More on #14

[Gary Kern <gkern@alumni.Princeton.EDU>]

Wahe@aol.com wrote:
> 
> > Ernst Juenger, Die Schere
> >
> > 14
> >
> >  Jede historische Wandlung wird musikalisch nicht nur instrumentiert, sondern auch im Kern erfaßt—im Augenblick der Empfängnis, längst vor den Geburtswehen. Wo die Musik auf den Willen einwirkt, hat sie schon einen langen Weg zurückgelegt. Dem müssen Signale vorausgegangen sein, die sich der Metrik entziehen, als prophetischer Teil sogar dem Gehör. Die Musik als >>reine, vom Dinglichen befreite Bewegung<< hat als solche kein Ziel.
> >
> 
> This piece I find difficult to understand, I take Günter's guess:
> 
> 14
> 
> Each historical change is not only instrumented like music, but also in its kernel comprehended accordingly - in the instant of conception, long before the pains of birth. When music effects the will, it has already come a long way. It must have been preceeded by signals, beyond the rule of metrics, on the prophetic part even beyond hearing. Music, seen as *pure motion, deprived of all thing-ness* , has no destiny.
> 
> Walter Hedderich

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With your kind indulgence, I would suggest a few changes in the
translation:

#14

Every historical change is not only orchestrated like music, but also
grasped in its essence--at the moment of conception, long before
the birth pangs.  Where music works on the will, it has already come a
long way.  That way must have been preceeded by signals that fall
outside of the beat, just as the prophetic part falls outside of
hearing.  Music, as "pure movement, free of all thing-ness," has no
goal.

In his commentary, Günter Rebing writes:

"I find this text difficult to understand mainly because of that passive
construction mentioned above. Who is it who, in EJ's opinion, is capable
of  grasping those very first chords of a historical change? EJ does not
just say here that the beginnings of a historical change are nearly
imperceptible and thus difficult to make out. Rather, he seems to imply
that it takes a prophet or a divinely inspired visionary to be able to
see the seeds of time as soon as they are sown. Or does EJ even
insinuate that he believes to have himself such extraordinary powers?"

I think the idea is that the historical change is grasped by the
organism, in the case of a conception, or by the pond, in the case of a
tossed stone.  The change is registered in some material, but not yet
perceptible to us, who may either be the material or stand outside of
it.  Hence the signals, intimations, hints that elude the
straightforward mathematical calculation.  The change begins a new
movement, a stream like music, and some are able to catch the course
before others, but eventually everyone will know, when the trumpets
blast.

GK