FEBRUARY NIGHT

I went out one cold February night
It was snowing
But it felt to me like shattered glass
Falling to earth
As if a window
Had been broken on high

It fell against my face
Stung my skin
And I felt something running down my cheek
The lack of sound scared me
There I was wading through shattered glass
And not a sound…

 

FEBRUARNATT

Jeg gikk ut en kald februarnatt
Det snedde
Men jeg følte det som om det var glasskår
Som falt til jorden
Som om et vindu
Var blitt knust høyt der oppe

Det falt mot ansiktet mitt
Det stakk i huden
Og jeg kjente noe renne nedover kinnet
Mangelen på lyd skremte meg
Her vasset jeg i glasskår
Og ikke en lyd …

From Gene Dalby (1957), Linedanser på piggtråd, Aschehoug, Oslo 1979.

Translated by Annabelle Despard.

Poem of the Week. 52 poems throughout the year

Take part in a weekly journey through 52 poems by authors from Norway throughout 2019 – Norway’s year as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

From the time when the earliest texts were recorded in runic inscriptions, poetry has had a strong position in Norway. By introducing a new poem each week throughout 2019, we aim to highlight the quality and breadth of Norwegian poetry. «Poem of the Week» presents 52 poems, inspired by the changing seasons and the passing of the year. The selection has been made by Tone Carlsen and Annette Vonberg, and consists of poems from the earliest handwritten manuscripts up until today, with a special emphasis on contemporary poetry.

You can find all poems in this series here. Read more about Norway as Guest of Honour at Frankfurt Book Fair here.