from Paul Celan’s “Ansprache”

Only one thing remained close and reachable amid all losses: language.Yes, language. In spite of everything it remained unlost [unverloren].  But it had to go through its own lack of answers [Antwortlosigkeit], through terrifying silence [furchtbares Verstummen], through the thousand darknesses of murderous speech.  It went through and gave no words for what happened; but […]