Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Henrik Nordbrandt

TO SLEEP IN YOUR ARMS

To sleep in your arms
is just as remarkable and beautiful
as being an imperial
birdhunter in a fairytale world
where all things have wings
and fly back and forth among themselves
because they think it is fun to fly
and because they love to be caught
and released again
so they can make good use of their wings
their scarlet and silver
and emerald-green and golden wings
in that fantastical violet dusk
where you lie beside me
like a starling that has fallen to earth
wet and rumpled, with your feathers
and eyelids glued shut by sleep’s white poppy-glue.

IN JE ARMEN SLAPEN

In je armen slapen
is even merkwaardig en mooi
als keizerlijk
vogelvanger zijn in een sprookjeswereld
waar alles vleugels heeft
en tussen elkaar heen en weer vliegt
omdat ze het leuk vinden om te vliegen
en omdat ze ervan houden gevangen te worden
en weer losgelaten
zodat ze echt van hun vleugels kunnen genieten
hun purperen en zilveren
en smaragdgroene en gouden vleugels
in de sprookjesachtige, violette schemering
waar jij naast me ligt
als een spreeuw die op de grond is gevallen
nat en verfrommeld, met zijn veren
en zijn ooglid dichtgelijmd met de witte papaverlijm van de slaap.

AT SOVE I DINE ARME

At sove i dine arme
er lige så mærkværdigt og smukt
som at være kejserlig
fuglefænger i en eventyrverden
hvor alle ting har vinger
og flyver frem og tilbage mellem hinanden
fordi de synes det er skægt at flyve
og fordi de elsker at blive fanget
og sluppet løs igen
så de rigtig kan nyde deres vinger
deres purpurrøde og sølverne
og smaragdgrønne og gyldne vinger
i det eventyrlige, violette tusmørke
hvor du ligger ved siden af mig
som en stær der er styrtet til jorden
våd og forpjusket, med sine fjer
og øjenlåg limet til af søvnens hvide valmuelim.
Close

TO SLEEP IN YOUR ARMS

To sleep in your arms
is just as remarkable and beautiful
as being an imperial
birdhunter in a fairytale world
where all things have wings
and fly back and forth among themselves
because they think it is fun to fly
and because they love to be caught
and released again
so they can make good use of their wings
their scarlet and silver
and emerald-green and golden wings
in that fantastical violet dusk
where you lie beside me
like a starling that has fallen to earth
wet and rumpled, with your feathers
and eyelids glued shut by sleep’s white poppy-glue.

TO SLEEP IN YOUR ARMS

To sleep in your arms
is just as remarkable and beautiful
as being an imperial
birdhunter in a fairytale world
where all things have wings
and fly back and forth among themselves
because they think it is fun to fly
and because they love to be caught
and released again
so they can make good use of their wings
their scarlet and silver
and emerald-green and golden wings
in that fantastical violet dusk
where you lie beside me
like a starling that has fallen to earth
wet and rumpled, with your feathers
and eyelids glued shut by sleep’s white poppy-glue.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère