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Fjordscene Poetry

Poetry, writing and translations by K-M Skalkenæs

  • English poetry
    • 30 after thoughts (2021)
    • divisive / dismissive / missive (2018)
    • Light Requires Darkness (2018)
    • Seen From a Distance People Lose Their Eyes (2017)
    • Confessions of the Cold Light of Dawn (2014)
    • What Bits of Peace My Life’s Ensured (2014)
    • Poems Inspired by Paintings (2014)
  • Danish poetry
    • De spor man efterlader sig (2017)
  • Translations
    • Edith Södergran
      • Poems
      • The September Lyre
      • The Rose Altar
      • The Shadow of the Future
      • The Land Which Is Not
    • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
      • naked human
      • The Lowest Country
      • Towards Jerusalem
      • Nineteen Poems
    • Edvard Søderberg
  • Info
    • About My Poetry
    • About The Collections
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    • Poetry
    • Translations

I primarily translate poetry, and primarily from the languages: Danish, Swedish and German – into English.

I originally started translating poetry in order to make the works of Gustaf Munch-Petersen available in English – both so that I could share it with friends (and later, by extension, with the world at large), and as a sort of tribute. After translating his entire oeuvre, I went ahead with translating Edith Södergran in the same manner.

My other translations are more sporadic, and count poems that are meaningful to me – intended to stand on their own as they are.

I try my hardest to maintain the content of the poems without sacrifizing rhyme and meter – but if small alterations of the former are necessary in order to get the latter to work, I may choose to do so. I am, after all, a poet before I am a translator.

Category: Translations

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • Towards Jerusalem
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: to the apostle Søren

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

dear little brother Søren,do not letyour patheticmorning-soul disfigureyour of the Lordilluminated garnet cheekswith your half-heartedport wine tears – – – – | remember Søren,that it is a thousand foldbetter to haveseen the Lord your God’simage from your brandy’slight-coloured mountain,than to […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • Towards Jerusalem
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: wednesday at 16:15

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

the dove brush againstthe secretary’s temple –his engagement ring went downon the table –:I wish tosense a falcon’s nest and hearthe youngsters cry outin the flagstaff of life –I wish, tosee moose swima wading mile throughmoon-flood and swamp-sparklingsecrets –I wish, […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • Towards Jerusalem
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: for Poul

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

it is not like that –you CAN see throughthe heaviest darkness –it is completely different –you can turn around, andyou will justhave to walk a few stepsmore –you can change course, andyou will justhave to change courseonce more –when the newrealm comes likea clean […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • Towards Jerusalem
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: this life

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

everything about hu-mans isirrelevant andaccidental exceptthe path, they take –their stuff,their facesand their shoes –on the goodpaths walkthe good –,and on the evilpaths walkthe evil –everything else isGod’s entertainment musicon the roadtowards good, orGod’s entertainmentmusic on the roadtowards evil –the […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • Towards Jerusalem
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: new year’s

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

– in the yellow flower of the yearover a thousand distant roadsshines oldquenching tear –high high along crisp stemsdroplets clingingrun towards the forgetfulness of the sea –when every last tear has run,the earth will arise from the bathwith the surge […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • Towards Jerusalem
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: yuletide sun

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

green golden smoke sails from the peace of havannaand blows at middayrosy shades of sun through the conifersdown to earth’s stupidity – in the corners of the sun’s mouth is to be readthe truth about the earth:the earth is fine […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • Towards Jerusalem
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: from today on

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

from today on the whole world is more different, than ever before – today has it, and thereby also I, entered a whole new phase – the earth, humanity and I myself run from today on unfathomable risks, and perhaps […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: Nino

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

he was found under the lemon trees –he was forced into marriage at nineteen –he lost his manhood at marne –and he births eleven beggars – the sincerityin the run of fleeing elephants –:your walk –silent, free of hungeryour eyes […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: Santo Cacopardi

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

you await the night –your blood boils slowly bubblingin the sun –,creeping your teeth laughsharp and white –,playing glides your walk –playing safelyyour body hangs against the wallall day in shadow –deep in cold pupilsa child cries despairinglyforgotten –,tired till […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: brothers

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

they herded goatsand I spread out my feet in the sunon capo san andreae –black-eyed, seven-year-old and smilingthe oldest came and begged for cigarettes –when he left,he did three somersaultsand laughed –brown-cheeked, tear-stripedthe little one cameand sighing laid five yellow […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: Salvatore Bambara

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

everybody sang – salvatore bambarasat aloneand looked at his hands –then he lifted his eyessmilinglistening –o they are happyand it is my words, they sing,and nobody knows –mine –,and nobody knows –,o lovely –!

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: sun

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

in the midday suna bird singsin a cage the size of a hat – through closed gratingspale song seeps –thin voices singbent over sicilian embroideries –along white and yellow threadsthe words drip –– – –sixteen-year-olds – seventeen-year-olds –gratings between them […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: summer night

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

a white owlsailed inaudiblytowards a cypress –,and four starssimultaneously deserted the skyand laid down on the sea –from the highest mountaintopa donkey crieda raw stinking toneof despairing injustice –

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: song

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

god-child, whom I love –!how many must I beat –? shall I always cometo your smile, which says:poor killing god-man –? you know they can’t sufferonly bleed –only try –only die – how long god-child –?shall my sun-heart always roamalways […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: the lowest country

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

(for Fannie Hurst) o great happinessgreat happiness have they got,who were born in the lowest country –everywhere you can see themwanderinglovingcrying –everywhere they walk,but in their hands they carry little thingsfrom the lowest country –– – –o greater than all […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: dance

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

leave my eyes alonefrom your painleave my eyes alonefrom your pain –! I have the sorrowsof a whole worldcursesand wildnesssomewhere –a whole accursed world’s wild sorrowsI have –I danceI dance – leave me alone –!I haveall kinds of lovein a […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: melody

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

listen –!hear the wounded mansway slowlyslowly and vaguelywith a large palm-treehe swaysthe palm stretches bendingthe palm arisesthe palm swayslonger thinner lightningswaysshrinking thickeningsinkingslowly in a pleasing distant soundover a rattling lake of black heartssmall waves of flat shining heartsquickly rolling ebonite-wavestripping […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: on the mountain

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

(a fragment) just to fetter meshe took my flower – with the daggerwith the daggerI stabbed her –ha – ha – ha – loneliness is great –do you know,where the new flowers are –,dagger mine –?

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: too late

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

through these nightsI hearthe queen’s eye call – but the queen sleepsamong palm-winds –it is onlyher eye, which calls – the queen no longerneeds me –it is I, who needher – – – – | easy to find the southern […]

  • Gustaf Munch-Petersen
  • The Lowest Country
15 Feb, 202015

Gustaf Munch-Petersen: blood

Posted By K-M Skalkenæs

a sunday morningyou gave bloodto your most beloved dream – your body sang of great happiness –,the dream died –,and you gave birth to me – mother, the dead –,the dream –it was me, you gave birth to –,o you […]

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  • 30 after thoughts
  • divisive / dismissive / missive
  • Light Requires Darkness
  • Seen From a Distance People Lose Their Eyes
  • De spor man efterlader sig
  • Confessions of the Cold Light of Dawn
  • What Bits of Peace My Life’s Ensured
  • Poems Inspired by Paintings
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