Poem of the Week: Hávamál

1
Keep your eyes open
as you enter
you should look around you
closely around you
for you cannot know
if a foe may be sitting
right under your nose

2
Good host!
A guest has come
where is he to sit?
He will scowl
if sat on logs by the door
who wants to try his luck

3
He needs warmth
who has just come in
whose knees clatter from cold
Food and clothing
are what he needs
after crossing the fells

 

1
Augo du bruke
før inn du gjeng,
i kot og i kråom,
i kot og i krokom.
For d’ er uvisst å vita
kvar uvener sit
føre din fot.

2
Sæl den som gjev!
Gjest er inn komen,
kvar finn han sess åt seg?
Brå vert den
som på brandom skal sitja
og føre ærend fram.

3
Eld han treng
som inn er komen
og om kne kulsar.
Til mat og klede
den mann hev trong
som hev i fjell fari.

*

1
Gáttir allar,
áðr gangi fram,
um skoðask skyli,
um skyggnast skyli,
því at óvíst er at vita,
hvar óvinir
sitja á fleti fyrir.

2
Gefendr heilir!
Gestr er inn kominn,
hvar skal sitja sjá?
Mjök er bráðr,
sá er á bröndum skal
síns of freista frama.

3
Elds er þörf,
þeims inn er kominn
ok á kné kalinn;
matar ok váða
er manni þörf,
þeim er hefr um fjall farit.

English version translated by Annabelle Despard.

From Håvamål, translated by Ivar Mortensson-Egnund, Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1986.

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.