Friday, May 31, 2013

Samuel Beckett reads from "Watt"



You can listen here to a rare recording of Beckett reading two poems from his novel Watt (see link below).

From the 4th addenda, later published as “Tailpiece” in Collected Poems, 1930-1978:

who may tell the tale
of the old man?

weigh absence in a scale?
mete want with a span?
the sum assess
of the world’s woes?
nothingness
in words enclose?

From the 23rd addenda:

Watt will not
abate one jot
but of what
of the coming to
of the being at
of the going from
Knott’s habitat
of the long way
of the short stay
of the going back home
the way he had come
of the empty heart
of the empty hands
of the dim mind wayfaring
through barren lands
of a flame with dark winds
hedged about
going out
gone out
of the empty heart
of the empty hands
of the dark mind stumbling
through barren lands
that is of what
Watt will not
abate one jot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOMDP5MFTNA

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