Poem
Thomas Kling
chaldaean catalog
night watch, cometess! old snow!in the middle of the night, in summer, hissing,
light spittle trails, volley of a
blue-gleaming bolide! as if by wire
cracking by light tracers; a rare sight, such a
galactic screen of non-virtual depth-
effect. darting forward; bounding past,
and, far leaving behind, stripy
standing still, to disappear. another
one, he or she. already va-
nished. just like that a stag’s bound from here,
whistling, “as if from horse nostrils.” so, that
this sort of dots, tailed, hissing-
by dots, which for a while
(time’s nostril) stops still; and another
one. a small one. totally better than . . .,
didn’t they say back when, kolossal? the tower-
ing white slashes. drawing a thread.
hiss-pierced snow. us earless,
white-eyed under the blanket.
© Translation: 2002, Andrew Duncan
From: Chicago Review. New Writing in German 48: 2/3 2002
From: Chicago Review. New Writing in German 48: 2/3 2002
chaldäischer katalog
chaldäischer katalog
nachtwacht, kometin!, alter schnee!zur nachtmitte, sommers, gezische.
lichtspeichelfährten, bollen eines
blauaufscheinendn bollids! wi-am-
schnürchn vorüberknickernde leucht-
spuren: seltener anblick, so eine
milchstraße, screen ächter tiefnwir-
kung. hinpfeilen; ein vorüberhechtn,
und, weites zurücklassn, streifiges
stehnbleibn, um zu verschwindn. wie-
der einer oder eine, schon verschwun-
dn. grad so hirschnsprung von hier,
gepfeif, “wie von nüstern”. also, daß
son pünktchn, geschwänztes, rüber-
pfauchndes pünktchn., der eine weile
(zeitnüster) stehenbleibt; und wieder
einer. kleiner. total besser als . . . ,
sagtn di altn nich: kolossal? der hoch-
getürmte weiße striem. ein fädnziehen.
durchzischter schnee. ohrlose wir,
weißäugig unter der decke.
© 1996, Suhrkamp Verlag; Veröffentlichung mit freundlicher Genehmigung
From: Thomas Kling: morsch. Gedichte
Publisher: 1996, Suhrkamp: Frankfurt/Main
From: Thomas Kling: morsch. Gedichte
Publisher: 1996, Suhrkamp: Frankfurt/Main
Poems
Poems of Thomas Kling
Close
chaldaean catalog
night watch, cometess! old snow!in the middle of the night, in summer, hissing,
light spittle trails, volley of a
blue-gleaming bolide! as if by wire
cracking by light tracers; a rare sight, such a
galactic screen of non-virtual depth-
effect. darting forward; bounding past,
and, far leaving behind, stripy
standing still, to disappear. another
one, he or she. already va-
nished. just like that a stag’s bound from here,
whistling, “as if from horse nostrils.” so, that
this sort of dots, tailed, hissing-
by dots, which for a while
(time’s nostril) stops still; and another
one. a small one. totally better than . . .,
didn’t they say back when, kolossal? the tower-
ing white slashes. drawing a thread.
hiss-pierced snow. us earless,
white-eyed under the blanket.
© 2002, Andrew Duncan
From: Chicago Review. New Writing in German 48: 2/3 2002
From: Chicago Review. New Writing in German 48: 2/3 2002
chaldaean catalog
night watch, cometess! old snow!in the middle of the night, in summer, hissing,
light spittle trails, volley of a
blue-gleaming bolide! as if by wire
cracking by light tracers; a rare sight, such a
galactic screen of non-virtual depth-
effect. darting forward; bounding past,
and, far leaving behind, stripy
standing still, to disappear. another
one, he or she. already va-
nished. just like that a stag’s bound from here,
whistling, “as if from horse nostrils.” so, that
this sort of dots, tailed, hissing-
by dots, which for a while
(time’s nostril) stops still; and another
one. a small one. totally better than . . .,
didn’t they say back when, kolossal? the tower-
ing white slashes. drawing a thread.
hiss-pierced snow. us earless,
white-eyed under the blanket.
© 2002, Andrew Duncan
From: Chicago Review. New Writing in German 48: 2/3 2002
From: Chicago Review. New Writing in German 48: 2/3 2002
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