Inner Voice: Paul Celan reads his poem Mandorla
MANDORLA
In the almond–what dwells in the almond?
Nothing.
What dwells in the almond is Nothing.
There it dwells and dwells.
In Nothing–what dwells there? The King.
There the King dwells, the King.
There he dwells and dwells.
Jew’s curl, you’ll not turn grey.
And your eye–on what does your eye dwell?
On the almond your eye dwells.
Your eye, on Nothing it dwells.
Dwells on the King, to him remains loyal, true.
So it dwells and dwells.
Human curl, you’ll not turn grey.
Empty almond, royal-blue.
(Translated by Michael Hamburger)
