[p. 1r]
1
One day or night he taken to his gone to bed mattress they came and read to him. Came and took it in tyurns to read to him. Or made it up. Came and took it in turns to read to him or make it up to him as they went along. So from that first day or night on forward some days or nights they came and some not. He did not hear them come or go. They were there without warning and without warning gone. When they came and went he did not know whether to be sorry or beglad be glad. When the voice speaker marked a pause as if for breath or at a loss he did not know whether to hope it he would resume or hope it he would not. He did not see them either. Not because his eyes were closed. For when he opened them and turned his head this way and that to look for them they were nowhere to be seen. . They seen. They could of couse course have been where he could not see namely in the narrow space behind his bed mattress bed which turn and twist his head as he might and strain wring as he might the corners of hsiis eyes he could not see. Or of course somewhere in the dark xxx encircling gloom. For at night his sole light is was day & night was from the dim light shed by the solitary glim nightlight or nightlight at thehis bedhead leaving much of the surroundings in the dark. Of the ceiling for example to mention only it only a small area could be seen from
where he lay. Two organs and two only so distinct in timbre and accent as to render most improbable if not impossible the imitation of eoither by the other in view of creating a false impression. Just as in the same or much the same way just possible at any moment much if not all of what averred so far and of whatever may chance to follow. No mention of that again. By whom? In a word by him by whome the above and whatever he may chance on to follow. No mention of that. No mention of that or him by him again. Or as little as possible. Part Scraps Fragment of what he hears sometimes when he heeds he seems to have heard somewhere before. For example, Mr K. turned the corner & saw his seat. Example chosen for its frequency. For it only of these sessions Rare the sessions when sooner or later it does did not once or more occur. With no discernible connexion with what went before or followed after. A storm at sea or in the mountains and then with or without pause, Mr Knott turned the corner and saw his seat. Then again with or without pause again the storm again or some quite different & equally unrelated material description such as of an amorous encounter of all things. Chosen also as a simple example illustration of how in different ways in different ways variously the same material may be enunciated articulated. could be articulated.
These in This particular case are complex 3 in number though of course strictly speaking many many more. Firstly though whithout pause break from beginning to end. Secondly with a hiatus of varying length between the 3 propositions thus, Mr Knott turned the corner ... and saw his seat. Thirdly with or without change of voice organ after the hiatus. What consequent shades of import for this simple set of words. With what variety choice of emotions the corner when if not with none the corner turned. The seat seen. The pause if when any fraught lived between the two acts.
without break. With break between the 2 prop. with or without pause for breath or some other purpose from start to finish. With such pause litll between the 2 propositions that Etc. this etc. With or without change of voice organ after pause halfway midway and Nor to speak of that thus all the twists that speech can give to sense and Plus shifts of tone to make a mock of him. How x complex thus this simple set of words. With what choice of emotions the corner turned. The seat seen. The breach if any bridged between the two operations.
[p. 2r]
1 2
But whenever the lame hexameter occurs occurred however mangled & he happens happened to be heeding at the time it seemsed to him he has heard it somehow somewhere before no doubt in the x course of some previous incarnation to judge by his experience of it the current latest now approaching its conclusion coming to an end a close. As much may be said & should be if time permits of other fragments. As much as of how spoken & above all misspoken or and of how . . xxx a word how eerily familiar.
Digital Manuscript ProjectStirrings Still / Soubresauts
Stirrings Still / Soubresauts © 2011 Samuel Beckett Digital Manuscript Project.
Editors: Dirk Van Hulle and Vincent Neyt