mandag den 11. december 2023

Poetry Monday :: Winter

Today's theme for Poetry Monday is Winter. Poetry Monday is a challenge, hosted by Diane at On the Border. But now only for three more Mondays.  Monday, January 1, 2024 is Diane's last time hosting Poetry Monday, as she's taking a break due to health issues. Messymimi and I have a loose plan of keeping the chair warm for her - let's see what happens.

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     Digtet her er en reprise. Jeg bragte det første gang den 18. januar 2021, og anden gang, hvor jeg sammenlignede med en tidligere dansk oversættelse til vintersolhverv sidste år, men jeg synes nu bedst om min egen oversættelse, så det er hvad jeg bringer i dag. Jeg har lige forbedret et par af linkerne - i det mindste synes jeg, at det er en forbedring.
     Vi har desværre ikke mere sne, der får træer, huse, hegn og mur til at se ud som kager med glasur. Jeg håber, det snart kommer igen, for det er meget bedre for humøret med sne til at lyse op i vintermulmet.

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This poem has been published once before  January, 18, 2021, and again at Winter solstice last year. This time with an elder, Danish translation. I am brash enough to say that I like mine the best, so that's what you'll get today - I improved two of the lines, at least I found it to be an improvement.

Unfortunately we have no more snow to make tree and house, and hill and lake, look frosted like a wedding-cake. But I hope for the snow to return, as snow to light up our murky days are way better for the soul than rain and low clouds like today.

Winter-Time
 
Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.
 
Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.
 
Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.
 
When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.
 
Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding-cake.
 
by Robert Louis Stevenson 1913
Vinterdag
 
Først sent står vintersolen op,
en gyldenhåret dovenkrop,
der skinner et par timer kun
for at forsætte så sit blund
 
Og førend stjernen går sin vej,
før morgengryet, vågner jeg
Og frysende, på bare tæer
klæder jeg mig på ved lampeskær
 
Jeg varmer mine fingre lidt
ved ilden her, som varmer hedt.
Så i en rensdyrslæde går
det rundt i verden udenfor.
 
Før jeg går ud, bli'r jeg klædt på
får vanter, jakke, hue på.
Og vinden svider snart min kind
snor sig som rim i næsen ind
 
Mod sneen hvid står sorte skridt
min ånde blæses hid og did.
Og træer, huse, hegn og mur
ser ud som kager med glasur.
 
Charlotte Olden-Jørgensen, 2021

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Upcoming topics:
Cookies (December 18)
Christmas/Hanukkah/Holidays (Dec. 25)
The Future (January 1 Diane's last Poetry Monday)

8 kommentarer:

  1. Simply lovely. It is just after 4 in the morning and I am already hotter than I like so this really speaks to me today - both RLS"s poem and yours. Thank you.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Imagining snow on a hot day really helps, at least I have found it so. I love hot, and I love cold. So I'd be happy both places.

      Slet
  2. I like your poem better too, but can't imagine dressing by candlelight in the cold. I wonder sometimes how different my life might have been if my family had stayed in Germany. Would I still hate extreme cold?

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. I have dressed by candlelight in the cold - just like in books, complete with nailheads with hoarfrost. It was kind of cosy really.
      And as for not hating cold, depending on where in Germany your family came from. Many places are not very cold in winter. And cold and dry and no wind is actually hotter than drizzle, just above freezing and wind - which is what we are mostly treated to here in Denmark.

      Slet
    2. Hamburg. My father told once about skating along a frozen river to get to school.

      Slet
    3. Hamburg, that's halfways to where I lived for a year in Germany. And the climate is very similar to mine, a bit more snow, because it's further inland, and a bit more dayligth because it's further south. But not much colder generally.
      We have winters like that, where we go skating on rivers and lakes, but they are the exception. Mostly we get a week of snow/frost and then back to drizzle and above zero like now.

      Slet
  3. I do like both.

    We do not get much extreme cold here, but my hands stay cold a great deal of the time. I cannot imagine if we got snow, too, on a regular basis.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Snow does not necessarily mean colder. Here it can get as low as -20 (Celsius) , but normally -7 is as cold as it gets. When it snows, it's just below freezing and it is so pretty and quiet. I love it! And then there's no wind, so it actually feels more nice than +2, drizzle and windy.
      The humidity makes it much worse. People from Greeland moving here complain about the cold!

      Slet

Jeg bliver altid glad for en kommentar, og prøver at svare på alle kommentarer .

I am grateful for all comments, and try to reply meaningfully to all of them.