Wednesday, 1 February 2023

Henrik Nordbrandt: 'Alf og damerne'


ALF OG DAMERNE

 

’Alf og damerne’ troede jeg det hed

det blad, min moder købte hver uge.

Der var altid en dame på forsiden

og enkelte herrer indeni.

Men når jeg bladede det igennem

fandt jeg aldrig et billede af en

der helt svarede til min forestilling om Alf.

 

Det var så meget mere forvirrende

som det i sig selv var utroligt

at de hver eneste uge

kunne skrive så meget nyt

om Alf og damerne!

 

Mærkelig mand, den Alf!

tænkte jeg beundrende

- og så alle de damer

dem på gaden 

dem i tog og sporvogne

og sikkert også alle de andre!

 

Hvor stor var ikke min skuffelse

da jeg lærte at læse.

O, damer! Og I, småpiger 

som lærdom endnu ikke har ødelagt.

Tænk en gang imellem

på stakkels, gamle Alf.

 

Tag ham med i jeres aftenbøn.

Lad ham nu og da få

en beskeden plads mellem jeres prinser

eller popstjerner, hvem I nu drømmer om

så han ikke altid skal gå hjem alene.

 

 

Women’s Owen

 

‘Women’s Owen’ was what I thought it was called

the magazine my mother bought every week.

There was always a woman on the front cover

and a few men inside.

But when I leafed through it

I never found a picture of anyone

who exactly corresponded to my idea of Owen.

 

It was all the more confusing

and all the more incredible in itself

that every single week

they could write so much new stuff

about those women’s Owen!

 

Strange man, this Owen!

I use to think admiringly -

and then all those women

those in the street

those in trains and trams

and probably all the others, too!

 

How great was my disappointment

when I learned to read.

Oh, women! And you small girls

who learning has yet to ruin.

Just think from time to time

of poor old Owen.

 

Include him in your evening prayers.

Let him from time to time gain

a modest place among your princes

or pop stars, whoever it is you dream of,

so he does not always have to go home alone.

 

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