Radio
Radio is everything—
Triumph over space.
Triumph over atmosphere.
Triumph too for peace.
My voice is heard
in everything, in every place.
It flies through the air like lightning
flowing, fizzing.
I, atom split from atoms,
millions,
penetrate the walls of
homes
of rich and poor,
of sad and happy people...
My voice
quivers, leaps, flows, races,
tickles, roars and murmurs
in the Ganges, Amazon,
Vistula, Volga, Don;
in Europe, Australia;
in Africa, America
and Asia.
My voice
quivers, leaps, flows, races,
tickles, roars and murmurs
in the homes
of students and laborers,
of thieves and judges,
of good and bad people,
of priest and pastor,
of rabbi and monk,
and even happy brothels...
Radio over all, over all!
My voice, voice, Voice,
quivers, leaps, flows, races,
tickles, roars and whispers.
My voice, voice, Voice,
hangs on high, ever-climbing,
till it falls,
touching the petals of a rose,
caressing the breast of Love,
showering the grave of an unknown soldier,
kissing the brow of a sorrowful child,
trembling over Sorrow itself—
My voice, voice, Voice!
Waves are flowing, flowing, flowing.
My words never weary.
My voice, voice, Voice.
tears through melodies...
Bam—whoosh, bam—whoosh...
My voice, voice, Voice
crashes through the jazz-cacophony...
Bam—whoosh, bam—whoosh...
My voice, my voice
it attacks, it attacks!
Attack, charge, attack!
It attacks, it attacks
the antenna!
I call, I cry through space.
My sounds resound everywhere
in a million tones.
Here I am, with you, near, near
to you and everywhere
where where where...
Just listen, just listen!
I speak a word—it reaches you.
It echoes everywhere, to the stars
to the heavens:
Peace, peace, peace!
My belief is strong.
Mankind will not perish.
Our idea is immortal!
No one can deny that.
My belief is strong.
Evil will fall, will fall.
Radio needs no passport.
It fights the good fight!
Man, not beast, will triumph!
Long live truth! Down with falsity!
Good, not evil, will triumph!
Honesty and honor will triumph!
Away with the liquor of falsity!
So search, search, my friend,
for the waves of brotherly love,
and listen to the waves
of great joy, of brotherhood and love—
not to the evil howling of beasts,
not to the fires of hatred!
Long live the waves, the good waves!
Soon, in every place,
you will see, hear and feel the waves,
the good, sweet waves!
And a hymn will storm through space.
And the waves of life
will reign in pure tones
over Space itself.
A hymn, hymn, hymn!
Our hymn!
will break out everywhere in the world:
in Paris, in London;
in New York, Barcelona,
Moscow and Rome...
And our hope will grow
in every home.
Speaking heart to heart.
The radio-metaphor.
Paris, 4.6. 1926
Written by Salomon Konfeld (‘S. Grenkamp’) | Translation by Adam Kuplowsky
’Radio’, Sennacieca Revuo, January 1928
Salomon Kornfeld, ps. ‘Grenkamp’ (1896-1943): Jewish poet, journalist and Esperantist. A pioneer promoter of Esperanto radio. He was murdered in the Natzweiler-Struthof Nazi concentration camp. (Poland)