{"id":1968,"date":"2015-11-02T05:13:45","date_gmt":"2015-11-02T05:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mytwostotinki.com\/?p=1968"},"modified":"2015-11-03T21:19:43","modified_gmt":"2015-11-03T21:19:43","slug":"the-poetry-of-thomas-kling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mytwostotinki.com\/?p=1968","title":{"rendered":"The Poetry of Thomas Kling"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"literatur_2015_gold-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This blog post is part of the German Literature Month, hosted by Lizzie (Lizzies Literary Life<\/a>)\u00a0and Caroline (Beauty is a Sleeping Cat<\/a>)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ten years ago, the arguably most outstanding representative of this generation of German-language poets, Thomas Kling, passed away at the age of 47. With his almost encyclopedic knowledge of many subjects, including literature, history, geology and his rich language he created \u201cpoetic installations\u201d that are particularly gripping in their polyphony when read by an experienced performer that make his poetry sound like spoken music; Kling was an impressive stage performer (a \u201cRampensau\u201d as we say in German) and if you can you should look not only for a collection of his poetry, but also for a CD with poems read by himself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As always with poetry, a translation can only give a pale reflection of the original, and many of the most elaborated poems of Kling are simply untranslatable; but I want to give at least a small impression by presenting you translations of three comparatively conventional poems by Thomas Kling (in his very special orthography):<\/strong><\/p>\n

portr\u00e4t JB. fuchspelz,<\/strong><\/em>
\n humboldtstrom, tomatn<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(ca. \u201872)<\/strong><\/em>
\n d\u00fcsseldorf, aufm schadowplatz. Eines<\/strong><\/em>
\n vormittags, im niesel. hinterm tapezier-<\/strong><\/em>
\n tisch im fuxxpelz im mantel. hab ich so<\/strong><\/em>
\n aus einiger entfernung hinter flugzetteln<\/strong><\/em>
\n gesehn; da macht ich BLAU eines vor-<\/strong><\/em>
\n mittags unter -strom<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(ca. \u201975)<\/strong><\/em>
\n humboldtgymnasium, d\u00fcsseldorf. ich sachs<\/strong><\/em>
\n euch: WIR BEKAMN HUMBOLDTSTROM. Doctor<\/strong><\/em>
\n august peters, (GESCHICHTE) zu meinem zusp\u00e4t-<\/strong><\/em>
\nkommndn freund roehle:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ZIEHN SIE DEN BEUYS<\/strong><\/em>
\n AUS! SEIN MANTEL WAR GEMEINT.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0(\u201977)<\/strong><\/em>
\n kassel. installation der HONIGPUMPE. ein-<\/strong><\/em>
\n leitung von sauerstoff, da\u00df honigflu\u00df wir<\/strong><\/em>
\n sehn konntn. mittags, vorm friderizianum<\/strong><\/em>
\n bat ich den lagerndn mann bat ich die angler-<\/strong><\/em>
\n weste um den tagschatten gibst du mir<\/strong><\/em>
\n die TOMATN und kam zu mir sein tomatnhant!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

From: Thomas Kling: brennstabm, Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1991<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

portrait JB. fox fur,<\/strong>
\n humboldt current, tomatos<\/strong><\/p>\n

(ca \u201972)<\/strong>
\n d\u00fcsseldorf, on schadow square. One<\/strong>
\n morning, in the dizzle. behind the trestle<\/strong>
\n table in a fox fur in a coat. I saw<\/strong>
\n from a distance behind leaflets;<\/strong>
\n I was skiving off one morning<\/strong>
\n under \u2013current<\/strong><\/p>\n

(\u2019ca 75)<\/strong>
\n humboldt school, d\u00fcsseldorf. I\u2019m telling<\/strong>
\n you: we got humboldt current. Doctor<\/strong>
\n august peters, (HISTORY) to my friend roehle<\/strong>
\n who was late: TAKE OFF YOUR BEUYS!<\/strong>
\n HE MEANT HIS COAT.<\/strong><\/p>\n

(\u201977)<\/strong>
\n kassel. HONIGPUMPE installation. in-<\/strong>
\n sertion of oxygen, so that honey stream we<\/strong>
\n could see. Afternoon, in front of fridericianum<\/strong>
\n I begged the warehousing man begged the fishing<\/strong>
\n jacket for the day\u2019s shadow will you give me<\/strong>
\n the tomatoes and to me came his tomato hand!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Translation by No\u00ebl\u00a0Reumkens, Trans 8\/2009<\/strong>
\n——————————————————————————–<\/p>\n

SERNER, KARLSBAD<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

wo in angesagter umgebun\u2019\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\n di zensur ihr sprudeln begann.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

zentralgranitmassn.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\n geselchter schnee. nichts<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

wu\u00dfte ich, zweiundsiebzig,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\n von einem haus edelwei\u00df wo<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

mattkaiserschrunde oder ocker-<\/strong><\/em>
\n gestimmte, oder sonstwi-erinnerun\u2019:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201csprich deutlicher\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\n in karlovy vary<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

. . . di (mittags?)sonne, geschw\u00e4cht,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\n in spiegeln mitgeteilt wurd; wo<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

der becherovka in geschliffenen\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\n gl\u00e4sern und rede auf di marmor-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

helligkeit knallte, karlsbad-sounds:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u201co sprich deutlicher\u201d in geselchtm<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

schnee, und \u201cjedes hauptwort ein\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\n rundreisebillet.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SERNER<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

der ging von prag aus\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\n gemeinsam ins gas.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

From: Thomas Kling: morsch. Gedichte, Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1998<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

SERNER, KARLSBAD<\/strong><\/p>\n

where even in posted areas<\/strong>
\n the censors babbled.<\/strong><\/p>\n

tall granite masses.<\/strong>
\n smoky snow. I knew<\/strong><\/p>\n

nothing, seventy-two,<\/strong>
\n about edleweiss, ocher<\/strong><\/p>\n

houses of the emperors\u2019 realm,<\/strong>
\n or an otherwise-remembrance:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cspeak more clearly\u201d<\/strong>
\n in karlovy vary.<\/strong><\/p>\n

. . . the (midday?) sun, weakened,<\/strong>
\n reflected by mirrors; where<\/strong><\/p>\n

the schnapps served in cut glass<\/strong>
\n and the talk bounced around<\/strong><\/p>\n

the shining marble. karlsbad sounds:<\/strong>
\n \u201co, speak more clearly\u201d in smoky<\/strong><\/p>\n

snow, \u201cevery noun<\/strong>
\n a round trip ticket.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 SERNER<\/strong><\/p>\n

who left prague as well<\/strong>
\n headed for the gas.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Translation by Peter Filkins, Poetry Magazine Oct\/Nov 1998<\/strong><\/p>\n

——————————————————————————–<\/p>\n

LARVEN<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u00a0<\/em>
\n 1913 sind auf Papua-Neuguinea die str\u00f6me und<\/strong><\/em>
\n gebirge l\u00e4ngst nach den Hohenzollern benannt.<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u00a0<\/em>
\n der kopf der fremde schnurrt und liefert, f\u00fcr neue<\/strong><\/em>
\n ferne dinge neue namen wobei die sprachn sich<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u00a0<\/em>
\n vermischen, im mund der fremdes neues schmeckt<\/strong><\/em>
\n wie kopra oder kasuar. das passt zum helm. so<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u00a0<\/em>
\n dampfen neue masken aus den sumpf-eil\u00e4ndern<\/strong><\/em>
\n auf die feierliche zunge abendland. die gaumen<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u00a0<\/em>
\n segel knattern frisch ein wind aus \u00fcbersee, berlin \u2013<\/strong><\/em>
\n die zunge – erhebt als frische toteninsel sich aus<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u00a0<\/em>
\n dem fiebersumpf der mark. die insel schnalzt schon<\/strong><\/em>
\n kommen worte aus der ferne. s\u00fcdfr\u00fcchte fallen<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u00a0<\/em>
\n der stadt aus dem mund. der ist die neue zunge so<\/strong><\/em>
\n gespr\u00e4chig. anders irgendwie: es sprechen alle pl\u00f6tzlich<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u00a0<\/em>
\n wie die papuas, hofsprache iatmul. der mund als \u00dcber\u00ac<\/strong><\/em>
\n see, als schein, so str\u00f6mt der sepik m\u00fcndet in den rhein.<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u00a0<\/em>
\n From: Thomas Kling: Fernhandel, DuMont, K\u00f6ln 1999<\/strong><\/em>
\n \u00a0<\/em>
\nLARVAE<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1913 the currents and mountains in Papua-New Guinea<\/strong>
\nare named after the Hohenzollern since a long time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

the head of the foreign land hums and provides for new<\/strong>
\ndistant things new names in which the languages<\/strong><\/p>\n

are mixing, in the mouth that tastes strange new things<\/strong>
\nlike copra or cassowary. that fits to the helmet. Thus<\/strong><\/p>\n

are steaming new masks from the swamp-islands<\/strong>
\non the solemn tongue occident. the soft<\/strong><\/p>\n

palate rattles freshly a wind from the outlands, berlin \u2013<\/strong>
\nthe tongue \u2013 rises as fresh island of the deaths from<\/strong><\/p>\n

the fever swamp of the Mark. the island clicks already<\/strong>
\nwords are coming from the distance. tropical fruits are falling<\/strong><\/p>\n

from the mouth of the city. the new tongue of hers is so<\/strong>
\ntalkative. somehow different: suddenly everybody speaks<\/strong><\/p>\n

like the papuas, court language iatmul. the mouth as over-<\/strong>
\nsea, as glow, thus streams the sepik flows into the rhine.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Translation by Thomas H\u00fcbner<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It would be great to see an edition of Selected Poems by this author in English!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Kling\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Thomas Kling: Gesammelte Gedichte,\u00a0DuMont, K\u00f6ln 2006<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Kling2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Thomas Kling: Die gebrannte Performance, Audio Book, 4 CDs, Lilienfeld,\u00a0D\u00fcsseldorf 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a9 Thomas Kling, Suhrkamp Verlag and DuMont Verlag, 1991-2006\r\n<\/strong>\u00a9 Peter Filkins and Poetry Magazine, 1998\r\n<\/strong>\u00a9 No\u00ebl\u00a0Reumkens and TRANS, 2009<\/strong>\r\n\u00a9 Thomas H\u00fcbner\u00a0and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-5. Unauthorized use and\/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog\u2019s author and\/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas H\u00fcbner\u00a0and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.<\/strong><\/pre>\n
\r\n\t\t