Gerhard Falkner

1951 / Schwabach

The Pain of the World

"Sigh!" - if only I could sigh
without having to mean the sigh
that curls up before this sigh
for if Nothing came along I could sigh and say:
all for Nothing! In brotherly fashion this sigh
would jump to the aid of Nothing
the old shoulder embrace of sigh and Nothing
would stand at the ready, to carry the world's pain
on its hands, and the nIGHt, the night of world pain
would have taken the sigh into its midst,
and enveloped it with darkness, and Nought
I mean Nought Nought, not even a Nought at Night
would ever have to flee without a
"sigh!" following right behind.
For Nothing.

Translation: Mark Anderson
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