Description
Book Synopsis"At the Edge of Night", a selection from four recent collections by Anise Koltz, brings the work of Luxembourg's best-known poet to the attention of the English-speaking literary world for the first time. Written in Koltz's prolific seventh decade, these brief poems - with their short, unpunctuated lines, clearly separated stanzas and powerful, direct language - are both personal and universal. This is not a gentle book. These poems pulse with anger, anger directed at the poet herself and her personal circumstances, and also at life, the world and God. Koltz originally wrote in German but switched to French which her translator, Anne-Marie Glasheen, believes gives her work some of its artistic power: this is poetry unlike any I have come across before. It feels utterly European - it speaks to the reader directly, jumping cultural barriers. It is poetry which is knife-sharp, clear and dazzling.
Table of ContentsSeries Editor's Note, Translator's Preface, Introduction. (i) From The Call of the Sparrow-Hawk / Le cri de l'epervier: Le cri de l'epervier / The Call of the Sparrow-hawk, Le paysage immobile / The Rigid Landscape, Lumiere glaciale / Icy Light, Pansements / Dressings, Commune origine / Common Origin, Le corbeau / The Crow, Sommeil blanc / Fretful Sleep, Mille enclumes / A Thousand Anvils, Bete de nuit / Night Animal, Outils de pierre / Stone Tools, Voyante / Clairvoyant, Le poete / The Poet, La moitie / Half, La terre / The Earth, La langue de nos peres / Our Fathers' Tongue, Qui ecrit ? / Who writes?, A ma mere / To My Mother, Automne / Autumn, A ma mere / To My Mother, Sans fin / Endless, La lune / The Moon, Distances / Distances, L'homme ne me couvre plus / The Man No Longer covers Me, Ne parle plus / Stop talking, Les crimes de ce siecle / This Century's Crimes, Trahison / Betrayal (ii) From Shadow-bearer / Le porteur d'ombre: Prologue / Prologue, J'avance sans filetA" / I advance without a netA", Desert / Desert, Le chemin monteA" / The path leads upA", Je dedie ce poemeA" / I dedicate this poemA", La maison de mon pereA" / My father's houseA", La guerre a eclateA" / War has broken outA", Dans les vitrines des magasinsA" / In shop windowsA", Courez dit-ilA" Run he saidA", Sur une mappe mondeA" / On a map of the worldA", Dans le fleuveA" / In the riverA", Meme si j'habiteA" / Though I liveA", Ocean je suis les humeursA" / Ocean I follow the moodsA", Mon pere m'a transmisA" / My father handed meA", Mon frere plongeur sous-marinA" / My deep-sea diving brotherA", Sable / Sand, Ciel / Sky, Vent / Wind, J'ai peur du livreA" / I'm afraid of the bookA", Dans ce mondeA" / In this worldA", Tu voudrais connaitreA" / You would knowA", Mes poemesA" / My poemsA", Je me debatsA" / I struggleA", Chaleur / Heat. Froid / Cold, Entre chien et loup / At Dusk: Between Dog and Wolf (iii)From Fire-eater / L'avaleur de feu: Il est parti / He leftA", Il n'y a pas de routeA" / There is no roadA", Tu es celuiA" / You are the oneA", Lorsque mon amourA" / When my loveA", Depuis toujoursA" / All my lifeA", Ma memoire est lourdeA" / My memory is heavyA", La lune a empoisonne mes livresA" / The moon has poisoned my books , Je me decline - A" / I fadeA", Dans les abattoirs de l'egliseA" / In the abattoirs of the churchA", Je cherche un baptistereA" / I'm searching for a baptisteryA", Aucune de nos complaintesA" / None of our lamentsA", L'ange dechuA" / The fallen angelA", Le septieme jourA" / On the seventh dayA", A mon reveilA" / When I wake upA", Tire par des chiensA" / Drawn by dogs - A", La nuitA" / At nightA", Maintenant que je suis habitueeA" / Now I am grown used, Je partiraiA" / I shall leaveA", Chaque nuitA" / Every nightA". Mon absenceA" / My absenceA", Apres le passageA" / After the passingA" Combien de foisA" / How many timesA", A ma naissanceA" / At my birthA", L'enfant devoreA" / The child devoursA", Je suis l'erreur fataleA" / I am my father's fatal errorA", Il ne faut pas chercherA" / Do not seek - A" (iv) rom Blessed be the Serpent / Beni soit le Serpent; Ne me retiens pasA" / Don't hold me backA", Ma mereA" / My motherA", J'ai eu des centaines de meresA" / I had hundreds of mothers - ", Mes pieds sans racinesA" / My rootless feetA", Etranger je demeureA" / Foreigner I remainA", Sous ma peauA" / Under my skinA", Sur le corps de ma mereA" / On my mother's bodyA", OA' que j'ailleA" / Wherever I goA", Il Satiro danzante / Il Satiro danzante, Pendant la nuitA" / During the nightA", La lune vient se reposerA" / The moon comes and settlesA", L'immensite de la merA" / The vastness of the seaA", Le soleil tend des filetsA" / The sun sets a trapA", Mes mots sont habitues a laguerreA" / My words are grown used to warA", Il n'y a pas d'espoirA" / There is no hopeA", La vie dependA" / Life dependsA", Par l'ecritureA" / Through writingA", L'ecritureA" / WritingA", Mon poemeA" / My poemA", Lorsque les parolesA" / When wordsA", Depuis 76 ansA" / For 76 yearsA", Je deracine des etoilesA" / I uproot starsA", Tes pas ont inventeA" / Yours steps inventedA", Nous parlons des langues differentesA" / We speak different languagesA", Beni soit le serpentA" / Blessed be the serpentA", Apres avoir verrouilleA" / Having bolted upA". Biographical Notes.
