Samuel Beckett
Digital Manuscript Project
L'Innommable / The Unnamable

MS-HRC-SB-5-9-3

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Segment 1

[2322.3] it's not difficult, our concern is with
someone, or our concern is with something,
there we are at last, that is not
there, or that is not anywhere, or that
is there, here, why not, after all,
and with speaking of that, now we have
it, you don't know why, why you must
speak of that, but there it is, you can't,

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Segment 2

[2322.3] no one can speak of that, you speak
of yourself, someone speaks of himself,
that's it, in the singular, a single one,
the appointed, he, I, no matter, the
appointed speaks of himself, it's not
that, of others, not that either,
he doesn't know, how could he know,
whether he has spoken of it or not

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Segment 3

[2322.3] when speaking of himself, when
speaking of others, when speaking of
things, the appointed, when speaking
of himself, it's I, when speaking of
myself, how can I know, I can't know,
if I've spoken of him, I can only speak
of me, no, I can't speak of anything,
[2322.4]

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Segment 4

[2322.4] and yet I speak, perhaps it's of him,
I'll never know, how could I know,
who could know, who knowing could
tell me, I don't know who it's all about,
that's all I know, no, I must know
something else, they must have taught
me something, it's about him who

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Segment 5

[2322.4] ,
does not know anything, does not want
anything, is incapable of anything,
if when you don't want anything it
is possible to be incapable of anything, who
can neither speak nor hear, who is I, who

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Segment 6

[2322.4] cannot be I, of whom I can't speak, of
whom I must speak, that is all
hypotheses, I didn't say anything,
someone didn't say anything, it is not
a question of hypotheses, it's a question
of going on, it goes on, hypotheses are
like everything else, they help you to

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Segment 7

[2322.4] go on, as if there were need
of help, that's right, impersonally, as
if there were need of help to go on with
a thing that can't stop, and yet it
will, it will stop, do you hear, the
voice says it will stop, some day, it
says it will never stop and it says it

Transcription
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