vissa dagar är luften tunn –
dess knivskarpa klarhet
drar mig mot ljuset
där jag blinkande
likt en nyss uppdragen harr
förlorar min kraft
hjälplöst glider mina ord
som okynniga vattendroppar
tillbaka mot mörkret
där räddningen finns
For once I wrote this in Swedish, and as an exercise I also try an English interpretation.
some days the air is thin –
its crystal sharpness
draws me to the light
where, blinking my eyes
like a captured grayling
I lose my strength
helplessly my words float
like mischievous water drops
back towards the darkness
and my salvation
—
August
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Love that you wrote this in both languages. Beautiful, accurate expression, too.
Thank you Victoria.. it was interesting.. and I realize my voice is totally different in English and in Swedish.. the hardest thing when I interpreted my poem was to get that Swedish into English
What a treat to read both versions of your poem. I see some similarity in the Swedish to Germanic languages, or words introduced to Germanic people by the Vikings perhaps. In South Africa, there is a Nederlands derivative language called Afrikaans and there is a close resemblance between dagar – dag, blinkande – blinkende, kraft – krag and several other words.
I realized that it was very difficult to capture my poetic voice in English.. until I realized that my Swedish one is different.. I think I will continue to do this.. I have read a couple of poems by Hanna in Dutch, and I realized I could almost understand them..
I like the visual clarity of your poem. Thanks for the English version. From experience, I find that the poem written (and though of) in the mother tongue captures all the images and nuances that I wanted to say. The English version (of my work at least) approximates that closely, but something is not there. I have a feeling that the Swedish version is more picturesque than the English one.
There is a certain harshness that doesn’t go through.. and I think I experience the same when reading translations of Swedish poets to English.. it might easily become too lyrical… I hope to read some poems where you have tried to write two versions…
The English version is beautiful.
Thank you.. For once I struggled with two versions
pretty cool to see this in both languages…and its kinda cool as well as your poem is opposite of most people…who would find comfort in the light…but then again, a fish would surely crave the comfort of the deep…
I think there are many people drawn to darkness..
Thanks to your translation I could almost understand the Swedish original. You do not often write in Swedish, do you?
This is my second poem in Swedish..
The darkness can be so comforting — really loved the contrast of being drawn to the light but finding it so wearying. And — THANK YOU for sharing this Swedish/English translation. It’s always so interesting to see poetry in a person’s original language. Enjoyed this post. 🙂
Some days you feel the daylight to be carving a piece out of you…
We all need a dark corner in which to nurse our wounds some times.
Again — loved your poems here. 🙂
Bjorn, Well, I couldn’t read the Swedish, but the English poem was lovely. 🙂 —Susan
Thank you.. I think it changed my English voice slightly.. a good exercise..
Excellent! Briljant! Gillar dina dikter! De gånger du skriver på svenska går det rakt in i hjärtat!
Tack så mycket 🙂 tänkte på dig faktiskt när jag skrev den
Tack Björn!
Jag hade tänkt att fråga om en bild på en harr men, jag hade mycket att göra..