WINTER POEM
Winter again.
And dark.
The sun sticks in a red eraser.
Look here, rub it all out.
Everything.
Write it again.
White paper – use the whole sheet.
Now we want your answer.
VINTERDIKT
Vinter igjen.
Og mørkt.
Solen stikker inn et rødt viskelær.
Se her, puss ut det hele.
Altsammen. Skriv det omigjen.
Hvitt papir – bruk hele arket.
Nå vil vi ha ditt svar.
Translated by Olav Grinde in Rolf Jacobsen, Night Open, White Pine Press, Fredonia, New York, 1993
From Rolf Jacobsen (1907–1994), Alle mine dikt, Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, Oslo 1990. First published in Pusteøvelse, Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, Oslo 1975.
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.
