Lessness
A Story by SAMUEL BECKETT (1970)
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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