Todesfuge
By Paul Celan
Translated By Dean Rader
Black milk of daybreak we drink it at dusk
we drink it at noon in mornings we drink it at night
we drink and we drink
we dig a grave in the sky there is plenty of room
A man lives in the house he plays with his snakes he writes
he writes when it darkens in Deutschland your golden hair Margarete
he writes it and steps outside of the house and the strike of the stars he whistles his hounds
he whistles his Jews dig a grave in the ground
he commands us strike up for the dance
Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night
we drink you in mornings and midday we drink you at dusk
we drink and we drink
A man lives in the house he plays with his snakes he writes
he writes when it darkens in Deutschland your golden hair Margarete
your ashen hair Sulamith we dig a grave in the sky there is plenty of room
He shouts you there dig deeper the rest of you sing you others play on
he raises the rod from his belt his eyes are blue
drive the spade deeper the rest of you sing you others play on for the dance
Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night
we drink you at midday and mornings we drink you at dusk
we drink and we drink
a man lives in the house your golden hair Margarete
your ashen hair Sulamith he plays with his snakes
He shouts make death sound sweeter death is a Master from Deutschland
he shouts strike the violin darker then rise as smoke in the air
then a grave in the clouds there is so much more room
Black milk of mornings we drink you at night
we drink you at midday death is a Master from Deutschland
we drink you at dusk in mornings we drink and drink
death is a Master from Deutschland his eye is blue
his lead bullets strike you his aim is true
a man lives in the house your golden hair Margarete
he whistles his hounds he grants us graves in the sky
he plays with his snakes and he dreams death is a Master aus Deutschland
your golden hair Magarete
your ashen hair Sulamith
Translated from the German
Notes:
“Todesfuge” was likely written around 1945 but first appeared in print in 1948. This translation commemorates the seventy-fifth anniversary of its publication. Read the German-language original, “Todesfuge,” and the translator’s note by Dean Rader.
Source: Poetry (October 2023)