Re: [Cz-L] The Genesis of Paul Celan's "Todesfuge"

Dear Edgar,

The cover and several pages of the original Russian edition can be
seen at http://leibstandart.com/military/2825/42766/
Full Russian text from the later edition is at
http://czernowitz.org/sources/simonov_maydanek.pdf
It is more likely that Celan saw the 1944 or 1945 Romanian translation
of the book: http://www.okazii.ro/recomandate/bibliofilie/carti-vechi/constantin-simonov-lagarul-nimicirii-maidanek-ed-1944-a127837246
or http://catalog.bnrm.md/opac/bibliographic_view/396129

While Simonov's book may have played a role in inspiring Celan to
write "Todesfuge", much greater role was played by the poem "ER",
written in 1944 by Celan's friend Immanuel Weissglas, which contains
almost all major images of Todesfuge:

ER

Wir heben Gräber in die Luft und siedeln
Mit Weib und Kind an dem gebotnen Ort.
Wir schaufeln fleißig, und die andern fiedeln,
Man schafft ein Grab und fährt im Tanzen fort.

ER will, daß über diese Därme dreister
Der Bogen strenge wie sein Antlitz streicht:
Spielt sanft vom Tod, er ist ein deutscher Meister,
Der durch die Lande als ein Nebel schleicht.

Und wenn die Dämmrung blutig quillt am Abend,
Öffn' ich nachzehrend den verbissnen Mund,
Ein Haus für alle in die Lüfte grabend:
Breit wie der Sarg, schmal wie die Todesstund.

ER spielt im Haus mit Schlangen, dräut und dichtet,
In Deutschland dämmert es wie Gretchens Haar.
Das Grab in Wolken wird nicht eng gerichtet:
Da weit der Tod ein deutscher Meister war.

On Sun, Jan 5, 2014 at 11:48 AM, Edgar Hauster <bconcept_at_hotmail.com> wrote:
> Czernowitzers...
>
> I'm asking for your assistance by drawing once again your attention to an update of my post
>
> http://hauster.blogspot.de/2013/05/the-genesis-of-paul-celans-todesfuge.html
>
> adding the extremely rare Yiddish version of Constantin Simonov's pamphlet "The Lublin Extermination Camp", so that in total four different translations of the - Russian - original are available for download now:
>
> English: http://hauster.de/data/simonoven.pdf
> English (UK): http://hauster.de/data/simonovuk.pdf
> Yiddish: http://hauster.de/data/simonovyd.pdf
> German: http://hauster.de/data/simonowdt.pdf
>
> Let's have a closer look at the text passages, which are so evocative of Paul Celan's "Todesfuge"
>
> English (p. 16): "Two hours after the head of the column had entered the camp bands began to play. Scores of loudspeakers began to emit the deafening strains of the fox-trot and the tango. And they blared all the morning, all day, all the evening, and all the night."
>
> English/UK (p. 28): "Two hours after the head of the column had entered the gates, music began to blare over the entire camp and the countryside around. From several dozen loud-speakers came the deafening strains of fox-trots and tangos. The radio blared all morning, all afternoon, all evening, and all through the night."
>
> German (p. 19): "Zwei Stunden, nachdem die Spitze des Zuges im Lager verschwunden war, ertönte im ganzen Lager und in seiner Umgebung Musik. Aus Dutzenden von Lautsprechern schallten ohrenbetäubende Foxtrotts und Tangos. Das Radio spielte den ganzen Morgen, den ganzen Tag und die ganze Nacht."
>
> Yiddish (p. ?): ???
>
> Were there "bands" or was it the "radio", which "played" or "blared" via loudspeakers "all the morning, all day, all the evening, and all the night" or "all morning, all afternoon, all evening, and all through the night"?
>
> What exactly says the Yiddish version? It sould be mentioned in the Yiddish text (see above), on approx p. 48-50. I do know, it's just a minor detail, but nevertheless is there anybody out there, who could translate literally these three sentances to me and to all of us, who are intersted in "The Genesis of Paul Celan's 'Todesfuge'"?
>
> Warmest wishes and have a Happy New Year!
>
>
>
> Edgar Hauster
> Lent - The Netherlands
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This moderated discussion group is for information exchange on the subject of
 Czernowitz and Sadagora Jewish History and Genealogy. The opinions expressed
 in these posts are the opinions of the original poster only and not necessarily
 the opinions of the List Owner, the Webmaster or any other members
 or entities connected with this mailing list. The Czernowitz-L list has
 an associated web site at http://czernowitz.ehpes.com that includes a
 searchable archive of all messages posted to this list. As a result,
 Messages sent to the list are available to the general public within days
 of posting.

Please post in "Plain Text" (help available at:
<http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/PlainText.html>).

To remove your address from this e-list follow the directions at:

<http://www.it.cornell.edu/services/elist/howto/user/leave.cfm>

To receive assistance for this e-list send an e-mail message to:
<owner-Czernowitz-L_at_list.cornell.edu>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Received on 2014-01-06 08:13:05