lessness
by Samuel Beckett
Ruins true refuge long last towards which so many false time out of
mind. All sides endlessness earth
sky as one no sound no stir. Grey face two pale blue little body heart
beating only up right. Blacked out
fallen open four walls over backwards true refuge issueless.
Scattered ruins same grey as the sand ash grey true refuge. Four square
all light sheer white blank planes
all gone from mind. Never was but grey air timeless no sound
figment the passing light. No sound no stir
ash grey sky mirrored earth mirrored sky. Never but this changelessness
dream the passing hour.
He will curse God again as in the blessed days face to the open sky the
passing deluge. Little body grey
face features slit and little holes two pale blue. Blank mind.
Figment light never was but grey air timeless no sound. Blank planes
touch close sheer white all gone
from mind. Little body ash grey locked rigid heart beating face to
endlessness. On him will rain again as
in the blessed days of blue the passing cloud. Four square true refuge
long last four walls over backwards no sound.
Grey sky no cloud no sound no stir earth ash grey sand. Little body
same grey as the earth sky ruins only
upright. Ash grey all sides earth sky as one all sides
endlessness.
He will stir in the sand there will be stir in the sky the air the
sand. Never but in dream the happy dream
only one time to serve. Little body little block heart beating
ash grey only upright. Earth sky as one all
sides endlessness little body only upright. In the sand no hold one
step more in the endlessness he will make
it. No sound not a breath same grey all sides earth sky body ruins.
Slow black with ruin true refuge four walls over backwards no sound.
Legs a single block arms fast to sides
little body face to endlessness. Never but in vanished dream the
passing hour long short. Only upright little
body grey smooth no relief a few holes. One step in the ruins in the
sand on his back in the endlessness he will
make it. Never but dream the days and nights made of dreams of other
nights better days. He will live again the,
space of a step it will be day and night planes sheer white eye calm
long last all gone from again over him the endlessness.
In four split asunder over backwards true refuge issueless scattered
ruins. Little body little block genitals overrun
arse a single block grey crack overrun. True refuge long last
issueless scattered down four walls over backwards
no sound. All sides endlessness earth sky as one no stir not a breath.
Blank planes sheer white 'calm eye light of
reason all gone from mind. Scattered ruins ash grey all sides true
refuge long last issueless.
Ash grey little body only upright heart beating face to endlessness.
Old love new love as in the blessed days unhappiness
will reign again. Earth sand same grey as the air sky ruins body fine
ash grey sand. Light refuge sheer white blank planes
all gone from mind.
Flatness endless little body only upright same grey all sides earth sky
body ruins. Face to white calm touch close eye calm
long last all gone from mind. One step more one alone all alone in the
sand no hold he will make it.
Blacked out fallen open true refuge issueless towards which so many
false time out of mind. Never but silence such that in
imagination this wild laughter these cries. Head through calm eye all
light white calm all gone from mind. Figment dawn
dispeller of figments and the other called dusk.
He will go on his back face to the sky open again over him the ruins
the sand the endlessness. Grey air timeless earth sky as
one same grey as the ruins flatness endless. It will be day and
night again over him the endlessness the air heart will beat again.
True refuge long last scattered ruins same grey as the sand.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - -
Face to calm eye touch close all calm all white all gone from mind.
Never but imagined the blue in a wild imagining
the blue celeste of poesy. Little void mighty light four square all
white blank planes all gone from mind. Never was
but grey air timeless no stir not a breath. Heart beating little body
only upright grey face features overrun two pale blue.
Light white touch close head through calm eye light of reason all
gone from mind.
Little body same grey as the earth sky ruins only upright. No sound not
a breath same grey all sides earth sky body
ruins. Blacked out fallen open four walls over backwards true refuge
issueless.
No sound no stir ash grey sky mirrored earth mirrored sky. Grey air
timeless earth sky as one same grey as the ruins
flatness endless. In the sand no hold one step more in the endlessness
he will make it. It will be day and night again
over him the endlessness the air heart will beat again.
Figment light never was but grey air timeless no sound. All sides
endlessness earth sky as one no stir not a breath. On
him will rain again as in the blessed days of blue the passing
cloud. Grey sky no cloud no sound no stir earth ash grey sand.
Little void mighty light four square all white blank planes all gone
from mind. Flatness endless little body only upright
same grey all sides earth sky body ruins. Scattered ruins same
grey as the sand ash grey true refuge. Four square true refuge
long last four walls over backwards no sound. Never but this
changelessness dream the passing hour. Never was but grey
air timeless no sound figment the passing light.
In four split asunder over backwards true refuge issueless scattered
ruins. He will live again the space of a step it will be
day and night again over him the endlessness. Face to white calm
touch close eye calm long last all gone from mind.
Grey face two pale blue little body heart beating only upright. He will
go on his back face to the sky open again over
him the ruins the sand the endlessness. Earth sand same grey as the air
sky ruins body fine ash grey sand. Blank planes
touch close sheer white all gone from mind.
Heart beating little body only upright grey face features overrun two
pale blue. Only upright little body grey smooth
no relief a few holes. Never but dream the days and nights made of
dreams of other nights better days. He will stir in
the sand there will be stir in the sky the air the sand. One step in
the ruins in the sand on his back in the endlessness he
will make it. Never but silence such that in imagination this wild
laughter these cries.
True refuge long last scattered ruins same grey as the sands. Never was
but grey air timeless no stir not a breath. Blank
planes sheer white calm eye light of reason all gone from mind. Never
but in vanished dream the passing hour long short.
Four square all light sheer white blank planes all gone from mind.
Blacked out fallen open true refuge issueless towards which so many
false time out of mind. Head through calm eye all
light white calm all gone from mind. Old love new love as in the
blessed days unhappiness will reign again. Ash grey
all sides earth sky as one all sides endlessness. Scattered ruins ash
grey all sides true refuge long last issueless. Never but
in dream the happy dream only one time to serve. Little body grey face
features slit and little holes two pale blue.
Ruins true refuge long last towards which so many false time out of
mind. Never but imagined the blue in a wild imagining
the blue celeste of poesy. Light white touch close head through
calm eye light of reason all gone from mind.
Slow black with ruin true refuge four walls over backwards no sound.
Earth sky as one all sides endlessness little body
only upright. One step more one alone all alone in the sand no hold he
will make it. Ash grey little body only upright
heart beating face to endlessness. Light refuge sheer white blank
planes all gone from mind. All sides endlessness
earth sky as one no sound no stir.
Legs a single block arms fast to sides little body face to endlessness.
True refuge long last issueless scattered backwards
no sound. Blank down four walls over planes sheer white eye calm
long last all gone from mind. He will curse God again
as in the blessed days face to the open sky the passing deluge. Face to
calm eye touch close all calm all white all gone from mind.
Little body little block heart beating ash grey only upright. Little
body ash grey locked rigid heart beating face to endlessness.
Little body little block genitals overrun arse a single block grey
crack overrun. Figment dawn dispeller of figments and the
other called dusk.
-Translated from the French ("Sans") by the author.
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