The second but last new piece of reading in the course is one single poem. In the past, it has been rewarding to work with poetry also after the introductory session. The course has sometimes contained a poetry exchange with students in the US and even if we don't have that this year, we can still have look at the poetry! What we'll do is to study translations of one poem. While it might seem unfeasible to study translations from Swedish to English in a course delivered in English, you will find that there are multiple English translations to negotiate!

It doesn't require a great of preparation for you. Read the poem(s) at home and / or consider its four translations. Wednesday evening and we'll take it from there. We'll arrange groups and start working these interpretations and discuss the challenges of not only relating to and interpreting but also translating poetry!

Discussion thread (for more translations)

A choir

and a reading

Resources for poetry:

Figurative language

Metre

If you prefer a print version of the poetry, here's a document.

Andrum: Juli (In Swedish with 4 English translations)

Den som ligger på rygg under de höga träden
är också däruppe. Han rännilar sig ut i tusentals kvistar,
gungar fram och tillbaka,
sitter i en katapultstol som går loss i ultrarapid.

Den som står nere vid bryggorna kisar mot vattnen.
Bryggorna åldras fortare än människor.
De har silvergrått virke och stenar i magen.
Det bländande ljuset slår ända in.

Den som färdas hela dagen i öppen båt
över de glittrande fjärdarna
ska somna till sist inne i en blå lampa
medan öarna kryper som stora nattfjärilar över glaset.

Translation by Sven Borei

Who lies on his back under the high trees
is also there. He rills out into thousands of twigs

swaying back and forth,
sits in a catapult seat released in ultra-rapid.

Who stands down by the docks squints towards water.
Docks age faster than people.
They have silver-grey wood and stones within.
The blinding light rips its way to the core.

Who sails all night in an open boat
over the glittering bights
will at last fall asleep inside a blue lamp
while the isles creep like giant moths over the glass.

from Dark Adaptation, 1966-1970

Translation by May Swenson

Breathing Room: July

Lying on his back under tall trees
he is also up there. He rills into thousands of twigs and branches,
is swayed back and forth,
as if in a catapult seat outflung in slow motion.

Standing down by the jetties he squints across the waters.
The docks age sooner than men.
Made of splintered silver gray planks, and with stones in their bellies.

The blinding light rips its way straight through.

Sailing all day in an open boat
over the glittering bights,
he will fall asleep at last inside a blue lamp
while islands like great nocturnal moths creep over the glass.

Translation by Robert Fulton

Breathing Space July

The man lying on his back under the high trees
is up there too. He rills out in thousandfold twigs,
sways to and fro,
sits in an ejector seat that releases in slow motion.

The man down by the jetties narrows his eyes at the water.
The jetties grow old more quickly than people.
They have silver grey timber and stones in their stomachs.
The blinding light beats right in.

The man traveling all day in an open boat
over the glittering straits
Will sleep at last inside a blue lamp
while the islands creep like large moths across the glass.

Translation by Robert Bly

Breathing Space July

The man who lies on his back under huge trees
is also up in them. He branches out into thousands of tiny branches.
He sways back and forth,
he sits in a catapult chair that hurtles forward in slow motion.

The man who stands down at the dock screws up his eyes against the water.
Docks get older faster than men.
They have silver-gray posts and boulders in their gut.
The dazzling light drives straight in.

The man who spends the whole day in an open boat
moving over the luminous bays
will fall asleep at last inside the shade of his blue lamp
as the islands crawl like huge moths over the globe.