day 74

this week's translation of hendrik jackson's poem Rauschen came about before i was aware of the fact that there already exists a translation of the very same poem into the english language (see no man's land edition winter 2006/ 2007), made by nicholas grindell. interestingly enough, nicholas and i already disagreed on the title of the text, him calling the poem 'whoosh'. some of grindell's other translations of hendrik's poems, more of hendrik's poems, translations into slavic languages and even audio versions you'll find on hendrik's respective pages with lyrikline or literaturport.

among other things, hendrik is responsible for lyrikkritik.de, has received various awards for his work and has published a new collection of german poetry with kookbooks recently, called Dunkelströme (ISBN 3-937445-18-8). i will definitely get myself a copy, because i like how he makes words sound round and bosky.

i tried my best to do his resonating style justice - please listen to my audioversion of hendrik's Rauschen here.

Rush

Rain made its ocean and ocean its waves, swollen
clouds above the white spray of the ocean - pale notes -
and how dust on audio tape tracks drags everything into another
the voices, whispering, overhang then, the
dead talks woven into the moiré of upswelling
...s...welling interference right whereto the wind goes, if it gently
flows flares fissles down, lukewarm or wafts like fluff
rushes or hushes up ashen to dull - a movement of the hand
just like when after longsome sickness every simultaneity ends
every gust of wind wends rears matters rise into the air


Rauschen

Regen schuf sich sein Meer und das Meer seine Wellen, schwollen
Wolken über der weißen Gischt des Meeres – helle Töne –
und wie Staub auf der Tonbandspur alles ineinander vermischt
die Stimmen, flüsternd, treten hervor aus dem Gestern, aus den
toten Gesprächen, eingewoben ins Moiré anschwellender
...sch...wellender Interferenzen, wohin der Wind geht, ob er sacht
aufbraust aufrauscht abflaut, lau oder leicht anhebt, wie Flausch
verraschelt oder aschgrau in grau verstummt – eine Handbewegung
wenn wie nach langer Krankheit alle Gleichzeitigkeiten endeten
alle Böen sich wendeten aufgebäumt Fragen sich leichthin erhöben