THIS MORNING AND SECRETLY (WINTER SOLSTICE)
I gaze at the aspen tree
as the sun turns
and I can see nothing
of everything which this morning
and secretly
will turn
the sap in the tree
will no longer draw back
but rise
although I can see nothing,
what is now hidden will soon reveal itself
first as small wounds in the bark
so that no one need be in doubt
and when the partition is removed
we will finally see
what is hidden
perhaps
secret threads
between the aspen and the breathing
of the hare sitting
under the tree
or most preferably
the gleaming
gleaming force which right now
causes the sun to turn
DENNE MORGENEN OG HEMMELIG (VINTERSOLHVERV)
jeg ser på ospetreet
idet solen snur
og ingenting kan jeg se
av alt som denne morgenen
og hemmelig
vil vende saften
i treet
skal ikke lenger trekke seg tilbake
men stige
selv om jeg ingenting kan se,
vil det som nå er skjult snart vise seg
først som små sår i barken
slik at ingen trenger å tvile
og når skilleveggen tas bort
skal vi endelig få se
det skjulte
kanskje
hemmelige tråder
mellom ospetreet og pusten
til haren som sitter
under det treet
eller aller helst
den blanke
blanke kraften
som akkurat nå
får solen til å vende
Translated by John Irons
From Ingrid Nielsen (1968), Hemmelig, men aldri som en tyv, Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, Oslo 2016.
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.
