Mauthausen.
LURID LIGHT/DÜSTERES LICHT
The following poems have been written in the summer 03 after a visit in the former concentration camp Mauthausen, the largest in Austria, which is now a memorial place.
Mauthausen über uns die Sonne von damals
Mauthausen above us the sun of then
Sommerluft ein Bauer düngt sein Feld neben dem KZ
summer air a farmer dungs his field close to the camp
die dunkle Sommersonne die dunkle Sommersonne in den Baracken
the dark summer sun the dark summer sun in the Baracken
Hinter den Stacheldrähten das weite weite Grün
beyond the barbed wire the wide wide green
Ein Schild vor dem Krematorium: Bitte nicht rauchen
a sign in front of the crematorium: please don't smoke
Düsteres Licht die schneeweißen Fliesen der Gaskammer
lurid light the snow-white tiles of the gas chamber
Gaskammer ein Mann hebt sein Kind hoch
gas chamber a man raises his child
Windhauch die Stelen sprechen
breath of wind the memorials speaking
Jemand lacht am Weg zum Steinbruch
someone laughs on the way to the quarry
Todesstiege Schritt für Schritt mehr außer Atem
death's stairway step by step more out of breath
Abfahrt das Auto verfolgt von Staub
leaving the camp the car chased by dust
Mauthausen am Ufer der Donau ein Liebespaar
Mauthausen at the Danube bank two lovers
Mauthausen Day a big dog barks at me
DIETMAR TAUCHNER
Austria
Mauthausen lager - do not forget anymore
lager stones for each one a name - bodies in the wind
Moussia - Roma
6 Agosto 1945
Nel centro del lager di Mauthausen un grande sarcofago di pietra contiene le ceneri cui fu impossibile dare un nome. Sopra vi è incisa un'iscrizione in Latino:
DISCANT VIVENTES MORTUORUM SORTE
Credo che questo ammonimento valga anche per la tragedia di Hiroshima.
arde nel cielo un sole sconosciuto genera ombre
In the middle of Mauthausen's lager a great stone sarcophagus contains unknown ashes. Upon it there is a Latin inscription:
DISCANT VIVENTES MORTUORUM SORTE
i. e. May the living learn from the fate of the dead.
I believe that this admonishment is also right for Hiroshima's tragedy.
burning in the sky an unknown sun produces shadows
Moussia
Italy
Mauthausen: la scala della morte.
Mauthausen: death staircase.
scala di pietra di tanti passi un soffio tra i papaveri
stone staircase of so many steps a breath among the poppies
lager stones for each one a name - bodies in the wind
Moussia
Italy