7 [g] grænserne findes
by Inger Christensengrænserne findes, gaderne, glemslen
og græs og agurker og geder og gyvel,
begejstringen findes, grænserne findes;
grenene findes, vinden der løfter dem
findes, og grenenes eneste tegning
af netop det træ der kaldes egetræet findes,
af netop det træ der kaldes asketræet, birketræet,
cedertræet findes, og tegningen gentaget
findes, i havegangens grus; findes
også gråden, og gederams og gråbynke findes,
gidslerne, grågåsen, grågåsens unger;
og geværerne findes, en gådefuld baghave,
tilgroet, gold og kun smykket med ribs,
geværerne findes; midt i den oplyste
kemiske ghetto findes geværerne,
med deres gammeldags, fredelige præcision findes
geværerne, og grædekonerne findes, mætte
some grådige ugler, gerningsstedet findes;
gerningsstedet, døsigt, normalt og abstrakt,
badet i et hvidkalket, gudsforladt lys,
dette giftige, hvide, forvitrende digt
”7 [g] grænserne findes” By Inger Christensen, from ALFABET, copyright ©1981 by Inger Christensen
7 [g] given limits
by Inger Christensengiven limits exist, streets, oblivion
and grass and gourds and goats and gorse,
eagerness exists, given limits
branches exist, wind lifting them exists,
and the lone drawing made by the branches
of the tree called an oak tree exist,
of the tree called an ash tree, a birch tree,
a cedar tree, the drawing repeated
in the gravel garden path; weeping
exists as well, fireweed and mugwort,
hostages, greylag geese, greylags and their young,
and guns exist, an enigmatic back yard;
overgrown, sere, gemmed just with red currants,
guns exist; in the midst of the lit-up
chemical ghetto guns exist
with their old-fashioned, peaceable precision
guns and wailing women, full as
greedy owls exist; the scene of the crime exists;
the scene of the crime, drowsy, normal, abstract,
bathed in a whitewashed, godforsaken light,
this poisonous, white, crumbling poem
translated from Danish by Susanna Nied“7 [g] given limits” By Inger Christensen, translated by Susanna Nied, from ALPHABET, copyright ©1981, 2000 by Inger Christensen,Translation copyright © 2000 by Susanna Nied. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp.