iqe wod s precely, no nque: the pom s al

ways aleay carred away the pomJ whic s to say in the inte approimaton of eisence tha s a and language Waeek or absoute vocatio assgs o accods tself a regards estece (he human) poetry s lagage t speak U he poem,ays Celan, "does spea It emas mndul of s daes, buitpeak 16; ; 6. oery is thus the memoy of daes USt


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i D

I s lt t oeve the eoute its see o mystey(Gti",ns; a word n whch the Htm of he near nd hown, ofth iar ad iimate stl rsoate).

ha s pehaps he most ng wist of The Meridia" (themomen whe Celan recognzs hat, aer a, the poem dospeak" even f1n t own ndvdual cue" rhe Oil, nddhe l abrpy apas o eplace he esewhee and heaien whch nil his po had been he only ems i qeon. Its hee ha he ecouner is decided in is eece and possbiity

But I thn-and thi thuht a scarly com as a spse tyou-I hnk that it ha always lnd t h xptatin f thepm in prise hi mannr t pa in th cs of th trane_no I an n log se thi wrd-in pril ths mnn-o saki O-ho knos prap n th a O

h wh nos at whi I I h arvd i th oly thn cn ad-on my o hr tda ld etatis

Prhap, I mus nw t mylfd hs pint I am ags fa wllnwn m-prhap t i nw pble to ne amin f is Mholy he and a hr wh is ot r mvd wih s v pom t p o at a ntlie a reatr whn ntd with sch hougs (969 }}67677)

Ths s n contray [Q h oe mght thnk a foced psage" A most on e path" h ever sOpS closng o comingo ohng or eadng ak to the same po t is an aempt a anew learig We already kow tha at any rate here wl e nopasage Th Meda.

Nor is this a simple professon of faith"; the who kows,"whih s isef (a whch I see I have ow arrved"), suspendsh precedes it n any case it leaves ope the uesto of existece or of h possbilty of the whlly other" thus desigaedMoreover the justicatio for reouse to suh an epesso s [selfpacularly disree ad eseved; there is o a word tO mayad thng to Raer h old expeations" tOO muh.

Cfpt 59

V hs sd how s henconter decided i the sstttion ofahery fo sngeness? Ad how s suh a susrituon possble

h ogic we have aeady seen a wok is stl h same aastroph d paadoxical peakng ts own name or is own ndividual cae seng the language of sngulait of an id-vduaton whch is adcal" he poem hopes, h always hdprecsely n hs manner, in laguage (hough s so dicuhtoreach),t spek i he cue ofhstrange," in th me of thestange and the len. Tha s, touse, i and oe's own poper

langage, e lien language he lagage ofestangement C's

brual eves here of the movement which p to hs pon has

strateed hs gait s smpythe sig tha between pope ad ot-

pope ea ad fa, milar ad stage, he ehage is always

revrsble and fo [his reaso evr opS; it is Ot xed ad has

o dtermied decton. At the vey heart of strangement or disrappropatio, by way of a eigmatic ope o u, appopra-

tio ocurs. Bt ths also meas ha suh an appropraontkes

place outsdethe sel The appropriaon [he sigua appropr-

aon s O he appoprao of heselfwithi itsel he lf

or the sigua reaches itselfwthinSCfoy ouside" Reap

pyngone oHedeggers formuas we cn say that he otside

self s the self's ogn is thus for exampe that the lat

poem ofDiNmwurl, I der Lu" ( the) dieElt-

wete (he disned) ae descied: hemgekeh nI den

heimche Bannstahl de die Verstuten versammelt" re

turned home into I heunhomely anishmentIwhch gthes up

h scatered nes" GW; 20Ad i c, he volte or evoh of appopration dos not tke

pIu.The he and ow" of sngula existece s immeately a

elewherean aher time a date whose memory mUSt be kept)

f appropriato occurs, we kow it s i utopa itsef. his iswhywcmt substute fo rhtopologal dvisio ofhe ad srage,

r ad rwhch ievitably asgns placesthe uoaabe d

\'isod[ee or alreity. I n the pace (wthout pace) of the

lsewhere, an other occus, that is asingula estet n whose


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Remmbrig D

r og ld uwi thisw kp p lain

An the secon:

id hina

di wadd lrgali Mit Getnm,l i dir z, lstd mir U inandrlln, wiridur

Dlbt n

vrlrn dt g, d

at u

. 1

nd my wayOU

o is wndring mppial midt p ll y, y

t m lln wyrm thr, w thrg

Onand mlt u

ad mrgtn u en t m_

e sso of he othe he wholy othe fo e n the elsewhre h rc e hoht oference

And this hoght in urn pemis oe to hk of snglaiyahe

secret-we coud also y the im-of the encuer.Wat

Ceaclthe ecomer is ths fs he holowg out, the nt-ate gg o snga. The ecoue s the og timae

aodg to whch sgla beingexss. Th s why onec

ayof he poem whch saloe h t so plae he s

te of a ecunte I s lso why Cela cn say he olowg

when he evok e the ed of he Mea" the o OU

whch he satwe fro a'20h of Jaay"hecta-

tphic"quatrain I hav aladyced e o u d to s"

ad he Gespch m Gebrg" (Coeato he Montas):

I ech sace I state o wte rom a '2h of aar, y 20th fJa 1 ecouee ysel" 201; 3 81

It s e a e eoe () he e of s( of coss fo" o s}s," ees o eoae ae of ooso. hs cetaly ses e the y Cl derSs whe he e the oc t aeto eceo," aoe:

T pm wnt t a t Otr, it d s Or t nd vivi t r it ot nd ddi

Ea tig a r s a rm t Oh r th pm, a itmk fr t Otr.

T pm mpS py ul ttti rytg it n-unt i h nr detil utl utur land l t mvmt nd t ggti.Th ar, b-i{V nt qualt gaind y n ye mptig r cprtig witmhal vi w r ntinully bing bugt a igdg prti N it a ntrti wi rmn awr all f r d . .


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66 Rmrjg nu!

wc arady upd down d awy ltas r wll

I kow,I kow d yo kow, w knew,we dd ot know, wr h aer a, nd not tee

ad at tme wenonly thevod st etwee us we Ote way O eac er

Of ouse ela is ot sayg time isl but raher seag ofthe ohe who s ee sta a Ratcula othe h! tin.The\poetC act (he oem) s a sguar eerece, he dalogue s a sigula dalogue Ad this is of ourse what dstgushes poetyfrom though prope from he exercse of thought eve ad specaly) if poety th Bu I do o th oe ca mae ths aagumet s does a bt hasly vor of who ows whampoae "beyod of otoogy; i favor of a athos here

sicty coceved) of the ohewse [ha Beg8 aiy etc questog egis with a sgla addr: to the oher Cjgd a "you. But hs addss to the you s a addr to thealey of he you-of oher; s the addess obscurely arsefom may from the timate derece) o the eg of heothe, whch alwys s ad ca oy be Beg How could oespea at all if Beg was o vov? hee s o othewse thaBeg, us oce aga oe uderstads Beig as beg admsss i the othe pecsey ts tei Poe's yousayg amig S way of Begsayig othe tha that whch prolxelogs o hough but sl a way of "egsayig It s possbe

that aother spae opes u fom such a amg o that amigsheds a dfeet light o he space oeed up y ay sayig. oeress ths eidggr uses Hlderis word: the holy Hi-lge). Uut the other space o the space o whch a deet ligl sshed is ! beyod Beg The epeiece of he You the ecouter opes oto ohg other tha the epeece of Beg:

Ctnp

of the othg of beg-whch ea desgates pecsey

ldels tes o es) a oeess emptess, fee

dom I aga quote he decsve age

Whn ak wth thg mer . way nd sad wth [h quo f er wc ad w Ih h"mW Woh : a qo whc "man op ad do oto a en, wc pntS nto openne, emp. feedom-we otde t cndabl dac

Te pom belve, s t plae (99: } 9)

I oher wo oey's questiog s metaphysca questogitelf the sese [hat t s the reeto of he metahysca asHdegge udrtads I questos i the dreco of beg strascedece as such t hh Jt such a trascede is sought he sgular thig or beg t s icumbet uo poethe poem-o erceve thik) i s the wholy othe he h ad the tLls of the othe ad ohg herepemit u o smpy de ths wholly oher wth God. hat swhy l say of poetc quesog of he demad or peteso Aspch) i poems eve the leas etetous pcb tha t s at oce "spale ad cedbe Thequeso he oem carres s Luay oy asla, "obat (19; 79

In thissense he oc ac is cstatc The exorbitant s he pue 1

ranscendence fbeing. hfolows ha the oem, as a quesionng,

s tune oward he open, oeed u o . Ad he open is tsef

open, aer a fshon, to u-topa, to the plce wihoU pace fthe'adven. To put t n oher tems, the poelC act IS tasophC: n

upsetting eatin o what s an upse, n beng in he drecton a

othges the abss)

hs is jus what usties the idea that py s the iteruptoof art tha s the ierupo of mmesis Poetc a cosiss ofpercevg o repesetig epresetg 1 least accordg tosome of the ace rumos ca oly e sad of the alreadypreet What s the process of appearig caot be repesetedor if so we ms give a competely dfeet meag to epese

G l


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68 RmmriDts

raton. For pf epscmaron is oganie staing wth whaon t al Qi opan (he opaison of the aleadyp wi e ay-pescm), fo whh ase gus o ia "etapho and e op, ll the uns of phse ha ow a crain ue of languge o end s poet Mueagainst the queens of queson ng twad Being o pnethe oi opaison, nd theefoe e poet, ave o do wh

wha Hedcggc denouned s dols G and poblcaiza inng in ode (Dmkm in Molk).j Tee s nong_o wih onc n opae Beng: Being s, puely an sipnpesenale

Poey s Celan undesands t s hus n this sense e mcupon of e poe At lest, t is dened as a battle agnt dolay Al e poes, ll tha e eetvely poes se ai atnothng ohe han beng re pla whee rhe poer olapes andeos abysal he ak of poey see o be ielessy undoinge poc; nor by pung an end o gu and ope bur bypuhng e ab4 s Lule' ong lve e Kng! n theshap igh of ea suddenly ks abud e hearaity andganioquene of hso dsoues n he higy goousense he e hs n Hedcgge poe woud tu be the deonsuon of the poet ha o say, o of wa is eogn suh (ee ee s a oely foug ononraion wh he eti don and of e ponraneous poeriy of language(whih suppose he s pole gge wo)

Suh a as wih aoun o exenuating the poe peaps posibleCelan e s o say so Nevethees, i iwhat s poey iv o do It stves poey of poey Bu aso sv nasuh see t due the age o pue peeption at , eeks to epty o holow ou he age o te

queson And wat, then would he ag be? one rhe poeonenes n eobtan quesoning the eponse s: hawh is peeved and to e peived one te, one te ovc anlover agan, and only now and only hee (199; 38: 79) oeywoud us easue sef aganst he possbly of a anguage

Gfoplu

wtout age o the possly ofwhat Benjan l puelanguage ha is, the anguage of naesJ1

wo aks o lose: n ts pse exhausing oba wh a (e of of

paning bablng o aeing) hay wans o id itefof is he beaul he poes theat he beautl, and

es ae away OO beutfu, even Ceanhe butfl is obvosly coselylnked to mmis. Ths par-

tculayvisibe n Benjamn, who denes the beauf "s rhe ob-

je of expeen n rhe state of esemblance. He quoes Vy

on hs: "Beaumay eque he sevile imaton ofwha is inde-

nable n ojs"H Ifone wenr so s osay hc sevle mta

onof hat whh is nimtablin hngs," one would ea wha

make Py's ssene fo Celan, ha wat does not destnei

fo he beautiful-o fo mmes. Bu a hc same mehi pue

oxymoon he imtaionofthe inimrale ma he mpossbl-

y ofpoety. s we Cean loae hc tg

2. I o nOt now naly f "Tingen Jnnc onan e

slgh[ lluso o Moes n he inedicton agn epresena-ion. Ai know stHlerlin, more than h n beld

more [han Heeian commena ledu o think, vo he

Pariach. "A Que e Donau ("A [he Souce of he Dan-

ube") for exmpe says tis:

A thi ofyu, aleys of te uasWaev you iquy. aradises Ay tas d proes.

Mothe Asi. ad yor heroesWthot fear or te sig o te world.

HCve ad fate uo tei souldersRootd o motatos days o edWee the rst udertadSakig t GooJ3


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70 Rl"wg V

Parah phs ar nam e thos who have own anCUr dialo-wth od an would perhaps hav: ih he woly oer. An paps he wold ave nevesu ae pot tself erhaps Anhr pom m DiNng, c Wn n Vlorenhci" (v Wn an Lns) spea n ths ron I says:

i t dT le , di r Go die cnce Nc c gc waer e1r Ri e MchcnHrcn

S dukt w be h e b, lg u wchc cineier bildcrn Shc.

e hugh te w y her de God n nrnc$ e sng,I wur l ride ovethe ua udl.

e dked w erd S oc [heir wrte tey ied

? whg oeo ei beiged aggc

2 Prye

Novb 0-15, 983 Bk/

1 sad of Psalm" n Di Nmlfu hat i s a rel payerJus wha dd 1 mean

re hn, t ms to m 1 a ly aatn mwh impisn a respons n vn nw what 1 ppos isarly e h a ske

I Frs of l, I man smply hat sam," a last n enstaa s n sta pay form

Gelob sei d, NiendOi zlieb woewir bnOregge

P be r e, eor u sakewe sll

owr

h sandar frm f payr happens t nvation an addess-lauaty adrss nlike wat appns in kl's mospem, fr exampl the e Pslm" s n frmally dene; hs snd sn o a hymn n no of n over t s

7'


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4

ha ; suh dos o is namL mans o one am is o oe's nme fdelyig this rvelaton thee is a SOrtuson-whch I tink ere is; wol sa ven, a dp acSon-i y heoo, whh is Q y astphilosophy Plato i no onl dispos peple toward Christaniy; n PlaI langage our langge hat s ivine me ireversib [0 be sai Bt if an ausion of ths so is i present here it in no way phib e sang lation he lib, thatvess the poem)

o does nOt eist" is no a declaation of atheism At mOSI ix on iGo oes not XS" meant Go has never el isted." alm" SggS nhing of he so; athe, it intimat thaGo has eveal himslf to be o on"3 nee the wof therst vese, side b side with kntm, is striking:

Nnd tt us weder aus Ed ud h

N ne ul w n u f ar d a

Ths ly means ha somoe i so in [he pt; somone agod he god of craon molded us OUt of h and ay and cojrd or u. a[ lat, we h beiee so; believ atwe wee ratrs and that someone he go of this eaion, comfo u even i death. Ths dened as mortal reaUes, i wspossibe fo s 0 adrss he god who etemined or isen/in Ihis mane ut oce we DO longe dene ourselvs s motacreatures it evJO one reatd us, that weare nohing-or aher at we a a nothi," (n NJ a _W4 inthe sense of -and a e ony prae t s sll in orpower to proe i cho of he od payer, is a paye ( o one Iis reveale that Revelaton hs come ( an en ince this en

can $ in praer not that God h neve eiste but ha[ we humans have eve been will never be anhing bt othngs"

he possibiliy of he Relation is closely linke-an this hasaways ncessail been Ihe case-O e qesio of man heessence of man oon as man in his essene is nothing, ssoon as Ihe being he is can be ded-in recolleion of ngelus

iesiss absmal ose the ose of nothing" or of nothignsadmable stil like eethg hat is-wha has been ale ;Go" he ummm s revealed no onge (0 exist. n nten is aesed to is becomig onmos: he worGod did not ame ane, or in any no being i [he modeof a bing, een oe of incompaab mo than hman beng

innite, spreme and so onWe still nee to know, howeve f ( eist" s the ame hng as

o be" I mn simp that he quso o od eeds on thequesio of man Ye the qesion of man or his essenc s noWhat is man?" but rathe, Who is man Heidegger took t n

ths form from Hlrlin in a attempt o pry i away fom

Ka-to he derimet of a programmati philosophial anthr

polo The same goes for Go; the questio What is God?" will never reach o himel, in hs existene or onexistence. IfGod

is man's other, only one quesio abot him is possble. That is: !

Wois God?" Moreove, to he qson Wha s man?"the an-

swe, tday iswyardy hat ma ishesubjt This indiae

simply that man is God, or he conves.Ceans extaoinary, eobitant eor consiss of eeping

opn he on Who?" ve with p to o an even if asHeidegger says, he quetion Wo s the God is prhaps . diclt fo man n k 100 earl" e hears it snae Ithin in another poem fr N in whih afer afhion, Ihe Allan is amed:

E wa Ee i ihn, udsi grubn.

uben rbe s iihr dhi i ah! nd si lb ! er s en si l d wlle,ers tn si als ies

i gu nd hr!n i ;siwdn ni wi nn k Lid.dht i inli Sph rube


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Rl"nbrigDau!

r km n Sllc, km auch ei Strmcs kmcn de Mc c,! gabe d gr, degrb a der Wurmud d Sende do:S grb.o enr, 0 kenc, a imd0 d:Wohn gigs da's nrgcndn gng du grjbslud eh grab, nd ie gab mih dir Un am Fger erw:h u der Righeewh sd t, adIhdug.hy dug ad ey dg, o cr dywet by fr ,m, er nigh. And Ihey did not pse Godwo, so y ard, nted a hswho, so y heard, kne all hsThy dug ad head ing more;hy dd I gow w, veed o n,ou u for tem' no laguage

Thy dugThere me a l, ad her ame a stormad {he oean me

I g yo dg, ad worm d ,ad ht ngng OU thcrcs)They do oe a one, o oe, y:We id way ead we I- ohere?o you dg and I dig, and I dg towad yo,and on our fger he rng awas6

lan' qtionng ths consdes the possbli that GodI ?ug he "name "God-ha cme anonymou. he rvea

on of Gods anonym s a histoil vent (like th Reeationitse) It s perhaps the vey event, o adven of so God

ug .anoO.(, I thnk pbabe, the eelation itself) hStocy; hat s the disloion of ligiou We vry cosr to meaning of lderlins "reeat and "rtununingaway or to Niehes "God s dead

77

Neche' od is dead let u no fogt tha ae th onc Iwho klled hm) poducs owe, man' xtme self-aumptionoa a subjcte subjc of the Wl o POwe his culminats n:1ntey nec way in what I hav fond accu to call"t ubec's plunge no in I am God-Dionys; Qr pecse n he lo of he name I m alnmes (he nams of h

) For bend iehes "God s dad, te s (seculave) death of th LutheroHeglan God tat e aboute,untode nzon of Go, h abolte becong man Andts s his esurction the Abour the subec tl Can ditans hmef m both the de-findd hey O-ofhe end of t divine

On the oher hndt withdw"ofe dvine in Hldeln,

t categoral turnngaway ofhe god (t Faher who the

"e oftime) hat dw on thesn ofCek tagedy is n

no wy ead [0any ofhe guofGd's death."Rte is nQ

d; .0s, on [hecontray.lev thegodan P.tCS'h n fom the dinewt(ofJtde fo

"th immedate, igoosly cnideed is mpossbe fo moasand immortls al' Wic mean at let that he mmediacy \of he god, i pue and siml ppany,Jas tragedy aetsmans death o punge into tumoi It is t montrous (ulge-hen) upng n whch e god, tOO i ost in mans ce hsenhuim Retret s ths ncto pesev e go's "holness n the me wy tat he law command mn 10 ende tegods "awbcus only the aw help o ves Ehe m rned1 e (cstrophizd), s"hfu is the gho "pey This supposes tha epiphy always be concived as hentl momnt ofetre, o th intil test ofntude; m'sne

being i his binga-tleo!. But t lso spposs tha the divne be

ubject o the ve hstoy epphn-or etrea-ts into moton: the gods have ue away fom [heworld; peaps a god is .stl to com.

Clan is cloe to his dea. Obvouly e cant deploe thcIlack of acrd o holy names he godhe i hnng of is te Jwishgod, and he knows wh o\ewlmng ce(any whre te


46/80

Rn"embrig DtN

Jostlgi or mhos and e frenzied aempt a remythologia_on whh lderlin scapd. but wih whih Heidegge compis hmself wel beyond 193s proamaions led Germany(Europe) Nevertheless e :wh Hldern, n diec decnfro the of of the "me of sress, e hope of a regon ocome Impliiy, at lest Ne he end of he Meridian we

eadd nd geleen, I a aprng he onlsio [ a

aahig he cOcsio o . . . eonceadLenaAd hee with he n ws of he dra' I s y e

l enO, les like Karl l razos the dior o hat FirColee ril Ediio o Georg Uners llted Works andPoshos Prs whh the auerlnder Pres lish in Frankfrt a Main gyone year ago-l ycaref eio lst,like m, 1m41 Ka Em Z whm I ha hT ud a Irad "coig fo oortle hc ow he cceted aiat

B secon hoght; are Ihere qotaion ark resn nnce ad Lna, uotion rk wth an invisle $le in he dirion of he wo? d erha ders ot ere nctao scch, b her as abbit ars lisenn n,somewha iidly. on heve an he wods

Clan of couse chooss "comfoable Bu he chooses wth suoaion ark It s moeover,"wh that s a sang ponu also n he lgh of utopia -that he aemps. he says, aopoaphy chng fo ns and Franzos's place of orginseahg fo hS own one of hee places an be found; inSead,one encounters he meidian, hat is he vey lne ha conducshe poem twards he encounter

o here wil have been t ls hs possbiliy suspended before

us; a wy ofsayng "who knows?M A religon o come nd evenif.fe DirNimlmrouand ten he expici uing poi of -wdr. he referene to God is s t were, reed; even f a poeminDi Nmldsrouspeakof he god who ;'comes n, I elnwi1 never ae sd wha in readng him, I am epted o say(without wantngtoP he wods in his oh) namely i is

Py 7

al ove God's becomnganonymous is evesble Clan wllhave maintned e possibiy ofpayer

I w nng. too. of hs migtn't be ha a poem whchthus mntis he possibiliy of paye-a i oue imit, o besure-is he sign ha link and perhaps a necessay link ess

wen pay d y? T poey n ts essene s praye andconveey ha evey prayer is a poemhe second prposition appareny poses lte dcu ae

l he sole arhivs ohe dvine ae poems and n ddress o thegod more t !y other nd, equres converson n langgeor n eney dierent aiude wthin it When, n view of he encouner, Clan dedcates he poem o ateon he does no akelighly Mlebnches dention ttention s he soul's naurpaye If the dea of pryer magneizes the poems search i searly becs avocaion is here conceved s the oigin form of


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8 RmnblgDa

ogy o bing sues.13 Te efrene the holy othe, n tssuspnsve ode ( ho nos, pehaps ") s, on the onry ; queton skd to God to e dme o onto-theoo It s pesey buse he bein re tefs nhngnssno hn that te God someone ;ntr eveals msf as noonc" o nonc (ki,"). d om ere as no onc (Nimnd).

1 one ho it s l psbe to addss you du):onr 0 kn 0 Nind 0 do

he movcmcn from nothngness to you indssoiably ns emovemen of the enounter" and e movemen of God's beomnganonymo But one must so undrstand [ha it s the God,and he aone ho makes possibe the addess or appeal That she pyer God iout a name s needed n orde to nae i

orde to ay you ooke, aphapus to save nalJs.o poms evoe ths movemen f one aemps o read them

togete. The poe 50 ie Gene ( many onsClations"),{hl I have aleady uoed n pat bU hose las stanza I ouldlke to te again:

i,ic we und d .ot, wi Sn,wi wen nih wrn aund dOf[,nd uweiln nnn da Ncs zscen uns std denwig zueinde.

I kow,I nw nd o kow w kww did nO kn w

wre h and nO hand a ties wenon te d sod betn Ot he wat ach other.14

nd th vey diult poem adx, Matx

P

Wie u Stin sih, iedmir vo Abund h ncinr Him h Vhse Zude duu voen,du i i Ncu einer Nah.du n d r-Nh eggee duAr-Du

Damal h nh wardamas da u

dn Akr abshrtfst, all:

Ww wr, jcnGshl


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Rmu:wr;lgDnus

Ao1e p to Sne, likyou,m th cm frma home eme aiSle 10e, hurledtowd me, yo,ou that ong ou in the noingnes of a ngyu n te ultinght en-coutered youmult-ou:

At ha time when I w n! thee,at that ime when oupace the lghed eld, alne:

Who,who wa it thaiineg the dee that loobak ito the kyro d bu

b

?

(Root.Abham's . Je' oo o onrI-Oours,)

Yeas on sk tone ayO"wt my hns gope no ee,and nt notng, uhs what is hee:

thi ferleoil 10gp,tigong dowi n oftecrt growin wildU

Ang an ter tings is at eas s discsed: te pe

eds wih te address tse; tee exsts n a St nnatn wtut a nae, a sang. Te addess eeat eastis is ne te pe's pssbiess te vey geste ve ts nt sa, t i. su, te encnte staing te ass ntngness. Tat s, startng r dea tse n n te

deat-capabi nde ut aggavatng r avng peanen aggavaed ts, te stica ccred deat, te etenan tatng anatn (bend te t ntng r nngess, tat ptcua nthngnss s awas psnt Itw ave ipse a w te r e eabe te ungea ante atin e qestn n gene ante pattn e nkbe and te untinkbe It w aveteed tug) But t addss sene ese { ve m s necsa Q addes n i te w er, n e ve recgntn aei d awas nde te treat tat te aei igt akeeuge n s ab-sen Te u s dvded, and t s n n Gd at ne a s n n tse Te is as an Agains

yu o a Nt_u (Aber-dl), a aencdenta untansatbetat ne nds again n Zc, Zu ten Zice t nn a pe wen n e an ncer wlNe acs

Vom Zuvi wa die Re Zuweng. Vo und A-Du ondeTung durh Hll, vonJdich vondie G

OftO mch wu talk o

0 ltl. fheYouan NoYou, ofhowclty troble ofJwis fyou God16


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&brig D

Callng th You N-ou ays: i I cl yo it i t her yothat I n clng you "you; i i wolly oer, Go It iso on, wih r yor plae o on ou wo I ca a a i ie love, or paly Fro gsclig e woly e, ven s "o o ery posiii) o ares, o "pean g o o "ayigy possibiliy o

e poe as e possiliy oe-Iag [0" i geera An i ini sn ha vy po is a prayer.

lat il Cea writs la poe i ichwag

Wrk h vossend n as,shheei

dTh rnde om iht,ldi aUenebfen ah

der Vorhr,unbholb,

nhm h c as eruhe

Do n! wk hd,do no send foh,sndin it ete:

ransfond by notnnsnburened of ler,mru n hdinhe -st,novrtakable,

I make yo a homesead ofr.17

Y

t i alo tru a "une oprayr eain a praye,o te iaio o onA i "szit (IIo o 1t Ba"), ao o o Lic/IWg, i Mei Ea: Le pay t G o p a lea o Go R*ci byCla e prayer is a o G or hi Sop t pai, pur pn at e is in us an etween Or eve, o op te

agony a is agony o e: dr hh, inn,

srht nr dn irnn am fr

odes q, s.

m h hrone, he tned nrds,sk amon bows on he shoe

r of death, eaTof od.

Oe col poaly sy Ecka' pay oene to ga

t pose egree a pculatie oo-ol. Ben Btei inprS Celan' -u o i

hen ter he wd oflierion r of eh r of d Wi t wrds men wod fd of ther buren hyod noly ahe double deah od, and tht o deth lf o h dhs a ln Dh n elan is a md form ofth vine n H oms eiv m dth the ene o , es d he bly the wod mnet, deh is eirstrn ole Wih he deah of death, a unn n s ehdthat ods a new h as pm n Lh"gydsthe formla nsfondd b nohnnss nbudeed of aU rar t s nmbent uon the oe o aet his w fodao nd n! to ee no a dsan world

u w shoul o early unera i is way, i oly a Earts ormulation r rucate, oi or ivert,i reove ro h proply iatia syntax i oiginaly posssd let us pay o Go p u ear o Go elan's


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90 Rememberng D'

tics. B Can, n a rtan srt way one mght all lusvesms sublm dp hmself We mUSI n det onto lan thpathos o some o hs eades Ad w mus no org even nan's own pathos-or t s (h dspte hs lapiday ormulaon and td phrang-the sor oJwsh joy" [Fdj, helght almos slnt augh pehaps he ounerpa o what savs

Hldcln rom wallowng n h ag: anoth joy o ahe asny n the seouness o hs though)

Fom Kant and th Kanti heory o he sublm L. etans h onept o negatv prsnaon o he dea On hebs o his onept hs ormula or h sublm s pnng thah unpsntabe xiss

am no e ths omula s rght and the way think landals wh th quson o he psnabl and the unpresabl onrms my unanty

Bluntly P this ormula has two Raws t spara out the unpesenable posng ts sten somewh byond preseon)

and n so doing it subsantazs o hyposatz By deniononly th psenrabl is pnd Thoe th unpesabl isuh a hng xsts anno present sel t dc s lke thewsh God n h Hglan anys o sublmty bakng thughpsntaton isl nhlating or ts geate dalet) gloyW woud hus nd to think aodng o th ontohologi)ouine o ngativ prsntaon tha there s prsentaton no ofwha s beyond prsentaon but th th s somhng byondpsntaton n whh ase th presenaton woud nda nwhat s psent o nsoar s s psent s beyond

But his beyond is nhng t s n a pat ofth unpesenableAt most on an say nauraly nough that presntaion s ansd rm h unpsentd But the unpresntd dos 10 equalhe unpsenabl ee s wha happns whn presnaton atempts ndia ts byond o aher th baseless) base pure1hngnss o pure opnness om whh detahs tsl a prsenaon in or lvel with pesntaton h dn o th prested m presnaion psnts sl Den docs not mean

Sublme 9'

nadquaon a a lag pa o modn at prhaps nvtablyholds o modn at ulvatwhat s no bautil that s Ihmple oppos o h baul aodng ts asl dntonh aduaon o om onten Nor dos t man h eduono pntaion to the purty nherent n the phrase h s prtaton the whte squa o he mnmal that s th nd pont

o ngatv holo Bu does mean the dsappoinmeo pretaton o mo broadly th dsappontmnt that he penab:1. h baselss base o pesntaion s ndiad n h vey duty o prsntaton; t does not ome natually t s ndatdn a sot o ntenal deentaton o pesnaon o ventur tosay a h hat o the vy o psnng ndated n a man or is ndd a mat o styl) o mng appent the nonapparng tha undpns o mor exatly whdws d enlosests n he mdst o pesnaton n a manner o makng appant h hatus o pesentaon o trng the ea tha i s orM

Modern ar sublme at th ar ae Ih nd o a shows

th pan o presnaton t s or ould be joy slo srny


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4 Hgogpy

Deber 18} Strbou

a throuh th i de L'Hee vlume n eidg haMichl aar Sn me Gdame's t-a sr memre"-eds th llown way:

9

Amog e my pgrms who n! p Todtnauberg P3ul elan.tOO pad a isit oe day O e ikr; om ther eo, a pom for thought a psutedJw a pet who lid not inemay bt in Pis, ut a ema poet noetheless risks sh avis o witho t SOC anxiety He must hae een greetd y tham fo th " (A at was th little nr pp


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Rnbi"gOnu

intiay itl th imia diniarion of th bing. Toughti dieentiation, a byond wat i, copond to a big (I'1 by naig what by nang hl by naing who O[ (God) Fo thi on lagag no, i i cpy and ipy big (lnm); yt h ;1 laguag, o angagxit-k th poibiliy of ang (addeig whch i

clo to o oigin tan any fo of "conication gagi th Oh in an; it coitt h a an hil1 Ma donOt ha angag in th n of sion o ppty; langagi what i pp an a hat a onttd bginingw angag; no at (o th Otay; agug opt a ang dipoion attacting awiin hfotid of ) Th i th Oiof "pptio (Vr-h).ngag th nc, h inhan nc, of an it i hiinhaniy

Tu lagag cn b codd a ogi. NO[ a od iaodig to oothological $uctu ablid i t li of th foh gopl'E Qxf 0A But hat by wich

an i caly lad o oth, and thc to whollyoth o tha od i ot lagug b it ppoition, o at latwha iitbly daw i It i phap wat h bn cald ,anma, th o povid wod cy no o o any bStanc at is, o ay bjct d, ' :dUt;o .snoclgbut &2pig of c ig ibg. Lgag i ir iimo motha ontohology ond with God

o that ight follow hi: w po accoplh it tak,which t p if o th ogi oflangag a a tat i bydion iibl; wn it tain to dig ight to angagpobiliy a m dg of inacib ad ooa gapng poty o add

And o a would [hn follow ti: i God xit, h t aa pang big, and h ilf bt O lagag h ctI hat h i now ilH ha h ha cd O pak phap dli f th itibl agntizao h cat i lagag; it d

71" Po ofNamng 97

l o pay n igh hn ach igh of a wholy othot whic phap wha Cla dd glip i th nd, andha ad h dpai


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6 Pan

Perhap all ve ever doe movc bak and forh mor or leunwgly, bewee two or ree paage of Hedegger' U- Spd (Olht Way L whh I reently eeadae a abnae of Oh eadng:

Expr

c mns lu atqu obtai somthg a

l

th way

ehg by gig o a way

To de pric wh me a thg, a prso oa - i smtg stri , cm ovhms a sfom .Wenw k f"udro a xc, scicay ha he epeee of nma ; t d h m tha we ed s it it sks ad sbit 1

BUI t or jol t joy (h mo p h sadss sumigwithiit Th d th sadns, th mo smmoing th oy cigwthi l Sads nd oy pay io ach oh. T pay itsf whchauCS th two by tting teoe bnc nd h na rote

is pn 1is s whyolh ighs oy ad dpest adns,ar pafu) ac iits wa But pain so hs thspitomls tt sp gaviy mpan. That grvy kps moas wit a wavering at eSI n thei being. Th.spiit whc_ alwers topn tspir auned by pOin and tn s.melancholy3

But wat is pa ai e is th i Bt it dos Ot tar apat

P 9ito spsv agms. ai dd tas sud it spaS y5 ha a t sam tm i ws eeryh l ghr it to its s i, a spag tat hes s a he m lim thadw whic, ik he pedrw of pa seh daws adjoi togthr what s hd apa spato Pa s t ogag rdig hat divd gaths ai is t oiig ofh . . P os th i of dc a s th f-frcits

I oneng ex thnk of e paage from he leeo Jge Z Si, whh happen o deal wt lne andmerda (Jnge expe the z meda." y whh eean he body of hl odeed by edeer to e anmoale barrer) I hk of e page n whh edegge peakng of i s work o the negave and pan heegel dale ugg tat and have a mmonoo I dly mae whehe h te or no Te ea thata on more e han phloophy made he hegh of phloophy log, tat te hough of pa a edegger

e eun o he motf of pan n reag of 6derln Ggeof poe a re ndon at n t ugent to py he eene of pn a of anguage away fom negave. laorou nd ele deo a t ugent hk of derene oer ha egatve Had I en apabe oft I wou have own tat n th ene Cela' pot a poeyfpan; I wold have hown tha ta ym

ere oe page U zr Sprh; onenote d h one we I ead rang no bel, however n. y memory)

y b osm wo is ot ao if "ot ao mas Iapa( sigar wthot ay ppo Bt t is prcsy th absc it es of somhg i commo whic prsists as t mostbdig bd / it som n osom s t Gotic sm h:k m ad t Egsh s Lsom mas t sam iw unit hat wich bogs togtr


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V


59/80

8 V

2 984 (Tbingm)

With R.L on {he bank of e Nekar. nea he oweSoe ie ago, Bonagcm, an enave who pous lx

eiios o book, lise a oleon o "qotatons Sui' aopanie by etings an ed ur Bu eyon o ahe, efoe aeote, I hink ee of Clan's

izi J wol lean o aout is n Ne n Feuay18,

rig a oveo wi rna Bshenstin) I a:

The prisone f a d but nbdere pe I am sked in by neddy nd th wing (he iln, I rght b f a Um whh I hae tred in vain (0 mve y: rembln, vn nmy ow ys rmbln repetitve ld m inap3le f silen ndinple myself f eiter akng hi mask o identiingth sat.

hee s a senene In he Meia ha I haven' ae I ays:

ie Dhng, mcnc men nd Herren-: die< Unndlisphng vn lute teblihkeit nd mns

Blanho tansaes:

Pety dies nd Gentlemen he d f the e the wd fvin det nd f le Nting

V '0

Du ouhe

anvin i te nnite f p mlity and he ddeer

Wy ouhe syseaiay eliinae es a Gen-een fo he Meia?)

Jean Launay

Pety Lds nd Genemen- hs innite d h1 trat nlyha is mrtl nd l4

A i I ventue o ansae

Py, and Genlcmen- ha nnite seakin f p mtiy nd the inva.


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B

p 1984 Barcena

Blinde:

den rhenn Agenle da:

n (he eye al awread hee'

This is he t vrs of he pom L globe," n Die Nmu- h pm ends hus

dfnes lo.

.06

edachwese noch wgge, nchsh zurck

hn.en he h weeedged, nohngheld bac

L

p1 1984 dalbe

Hidcgger

hdl BU e s nOnOhng; er { p e, whch rs apppaed, he hdden llnes nd wlh of wha abeen and wh,

h gaheed s pesncng. of he vne n he wod of he ,n prophe Jusm n he pachg Jess Ths nolnge s nsel a ny o he veled aal o nexhSe n:1

n

Von enem Go! deRc, ch spachen hn, chle He, ch hehoen>sen h&hsICS umhes, snhadendes W

Den Ag sah r sh hnw,den Mundprh sch dem Aug ch he

wssen ja ch, we

0


61/80

.

'08 RumbgDn

w"wmn j nht,

git

Ofu G or tk I okgant h. I

lei t he tht I hadhop:fh hght deth-tted hqeng wod

Yor ooked o ood wyyor otho it wy the eye d I hed

Wdon't know, you knowwdont knw, do we?

whtcou

he pat indd ears is nae; W but tewad, 10 ge o the chaet we sl have 10 wak acs elds nte snow e nse of e mechanica s lift den't tO untilabout ve 'cock)

Thee ha been much nc cmmentay n the path motfh HoI U Wr, and so n. mc forustc cham But where in phispy and even outside philosopy (in Eastern thoght, fr example have peope pictuedthoght as ther than a path? Fom Parmenides and LTz t/ I:cr. dont emember w Old me tha JD. did a seminarn ths sbject sing te shrt text I had me r ess estblshed"and tanated with Rge Mnie: e Faw In Sacred Naes"lIn it, Hcidegien an aphoism on Grtght "A atve mehod jE

lan could not il [ thnk of eidegger and he path mtif

Ld

when wring Te edian," and even Te Bremen Speec."o only pet tsef (al poems but aso the thgh f poetyappea there as pat. Some people ave of coe obected to methat ths motf is relaed to Benamins tinearies," to hs pseftheand the Baudelaran enconte" But I do no tinkthis connecon is coect f Benjamin s o be fond in Celan

and e iswe shld nOt loo for im here I remain convincedthat the diage" wih Hedegger is crtical, at east f he sseofptys sence That is wy the enconter of196, in this veplace took n such importance n Celans eyes

m he beginning I de a ule f myself that I wld notecnt the stoy of this enconter and is aftermath. r at Iwold dige only hngs hat Celan imsef had said and athad been recorded in vaious paces s n fr me [0 say me. I can at lea repOrt on a tet that W passed along [ mean aicle at ap de nt kow when wha he gaveme a cpy f the manscriptin the iJc Vob' The ath s Robet Almann an edtO friendy wi

ean rompted [ write by a seies of arices pblised in heZric it1 n n of Heidee and in parca by a ar-ticle by eda Alemann on Heidees elan t poety Almannsimply peen te

: wh e oe f the pce i the Bk Fotwhere Hedegge pyed ho he oet n the ring of t967, ped n nt in 8. Ee, I hd pubhed e colecto wt engvn by Ge Celn nd


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Rmbg DaU

onan tip n f. Bt a w wth l ech wod hds aworld o mag and deas a, bal o the c s a on anuy smmer eld Roefd a edcna pant the sck man's hopeoce and conolaton War dawn te s-cown (owhch s sma we ght to a U hen comthe])ms n hB A1leann e the epectaton o the oet coe, n the ene o K1ests poet o the t I

le howeer, that hs ewpont dos nO n Cans non whch w to ask and , he qeston o h hlosopher poson vv Ht tn Cean wr:s othng n the get book 3oU! te hope that Hdgge wll explctlydstane hl om h s arler attde ha a dobt shold saolowng hs qeston onnected wt ho> s evdent n the poesdescpton n a sdden chnge o lape the mash the neenelds th dap and mddy paths scced and ndo the age ospngtm and hope he dalog wessed b the anonoschaer s then tansmed nto a ng, as alwas n Celan;h w abe to cte a ol and gndose work o the tagc bn o hs ee le

Hd leer ndeed aode the ccal qeton The rdmng pon d 0 coe Nethels or the poet ths enonte was an neo eX>rence o ge mpotance Poe ndphloohe oth stoe r he enng o the toal tst ndtotal lagage Celan's seg d trle o asolte eponled hm o tha tme on to ncsngly nterorzed oms owtng

The poet closely oeaw the podcton o the odtnbeg"owhpom born o an nense topcal ston ans slndependent oeol ccmsac Fom the sma bblophe'sdton op we ony to end and a ew rr NOe w soldIt was cetanly Celn wsh to Ut o an n d o dscsson wthedegge eplans, too, why notng became pblc later on

Bda Aleann nOes he thee had een ansoed nto a plypoetc one

vr mpl dcipo gg h dlb irhp pr L Th l

Sk

I crl crpl pk o udm Y wh l, om B I co No ol m goc i i qo o propr

Ths I proc ol vl h lm o l po-r rl rocd om h wh do, h c

tht pobb ol rdl wi ddg o d-o For pl vhg I hv l o cl oo a rr o m dc w ocal cl oo Hdggak Hl-dl, d qton l rhpo h v d.

Php t v d I hk o [h pom nl cll[o, tgJ ojnu), h o a pond ld gi o ldrl:

lch tnk Wen a we Glsnd 73ckee an

we Jeneam ndar

Ot gbt de Stmgabl aals ee de knenerehten,

"


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adr Lsmm ll!unr Du.

I wie frm gass comb hrghhe Ii's k tha o

wh Gd turs ve h nngforao of h smU ns

from h ng our mau!

I ed [ ansae he pem severa years ag I gave up, knwg hw t rende D ered in the Egsh s mesure"OeM, which suvves y in xed epesss (r exampe k bs n ne whi ee), means smehg isgnia ng: a ea thg The pem akes up he

Hdea qui f mesure nd the aw he ques hepem I Lvey Bueess s hee a measue n eah? O hee Hlder lumnas n he gme Pda eed sH&hse" he Highs) whch he sis hs

DGzVn le Kg Serbich udtrce; da hrt bnDau ggD gcht Rh m hchsC Ha

Th awKng f a, moas an

Immoas: n rvPowrfy for ha rnuc mo U wh h hghs han.

The espse de s hat Jewish messansm in Bue Schem Benjamn tha I read a ng wie bak s

"

parae he Messah? He s there aways, a evey sta; rahe, he ways hee Ut n isa g he egg wh Ue he m r the e mn wh U ue he see rneeue wha te e, s Pnda's X u he U mathe le m d sl he e wh metes mesue ut umst n he wy e mgh ge d smehg Ad wha s

in he way dety is sigicn. Bu ha s he pi

Whee e se bewn he pets es mas?irs, use Ceas eimiati eeee he sacredvythng Hedege ws abe t cnsu m w veses Wie enn Feeage" A n A Hday")

a as h ha u sah s kommn ch 5, as eiie i m Wr.

Bu now ay b! I wad and saw it eA wha I saw the hw my wo sha n

s eg-hugh n abs reig Cela N ab eg s he dsgnain he sared (a wd whh my wedge he eve used) as he Ope has gapg, wdvasess) spes i hs de he lusin Pndas g's esua s e ar a asn he msemmedacy, me xly he mpse immiae ame mmediacy he Ope), whch s eveheless he vey medain ad ig , ay kid elatn Bu Cean thepen s he saced, and petys s nt ame he saed ir, n du, he saed s the eeme hedive5 I ts sense he eperience the ed s asey g Cean.

But ha s eaively secnday mthing muh me rucas a issue, r at ea smehg ha ds nt smpy papaen he ie and easy iizd) pps between ee pagasm-ptesm-ad Jewish mnhesm r ncevghe dvne e d d he ppsitin s pehaps withutcnsequence And for ele ad ah J wnder he same isnt

S


64/80

4 Rmbng Dam

; I wo 1 f Cray, ay fodo h oppoo lmay rpob fo o m ")

Cold ayg mo cuca?T quo pap wh ps ofma' smla

o ( GdHd ma pc of a og commay a orm

u c wo r Mch Pocaly aDwl6-a , as hap, o I Lc Bl Loy Bss" a o uo a app, of mah s dggr anazs a foowg

Darf. wenn luter Mhe a Leben ein Mensc sun nsagn s wi ch 3uch sn? Ja S d Frnchkt o Hcn e Reine, art nch ukch der Mensch sich de Goht unbca Got [51 er onbar wie er H-e D gaub' ich ehe D Menschen Mas ists Vo Verdiens,doch hteisch, wohne e Mensch au diCr Ere och rne ch S wenn ch $gen k d Mensch, er hist ein Bd de GOheit Gibt aufE

d M E ebt keinMy, wn i rb nk s I ud ike to b h?Y ong ? w s p h5 Man n a ca mu himsfWith the divine G unknown?15 H viile esy? hsI er biee It's the mu ofenFull of mri* bu ptill ve on hs earh ut h shadowfht with the stas is not purr,

If I d { e {a thanMan, who is clle he imae of GodIs there a ue on eah? Thee se.'

Racy rcg egr dmsra t campU a ha

S "5

g h gz owa h ky ad aba maho f, ohw a oul a a fl ofm-ma h ac a para u fm h kynha a ha bw y a rnTh ac, h pac>tw wha dggr ll Dmo wch cods h og of y ao w y ad ah, a

, h og of pac as uc ad of hma aao Mam o ah a wh h Dmo Of cour ha owh c . I ma a h oh oppoo, aao o o ak ma a o oawadg a omam o oh-w, ad o aowak wg, g zuha , fo amp, Cla' pmaypoccpao

T pm ma of akg ma-accogo h ow ad h ao ow ms- pory op man' m o ah s hag, or g a e" uor poy ag h m away ag o omhg ca a mag of wh Ma o appy ca

mau mff Wh Ma ak h mar ofom a f h a ma o ah Tr fNo , , m h gs m a moa ga o d, fm y. masr ty whwhch ma mss hm

T y o a od ms ha uow anaz h cal pag of h sh xc fom pom

The qution bqns n with he words: Is God unkwn?Manifesy Fo he w ukow hw culd he beng un-known be he meaur? Yetand ths what now an keep n mindfo n God, as he one who he s

un

known and s JUt as h Uk"ow On ha he 5 he measure forthe o This s as wh Hlerlin is x by he excitin ques-ton: how ha b iS er nae eans nknown ee be-coe a ? Fo ong h nn measure hel h afer a pa t appear f appears i s known hego, however. s nknn a he s the masure noneheles NO

6 R b i D u


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,,6 RmnbaigDnus

ny hi bu te gd wh ma nkown m y hwng him-sa e e he , apea the oe who rema uw. Gd'mn-nl y he hmef myer Theee he poeimmedaey ak he ex quen: "I he mae ke he ?Hdcr we d er Beeve he ae

Why- nw ai he peS ume nied i ha way?he very nx wd gve he awer They ay erey I' he mea

e ma Wa he maure or human meung Gd NoThe ky N The mae he y N Te mere on e way whh he gd wh em uw revcd uhby he y Gd appeaa hug he ky o n a dghal les u ee w hu e ee i O by g owr wha oeaed out eaed t nly by gadge oeaed in i eeme Thu e uow gd appear he uw by way he kys manee h appearane the eure g whh ma meaue ime1

Ths anayss s surprsng.Surprsng because n ne hand t ecgnzes the abslute p

dx f Gds manfesan mre xactly hs revelatn (Of-

bTkel Hldeln's qustn beng 1s er enba we de Hmmel?): At e sme tme he shws hmself he ne He s, Gdappes s te ne wh rmans unkwn Gd thus vs hmslf s n vlng hmsef n appang r matan The ean s n an appearance. If Hedeggers readng s cect fHldeln's rather-Ths rther beleves nt a rstrctnas t the unknwn beng f Gd t means Gd, the unkwn,shws hmself as he sky des; he s as manfest a the sky Bu she (sky's manfstatn that s engmac Fr hw s he s mafest, f n he-n Lvely lueness he pue vd f bttmless lgh he pue spacng, abve heads f ar and lght(Ehe he spacng that utlnes rather than beng ulned byhe eah; the spacng, ut f whch the rhs space speads andall thngs bcme vsble, artculae hemseves? Gd shws r reveals hmself n he same way the skys pure pen ng-the"abyss as Celan wuld say; as the ceaeless ebb, n and rghagnst the whle surface f the vsble, the nvsble fm whch

7

the vsble stms Ad ven when the sky shws tselfn ts uales s Hlderln says n ather pem2 ght's lumnsy cntnus whdraw t t as ts very appeaance

But f Hedegger reads smehng f ths der n Hlderlnwhch s pbable, gven he cnnectn he makes t the pemWhat s Gd?Jthen t s mpssble t say [hat fr Hlderln

the masur cnssts n the wy n whch the gd wh mans unnwn, s revealed such by he ky dUTch Hmmel) ." Hldeln d y ha Gd shw hmsef"by way f the sky, buater t xps t a b deretly, that he s evdent as the nvsble s vdent wthdawn n the vsble vsbly Hldeln's hught s here uneaed , say Hegels Da OfbTt SITGdT Ofbr l. hs des nt mean s pepe an the hab f ranslatng, The eveed s smpy ha Gd canbe revead bu nsead The rveled ha whch s evled) ssmply that Gd s he reveled the manfes) Whereas Hegelcncevs revelatns pe bengnevdence Hlderln thnkf ts abys hs, n fact, s why e lgc anmang he veses

Wa ed o rangee all he more ve

s cmpleely uncnned dats Dpe appearcest the cntay Unlke the Hegelan Abslute, Gd fr Hlderln d nt wan " be at u sde u the me he sends hmself n "he skys aspec whch s unknwn t hm, the mee reas hmself as nvsble hus Hedegger cn say "Thepet cs, n he sghts f he sky hat whch n s very sefdsclsu caus he appean f [ha whch cnceals sel andndd hat whch cncls tself n the mlr appearance hepet cls the en s that Q whch the nvsble mpart tself n

rder reman what t sunknwn But then suddenly becms and makes Hedegge's analyss surprng f a secndme that the [rucue f the rveatn s nne the than that h self hence n a mde dubtless n lnger metaphyscal the nhelgcal sk s stl present and all the me s

b S


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mbg N

when Go is oneve o rhe ini questio U}ts Go? is pehaps Iis omoheologl hon ha oe Hecc, he vcy gese he s [0 eove the whole poblad o iiaon fo hs eay (a pblea whih is, howve, plt n the ) o ene tag e aue n as he iiaion o "se o ivine rea, bu s he age-ih laguage

of poey ha aes us see the Invisbe:Th oe maks oty only wen he ak mur by saying Isighs of vn in su a way tat smit is appancs s tot alin lmn [0 wic Ih unknow god ha yildd" - nam fo te sight and apce o someting is image Bh natu of t imag i le somhing b sn By Cn copiand imitions ar alady m viations on te gnuin imag which,as a sight or spctacl, lts t invise sn and so imagins t in-visil in omthing alien to it Because poty as hat mystriosm wit, in e c of t sky tefo it spas in imagsThis s wy pic images a imaginings Bb in a dstinc-tv nO mr nc and lsions imaginin a avisl

inclsons o te aien in th sight o th miliaLI a no say ha n Lovely Blues s no haue by

ages. I woul say, ahe, ha we shou y o hin about heeaoshipea boh Fenh Esh houh tineeen ae a iitaon A espeially hat we shol unean wha Hleln evsions when he hin o a as anae o Go The lines Heie exats eiaely ollowhis passae:

Reinit ab st ach chnit nnn as Vrsidnm ntshtein nr is o se einig Bider so eh

Hiig snd die dass ma wirkli oft che di 7U beseibn

i immisn a die imme gut sind alls zumal wie eichaben des ugend und Fd Mensh darf das nacameaf wn utr Mhe das bn ein Mnsch

IPueness is also aty

S

Witin, divgn at a seos siritBut pict are so simp, oy ts tat eally on sn aaid dsci tem But t h\nl)o a way good. a once ie h iHav tis vi pl ManMay m that

May when lfe s all touble maya man P

"9

This is also the asue o Hlen inns, F"dichkil ashe iiaion o ivne goonessvitue an

phillipe lacoue-poetry as experience

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