Poems performed are poems sounded, where the sounding by the voice or
by instruments acting as surrogate voices can bring a new sense of
power/empowerment to performers and auditors. The further extensions
and transformations of voice move it closer and closer to "the condition
of music," to the point where words and syntax — the common
constituents of language — are obscured, subordinated, or totally
abandoned. The push toward such a poetry has long been present at the
far limits of the modernist project and with it the recognition of
similar processes and works outside of literature as such. Thus Velimir
Khlebnikov, early in the game, with reference to a traditional Russian
poetry equivalent to his newly minted zaum language:
Spells
and incantations, what we call magic words, the sacred language of
paganism … are rows of mere syllables which the intellect can make no
sense of, and they form a kind of beyondsense [zaum] language in
folk speech. Nevertheless an enormous power over mankind is attributed
to these incomprehensible and magic spells, a direct influence upon the
fate of man. … The magic in a word remains magic even if it is not
understood and loses none of its power. Poems may be understandable or
they may not, but they must be good, they must be truthful.
(Translation from the Russian by Paul Schmidt) - Jerome Rothenberg http://www.ubu.com/ethno/soundings.html
Illia shanta desit, penui tevit o novo,
ed tues speci kalcho, te diti shangra natta,
spui zezonte kli evi, derche pui tankat,
o te min denta biniavo lor kalaii envo da shakt.
Tues menehesu feldo, finna voiheshu shent
talik ed duo nuesa, shali in teka, oveni.
Biejake tenko polto, te tues indomo valo.
Henta macanta shela, duo dentika tegant,
ed vena yordo menako, tues adolvo shent
irdi benith duis ordit, puis posheko fultis,
illia shanta edi, es potu timortho dehi.
Totumen deffa hesha, cris et dana bedova,
mortumen fonta kiella, as ed tued id dievi.
Non ak akande, tormo es tues toid esta,
illiia benquo vento, towoor mena casata,
ish ina fulti toworka do esh incomto plekta,
cana bet borno, indui, enduisha sot.
Mena can templa udorphoset, rina, rina quelo
bei endado da calsa de morno, ahasth.
Sot tues fumit a glanta, tezida morno eganta,
suis et a ganta quormosa a benta, banli Chi!
In id indingota plues vanda du ples, fekant.
Tues et odi, beyanka, tiyendha depit tramak.
De do i o se i remaka. Ontov filest eshilla.
Ilies es stilla, tues ed op, enna chaihka,
buenit denno, sot yanga, sed yis, olto benoto.
Dolia ghenata tuos, et id benadi shaldo,
tues yi haddi fenulta, cris toh tokit tondanti.
Shent, illia shantavento, puier dena velago,
pormos dokeh shi dano, quilo quuai na ti.
Jhed! ig vornosto zenaltis, ed tormo yadi ki
quat el te damma, te damma, tues eth shont.
Beno pir aldon ishentak, khali hedianna,
shentin o feldi fahnka puier codolfto khelid,
Ba damo tenti shistolo, vuquielati, Chi!
Nesto bilendi tamka, tenka di shesh,
volden es ed, ed voldo, vadla do si, si veka.
Belda jhos shesso kanta, illia ganta menoldo,
cando di nestili kloshist, zentus zenalta yot.
Quielpet in dano ve mortoshos, pello polto adiin.
Oquentis kesto i kempo, suyo sha sed tues di!
