〈死亡賦格〉(Deathfugue)

Paul Celan: Poet, Survivor, Jew (Yale Nota Bene S.)

John Felstiner

保羅塞蘭（Paul Celan）的〈死亡賦格〉（Todesfuge）有至少 15 個英文翻譯版本，從 Michael Bullock, Clement Greenberg, Jerome Rothenberg（1950年代）一直到 Christopher Middleton, Joachirm Neugroschel, Michael Hamburger 與其他人等等。作者仍然看到每個翻譯的不同問題。在一個連續的當下脈絡中發聲。實際上來說，每個詞、詞組與音韻抑揚頓挫，都對譯者提出了質疑。Ezra Pound 曾經說過，Poetry is "news that stays news"，「詩，是保持新訊息的訊息」。

這裡貼上的是 John Felstiner 的譯本。引述自 Paul Celan: Poet, Survivor, jew。

Deathfugue

Black milk of daybreak we drink it at evening
we drink it at midday and morning we drink it at night
we drink and we drink
we shovel a grave in the air where you won't lie too cramped

A man lives in the house he plays with his vipers he writes
he writes when it grows dark to Deutschland your golden hair Margareta
he writes it and steps out of doors and the starts are all sparkling he whistles his hounds to stay close
he whistles his Jews into rows has them shovel a grave in the ground
he commands us play up for the dance

Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night
we drink you at morning and midday we drink you at evening
we drink and we drink

A man lives in the house he plays with his vipers he writes
he writes when it grows dark to Deutschland your golden hair Margareta

Your ashen hair Shulamith we shovel a grave in the air where you won't lie too cramped

He shouts dig this earth deeper you lot there you others sing up and play
he grabs for the rod in his belt he swings it his eyes are so blue
stick your spades deeper you lot there you others play on for the dancing

Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night
we drink you at midday and morning we drink you at evening
we drink and we drink
a man lives in the house your golden Haar Margareta
your aschenes Haar Shulamith he plays with his vipers

He shouts play death more sweetly this Death is a master from Deutschland
he shouts scrape your strings darker you'll rise then as smoke to the sky
you'll then have a grave in the clouds where you won't lie too cramped

Black milk of daybreak  we drink you at night
we drink you at midday Death is a master aus Deutschland
we drink you at evening and morning we drink and we drink
this Death is ein Meister aus Deutschland his eye it is blue
he shoots you with shot made of lead shoots you level and true
a man lives in the house your goldenes Haar Margarete
he looses his hounds on us grants us a grave in the air
he plays with his vipers and daydreams der Tod ist ein Meister aus Deutschland
dein goldenes Haar Margarete
dein aschenes Haar Sulamith