Sunday 19 February 2012

Angst - Danish style: Tom Kristensen (1930)


Angst

Human angst has dominion that’s Asian.
It’s matured during immature years.
In my heart it’s a daily sensation,
as if mainlands each day disappear.

But my angst must be turned into longing,
into visions of dread and distress.
I have longed for mid-ocean disasters
and for wanton destruction and death.

I have longed for great cities on fire
and for races in flight’s headlong surge,
for break-ups the whole world was cursed by
and an earthquake that’s known as God’s scourge.

2 comments:

Carmen said...

Takk for oversettelsen av dette diktet! Det er mitt absolutte yndlingsdikt og jeg har lett lenge etter en brukbar oversettelse, slik at jeg kan dele det med venner som ikke forstår dansk!

John Irons said...

glad you liked the translation.
it's so difficult with the concept of 'angst'- there is no english word for such a state of mind. same problem with the swedish poem by pär lagerkvist at 19.02.12.