Poem
Gerður Kristný
NORTH
Slow as sperm whaleswe glide through the gloom
which is white
here on the heath
It holds fast to its own
conceding only
one post at a time
For an instant they flash
on the side of the road
like the little girl’s matches
in the fairytale
lighting us
until we return
to the hole in the ice
to breathe
© Translation: 2008, Victoria Cribb
HET NOORDEN
Even langzaam als een potvisglijden we door de donkere storm
die wit is
hier op de heide
Het duister is vastberaden
en geeft slechts
stukje bij beetje mee
Heel even vonkt het
in de berm
net als de zwavelstokjes
uit het sprookje
en het verlicht ons
totdat we weer bovenkomen
in het wak
om uit te blazen
© Vertaling: 2008, Roald van Elswijk
NORÐUR
Hægt eins og búrhvelilíðum við gegnum sortann
sem er hvítur
hér á heiðinni
Hann er fastheldinn á sitt
og gefur aðeins eftir
eina stiku í einu
Örskamma stund leiftra þær
í vegarkantinum
eins og eldspýtur
litlu stúlkunnar í ævintýrinu
og lýsa okkur
þar til við komum aftur
upp í vök
að blása
© 2007, Gerður Kristný
From: Höggstaður
Publisher: Mál og menning, Reykjavik
From: Höggstaður
Publisher: Mál og menning, Reykjavik
Poems
Poems of Gerður Kristný
Close
NORTH
Slow as sperm whaleswe glide through the gloom
which is white
here on the heath
It holds fast to its own
conceding only
one post at a time
For an instant they flash
on the side of the road
like the little girl’s matches
in the fairytale
lighting us
until we return
to the hole in the ice
to breathe
© 2008, Victoria Cribb
From: Höggstaður
From: Höggstaður
NORTH
Slow as sperm whaleswe glide through the gloom
which is white
here on the heath
It holds fast to its own
conceding only
one post at a time
For an instant they flash
on the side of the road
like the little girl’s matches
in the fairytale
lighting us
until we return
to the hole in the ice
to breathe
© 2008, Victoria Cribb
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