An excerpt from alphabet by Inger Christensen, translated by Susanna Nied

• Read original in Danish
• Read translation by Susanna Nied

7 [g] grænserne findes

by Inger Christensen

grænserne 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 Christensen

given 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.

more>>