Celan, Paul.

written in ink on the verso of a printed invitation of the Galerie Marcel Bernheim, Paris, 1 page, c.17.5 x 14cm, no place or date [Paris, on or before 24 March 1955], splitting to central horizontal fold



...Es wird eine Wimper sein,
   einwärts gekehrt im Gestein,
   von Ungeweintem verstählt,
   die feinste der Spindeln



   Vor euch tut sie das Werk
   in unserem Geiste...

For the two sources in the Literaturarchiv, Marbach, see Paul Celan Werke. Historisch-Kritische Ausgabe, I. Abteilung/Band 5,2 (Frankfurt, 2002), p.89 (H^9a and H^9b)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A Celan discovery.

This remarkable manuscript, unrecorded in the historical-critical edition of Celan's works, represents in all likelihood the very first source for "Es wird noch ein Auge sein". Written on the back of an invitation to the vernissage on 31 March 1955 at the Galerie Marcel Bernheim of a group exhibition including engravings by Gisèle Celan-Lestrange, it was given by Celan to the later German publisher Chrisoph von Schwerin (1933-1996) who for a time in 1955, while a student in Paris, helped the poet secretarially.

The final version of the poem, which differs in a number of important respects from the present manuscript's text, is that transmitted by the published version, as it appeared in the literary publications Profile, 9/10 (1956), Jahresring 57/58 (1957) and later in the collection Sprachgitter (March 1959). Preceding this ultimate version are numerous sources, the earliest of which, according in every detail with the present manuscript, are currently assumed to be an autograph manuscript and a typescript (Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach) both dated 24 March 1955, although the date on the former is corrected from 23 March. The hasty appearance of the present manuscript and its seemingly improvised writing-down on a gallery invitation surely indicate that it preceded these other two sources. Perhaps it was written down in fact on 23 March: if so, this might explain the corrected date on the fair copy of 24 March. Textually noteworthy features of the manuscript (which it shares with the aforementioned two sources) include the lack of a title (i.e. 'Zuversicht') and the final line 'in unserem Geiste', which Celan altered in the autumn of 1955 in order to avoid any risk of similarity with the closing line of the Horst-Wessel-Lied.