Poem of the Week, week 10: Åse Marie Nesse

SWAN Swans, they say, sing as they float dying on the flood is it true of both black and white or is the song of the white still wilder in the north the river is unlocked on a windless spring night and the first star leans its brow on the sleeping hills the full moon fingering the reeds at the water‘s edge blushing birches rise from their long shroud of ice somewhere in Karelia the earth is reborn but the swan is singing, singing and dies. Translated by Åse-Marie Nesse and Pauline Stainer

SVANESANG Svaner, sies det, synger i siste svømmende øyeblikk, gjelder det både hvite og svarte eller kanskje de hvite skriker en enda villere tone, i nord når råken er åpen, en vårnatt og alt er åndeløst nær, den første stjerne senker sin panne mot sovende åser, fullmånen fingrer ved sivet i vannkanten, bjørkestammene stiger blussende opp av sitt lange isbad, jorden fødes på ny et sted ved Karelen, men svanen synger, synger og dør.

From Åse-Marie Nesse (1934–2001), Lysår, J.W. Cappelens Forlag, Oslo 1985. The English translation comes from Åse-Marie Nesse, The No-Man's Tree: Selected poems, Making Waves, Guildford 1994.

Poem of the Week. 52 poems through the year

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 Annette Vonberg and Tone Carlsen, and consists of poems from the earliest handwritten manuscripts up until today, with a special emphasis on contemporary poetry.

Poem of the Week, week 10: Åse Marie Nesse "Swan"

Take part in a weekly journey through 52 poems by authors from Norway throughout 2019 – Norway’s year as Guest of Honour.

Poem of the Week. 52 poems through the year