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Henri Pouzol, France

from Part IV - The Years after 1945

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

Dorothea Heiser
Affiliation:
Holds an MA from the University of Freiburg
Stuart Taberner
Affiliation:
Professor of Contemporary German Literature
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Summary

Prière

Seigneur, donnez-moi la peine

Seigneur, donnez-moi la peine

et qu'elle fructifie en moi pour s'ouvrir à la peine

de tous les hommes du monde

Seigneur ouvrez-moi à la peine

enfouissez-la en moi

pour que demain elle sourde en palpable inquiétude

Seigneur faites que chaque minute de mon devenir

soit un déchirement

et le rappel constant de votre grâce

et le rappel certain de ma juste misère

Seigneur ouvrez-moi à la peine et ce soir et demain

Au nom des gueux du monde

ne m’épargnez point.

1952

Prayer

Lord, give me pain

Lord, give me pain

and let it flourish in me so it opens up to the pain

of all the men on earth

Lord open me up to the pain

bury it in me

so that tomorrow it wells up in me in palpable fear

Lord let every minute of my becoming

be a rending

and the constant reminder of your grace

and the certain reminder of my just misery

Lord open me up to pain and tonight and tomorrow

In the name of all the beggars on earth

spare me nothing.

1952—Translated by Donna Stonecipher

Ce visage en moi

la mort a son visage en moi

présence justifiée de promiscuité douce

crépuscules brûlés sans une seule aurore

frissons assassinés à fleur de cicatrice

la mort a son visage en moi

et la nuit et le jour ce visage m'interpelle

c'est mêlée a mon souffle la promesse violette

c'est un premier printemps déjà terni d'hiver

c'est caché sous mon rire le rictus de l'aube

la mort a son visage en moi

mais la nuit déchirée soulève ce visage

la prairie ressuscite

mille regards ont lui

la grappe fraternelle qui oscille quelque part

dans l'univers intact

du passé parallèle

accueille ma voix tronquée et sa toison de gel

la mort a son visage en moi

à tout jamais fidèle à nos amis détruits.

1972
Type
Chapter
Information
My Shadow in Dachau
Poems by Victims and Survivors of the Concentration Camp
, pp. 250 - 256
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Print publication year: 2014

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