Lustful Things – Geile Sachen!, Folge 24: Johannes Kühn, »Spectacles«

German Poetry Now: A bilingual online-anthology, featured by DAS GEDICHT chapbook

 

Johannes Kühn

Spectacles

They bring each object close up.
Nearly blind were I
if I had them not.
Even though I was dubbed Mr. Four-Eyes,
a child among children,
with them I was a seer who beheld the world
without lamenting
and still today does not lament
as they help me at each look.
Watch out,
watch out,
watch out for the bespectacled frame upon that nose
is still what I must do now
just like the carpenter while slicing wood.
I only lose them during the night.
I clean them, I wash them, I take care of them,
and bear them every day like a gemstone,
while they serve me well.
They are an obstacle only while kissing,
despite your mischievous laughter.
And while walking,
during work there is danger.
I live with them, as though I were married
with their graces
I gladly admit.
 

translated by Paul-Henri Campbell

+ German Original / Das Original

 

+ About the author / Zum Autor

 

Lustful Things - Geile Sachen!»Lustful Things – Geile Sachen!« im Archiv

»Lustful Things – Geile Sachen!« is an online collection of contemporary German-language poetry in English translation. All poems were taken from issue no. 22 of the German poetry magazine DAS GEDICHT, focused on the Poetry of Things. New English translations by Paul-Henri Campbell as well as the German originals are published here every Wednesday. All poems of this online-collection will also be published in a special print-edition. In order to read previous poems in this series, click here.

»Lustful Things – Geile Sachen!« ist eine Online-Sammlung zeitgenössischer deutschsprachiger Dinggedichte in englischer Übersetzung. Alle Texte sind Band 22 der Zeitschrift DAS GEDICHT entnommen. Jeden Mittwoch erscheint ein neues Gedicht, das von Paul-Henri Campbell ins Englische übertragen wurde, zusammen mit dem deutschen Original. Die Beiträge dieser Online-Anthologie gibt es auch als Sonderausgabe in Buchform. Alle bereits erschienenen Folgen von »Lustful Things – Geile Sachen!« finden Sie hier.

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