Modern Scandinavian Poetry
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MODERN SCANDINAVIAN POETRY THE PANORAMA OF POETRY 1900 - 1980 in Kalaallit-Nunaat (Greenland), Iceland, The Faroe Islands, Denmark, Saame Poetry, Norway, Sweden, and Finland English versions by Martin Allwood, Wystan Hugh Auden, Paul Britten Austin. Frederic Fleisher, Thord Fredenholm, Robin Fulton. Keth Laycock, Robert Lyng, and others Introductions by Kristinn Johannesson. Inge Knutsson, Kai Laitinen. Finn Stein Larsen. Helmer Lang, Israel Ruong. and Eilif Straume Second, Revised Edition GENERAL EDITOR Martin Allwood EAGLEYE BOOKS INTERNATIONAL PERSONA PRESS CONTENTS KALAALL1T-NUNAAT (GREENLAND) Henrik Lund (Indaleraq) (1875 - 1948) Nunarput — Our country 35 Villads Villadsen (1916 - ) AviSja and his family 35 Arkaluk Lynge This is our country (Tourist publicity) 37 Malik restlessness 37 ICELAND Introduction by Kristinn Johannesson 41 Sigurdur Sigurdsson (1879 - 1939) ChristmasEve (Jolakvold) 45 Magnus Stefansson (Orn Arnarson) (1884 - 1942) Chickens (Haensi) 45 The journey (Langferd) 46 The hussy (Ekkjan) 46 David Stefansson (1895 - 1964) The shadow (Skugginn) 47 Johannes ur Kotlum (1899 - 1972) Prayer (Been) 47 Tomas Gudmundsson (1901 — ) Theharbor (Vid hofnina) 48 Halldor Laxness (1902 - ) She was all that you loved (Hun var thad alt, sem thu unnir) 49 Gudmundur Bodvarsson (1904 - 1974) Brother (Brodir) 49 Snorri Hjartarson (1906 — ) The roads are waiting deserted (Audir bfda vegirnir) 50 The days have come (Komnir eru dagarnir) 50 Steinn Steinarr (1908 - 1958) Children at play (Born ad leik) 51 13 Marble (Marmari) 51 Verdun (Verdun) 51 Sea (Haf) 52 A poem about Christ (Kvaedi um Krist) 52 White horse in the moonlight (Hvitur hestur f tunglskini) 53 The staircase (Stiginn) 53 Kristjan fra Djupaloek (1916 - ) To the memory of a poet (I minningu skSlds) 54 J6n ur Vdr (1917 - ) The bird is faithful (Fuglinn er trur) 54 Rest your wing (Hvil thu vaeng thinn) 55 Stefan Hordur Grimsson (1920 - ) In the evening (A kvoldin) 55 Dance on the sand (Dans & sandi) 55 JdnOskar (1921 -) Search (Leit ad fegurd) 56 Einar Bragi (1921 - ) Fiery steeds (Sporgladir hestar) 57 Fame (Fraegd) 57 Hannes Sigfusson (1922 - ) Africa (Afrfka) 57 180thousand (180thiisundir) 58 Sig/us Dadason (1928 - ) Take a gun in your hand (Taktu ther skammbyssu 1 hond) 58 The roads of my country (Vegir lands mins) 59 SigurdurA. Magnusson (1928 — ) Solzhenitsyn (Solzhenitsyn) 60 Matthias Johannessen (1930 - ) The city laughed (Borgin hl6) 60 Hannes Petursson (1931 - ) Dawn (Daegramot) 62 From Bright nights (Bjort kvoid) 62 Departure (Burtfor) 62 Copernicus (Kopernikus) 63 Talking to a tree in leaf fTalad vid laufgad tre) 63 Thorsteinn fra Hamri (1938 - ) The visitor (Gesturinn) 63 Settlement (Aflausn) 64 Assistance (Lidsinni) 64 In the field (I teignum) 65 Staying out-of-doors (Komid ut undir bert loft) 65 Johann Hjalmarsson (1939 — ) From the circus (Ur Fjolleikahusinu) 66 Thundur Gudmundsdottir (1939 - ) Child (Barn) 66 Nina Bjork Arnaddttir (1949 - ) We fall asleep again (Vid sofnum aftur) 67 14 THE FAROE ISLANDS Introduction by Inge Knutsson 71 Christian Matras (1900 - ) Snow light shone on the ground (Snj61ysi st6d av flotum) 73 William Heinesen (1900 - ) Temple storm (Tempelstorm) 73 Darkness speaks to the flowering bush (Morket taler til den blomstrende busk) 74 A thousand masts in rain (Tusinder master i regn) 74 Winter lights its fires on our mountains (Vinteren taender sine blus pa vore bjerge) 75 Writing on a frozen window-pane (Skrift pa frossen rude) 75 KeginDah/(1918-) Girl in a window (Genta vid vindeygad) 76 Windy summer (Vindsamt summar) 76 Napoleon Djurhuus (1928 - 1971) Jealousy (Jalousi) 77 Steinbjern Jacobsen (1937 — ) Sheep (Seydur) 77 Gudrid Helmsdal- Nielsen (1941 - ) Thaw night (Toybilskvold) 77 Hedin M. Klein (1950 - ) Voice from life (Redd ur lfvinum) 78 DENMARK Introduction by Finn Stein Larsen 81 Sophus Claussen (1865 - 1931) Dreams (Dromme) 87 With those who are waiting (Hos de ventende) 87 Imperia (Imperia) 88 Johannes V. Jensen (1873 - 1950) Theredtree (Det rode tree) 89 The wandering girl (Pigen der vandrer) 90 The earth and light (Jorden og lyset) 91 Theger Larsen (1875 - 1928) Sunshine in a room (Solskin i en stue) 94 Otto Gelsted (1888 - 1968) April 9th (Den niende april) 95 The hammer of the Lord (Herrens hammer) 95 Allan Bock (1890 - ) Already as a boy (Allerede som dreng) 96 Hans Hartvig Seedorff (1892 - ) . Sailor's drinking song (Rosvald) Music by N. Clemmensen 96 Tom Kristensen (1893 - 1974) Reborn (Genfodt) 97 The drunkard (Drankeren) 98 A purple dot (En purpurprik) 99 15 To my friend the poet Gustaf Munch-Petersen (Til min ven, digteren Gustaf Munch-Petersen) 99 Nis Petersen (1897 - 1943) Spring at Mariager Fjord (Forar ved Mariager Fjord) 99 Do you love man? (Elsker du mennesket?) 100 Paul La Com (1902- 1956) Suburb (Forstad) 101 The stranger (Den fremmede) 101 Jens August Schade (1903 - 1978) Me (Mig) 102 Inga (Inga) 102 Youthful longing (Ungdomslaengsel) 102 Sigfred Pedersen (1903 - 1967) Anthem to an inn (Hymne til et vaertshus) 103 PietHein (1905 -) Analysis of omnipotence (Almaegtighed) 104 Conversation on the road (Samtale pa vejen) 104 MoralGruk (Moralsk Gruk) 104 LiteraryGruk (LitteraertGruk) 105 Noble funerals arranged (Nobel bisaettelse besorges) 105 Knotbad (Knotbad) 105 Gustaf Munch-Petersen (1912 - 1938) thought (tanke) lOfc prayer (bon) 106 Halfdan Rasmussen (1915 — ) Sardine (Sardin) 106 Shoalsoffish (Fiskestime) 107 Ove Abildgaard (1916 - ) Navel (Navle) 107 Inthebathtub (I badekarret) 108 Tove Ditlevsen (1918 - 1976) A mother's anguish (Moderangst) 108 The eternal three (De evige tre) 109 The snake in paradise (Slangen i paradiset) 110 And it was a night like this (Og det var en nat) Ill Orla Bundgard Povlsen (1918 - ) The burning sea-Hon (Den braendende soleve) 112 Thorkild Bjernvig (1918 - ) Here (Her) 112 Interruption (Afbrydelse) 113 Jergen Nash (1920 - ) Whoringsong (Horehymne) 114 Poem to a brother (Broderdigt) 114 Ole Wivel (1921 - ) Weep for Balder (Graed for Balder) 115 Thefish (Fisken) 115 Ole Sarvig (1921 - ) Beach scene (Strandbillede) 116 The copper tree (Glaede) 116 Grey rooms (Grakamre) 117 Morten Nielsen (1922 - 1944) The account (Redegcrelse) 117 16 Erik Knudsen (1922 - ) My heart cries (Mit hjerte raber) 118 The Eve of St. Bartholomew (Bartholomeusnat) 118 All men want to be gods (Alle mennesker vil vaere guder) 119 Robert Corydon (1924 - ) Twilight hour (Morkningstime) 119 Iljitsch Johannesen (1925 - 1957) Evening glow (Aftenrode) 120 Jergen Sonne (1925 - ) It'syou (Deterdig) 121 Adrift (Idrift) 122 Race (Jaget) 122 Other eyes — another world (Andre 0jne — anden verden) 122 Northwest (Nordvest) 123 Lise Serensen (1926 — ) Girl who is waiting (Pige, der venter) 123 Ivan Malinovski (1926 - ) Critique of silence (Kritik af tavsheden) 123 Critique of the way of the world (Kritik af verdens gang) 124 Critique of reason (Kritik af fornuften) 124 Frank Jaeger (1926 - 1977) Handshake for Tony (Handslag til Tony) 124 Cecil Badker (1927 - ) Grass (Graes) 125 Per Hejholt (1928 - ) Traveling to the city (Pa vej til byen) 125 Vagn Steen (1928 - ) atthispoint (pa dette sted) 126 Jergen Gustava Brandt (1929 - ) Further in (Dybere ind) 127 Benny Andersen (1929 - ) OnTerraFirma (Padetterre) 128 Suck (Sut) 128 Sound sleeper (Syvsover) 129 The same (Den samme) 130 The memories (Minderne) 130 Uffe Harder (1930 - ) Express cable (Iltelegram) 131 Late summer (Sen sommer) 131 From here (Herfra) 131 Klaus Rifbjerg (1931 - ) Midsummer (Midsommer) 132 X-ray plate (Rontgen) 133 Jess 0msbo (1932 - ) Soap hymn (Saebesalme) 134 Erik Stinus (1934 - ) The Yogi speaks to Vasco da Gama (Yogien taler til Vasco da Gama) 135 Colony (Koloni) 136 Bent Irve (1934 - ) Lazarus (Lazarus) 137 The houses (Husene) 137 Tracks (Spor) 138 17 Model (Modell) 138 Inger Christensen (1935 — ) Like a slate-grey ocean (Som skifergrat hay) 139 Whispering grass feet (Hviskende graesfcdder) 139 From The text / Extensions (Fra Teksten / Extensioner) 140 Per Kirkeby (1938 - ) The angel child paints (Englebarnet tegner) 140 Peter Poulsen (1940 - ) the old age home at Hald (de gamles hjem i Hald) 141 Kirsten Bjernkjoer (1943 - ) When the cat is out (Nar katten er ude) 142 Steen Kaale (1945 - ) now and then we humans are quite peaceful (ind imellem er vi mennesker helt rolige) 142 Henrik Nordbrandt (1945 - ) Dream (Drom) 143 While we are waiting (Mens vi venter) 144 Letter (Brev) 144 Dan Turell (1946 - ) An old Disney comic strip (En gammel Disney-serie) 145 SAAME POETRY Introduction by Israel Ruong 149 Norway Isak Saba (1875 - 1921) From Sons of the sun (Sami soga lavla) 151 Coardda Jomnna (Jon Eldar Einejord. 1939 — ) The Saame story of the creation 151 Sweden Paulus Utsi (1918 - 1975) Wounded generation (Havvaduvvun sakkagad'di) 153 The calf sucks (Miessi) 153 From Images (Govvadus) 153 Love with pain (Reagganan rahkisvuohta) 154 From Home country (Goattulai'dun) 154 The yoik (Jui'gusa birra) 154 Holy hill (Bassedievva) 155 The new mountain waters 155 The word (Sadni) 155 Finland PedarJalvi (1888- 1916) I run in the mountains 156 Aslak Guttorm (1907 - ) From Saame speech 156 Nils-Aslak Valkeapaa (1943 - ) I don't know why 156 18 NORWAY Introduction by Eilif Straume 159 Knut Hamsun (1859 - 1962) Island off the coast (Skjaergaardso) 163 Nils Collett Vogt (1864 - 1937) Panisdead (Panerdod!) 164 Sigbjmrn Obstfelder (1866 - 1900) The rose (Rosen) 164 Helga (Helga) 165 Can the mirror speak? (Kan speilet tale?) 165 Hymn (Salme) 166 Vilhelm Krag (1871 - 1933) The cry of a bird (Der skreg en fugl) 166 Kristoffer Uppdal (1878 - 1961) The starling (Staren)