Thursday, 29 September 2011

tomas tranströmer

nattboksblad

Jag landsteg en majnatt
i ett kyligt månsken
där gräs och blommor var grå
men doften grön.

Jag gled uppför sluttningen
i den färgblinda natten
medan vita stenar
signalerade till månen.

En tidrymd
några minuter lång
femtioåtta år bred.

Och bakom mig
bortom de blyskimrande vattnen
fanns den andra kusten
och de som härskade.

Människor med framtid
i stället för ansikten.


a page of the night-book

I stepped ashore one May night
in the cool moonshine
where grass and flowers were grey
but the scent green.

I glided up the slope
in the colour-blind night
while white stones
signalled to the moon.

A period of time
a few minutes long
fifty-eight years wide.

And behind me
beyond the lead-shimmering waters
was the other shore
and those who ruled.

People with a future
instead of a face.


trans by robin fulton

4 comments:

Titus said...

Thanks swiss, that's really rung something in me.

swiss said...

i'd love to tell you i could read it properly but really, it sounds like a murder!

Marion McCready said...

lovely, still haven't really got into my selected yet, hoping to do that tomorrow!

swiss said...

let me know how you get on with that. he's in my to do pile but as my must read pile gets larger and larger my to do pile seems ever further away!