Nikolai Popov

book-celan-glottal

Griffin Poetry Prize 2001
International Winner

Book: Glottal Stop: 101 Poems by Paul Celan

Translators: Nikolai Popov and Heather McHugh

Poet: Paul Celan

Publisher: Wesleyan/University Press of New England

Click here to read and listen to an excerpt.

Nikolai Popov reads With a Changing Key

With a Changing Key, by Nikolai Popov and Heather McHugh translating Paul Celan

With a Changing Key

With a changing key
you unlock the house where
the snow of what’s silenced drifts.
Just like the blood that bursts from
your eye or mouth or ear,
so your key changes.

Changing your key changes the word
that may drift with the flakes.
Just like the wind that rebuffs you,
packed round your word is the snow.

From Glottal Stop: 101 Poems, by Paul Celan (translated by Nikolai Popov and Heather McHugh)
© 2000 Paul Celan

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.