10 Comments

Striking, as always.

As to Hölderlin’s "Gemeinsamschwesterliches": one could imagine a contemporary translation of "co-head," insinuating "corporate."

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So far, for the whole of the first line, bearing in mind how shocking his German was at the time, I have: 'Full whole head ass ass! O Ismene head!'

I think 'co-head' would be even better, because of what you say, but also it brings 'leader' in, plus the sense of sharing a head with Ismene (Antigone's two heads) I am playing with/going to post about.

'Full whole head ass ass! O Ismene co-head!'

At the start of Oedipus at Colonus, it's the same thing: she is *his* blind eyes, *his head*. She seems disappointed, later on, that Ismene is not her father (the head, her head).

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Hölderlin, ever champing at the bit of German.

Your remark brought to mind the Spanish "cabeza de turco." In Spanish, the scapegoat is a Turkish head.

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Ok, wow.

With my actual sister in real life, sometimes, on the phone, I still say, 'silly head', or even, 'pooh pooh head'.

I can only imagine that in Greek and many other languages, 'head' has these weird senses also.

Certainly, Hölderlin and Antigone are sisters in thought in bending language towards this 'head', and 'head ass' in American English, same.

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Ass head, butt head, head-as[s]-tail. There’s something there there. :)

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'O stranger, from this girl whose eyes must serve

herself and me I learn that you have come

as an auspicious messenger to us

to tell us what we do not understand.'

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John Magufuli Monument

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Bro was whacked.

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Every African in London knows

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I'd like to know/read more about how it's seen in London...

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