Poem of the Week, week 21: Astrid Hjertenæs Andersen "Horses standing in the rain"

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Take part in a weekly journey through 52 poems by authors from Norway throughout 2019 – Norway’s year as Guest of Honour.

HORSES STANDING IN THE RAIN When my mind is filled with dreams, vaguer, more distant than my thought can explain, wilder, more heated than my heart can understand, all I want is to stand in the rain like horses standing in the rain on a lush and sweeping plain between the heavy hills, like here. To stand and feel my body sucking this wetness, cool and strong, streaming down in torrents over my face, my hair and hands. Being like the forest sucking as an infant from the breasts of heaven. Like the plain, full of sweetness, quivering with mild desire. Like horses standing in rain, bowed with wet flanks, letting the scent of loam and wetness drift strong and sweet through the mind, all I want is to stand and be letting the heaven-drizzle trickle, until my thought fever-free follows my dreams to clarity in a stubborn silent calm. Translated by Annabelle Despard
HESTENE STÅR I REGNET Når mitt sinn er fylt av drømmer, mere dunkle, mere fjerne enn min tanke kan forklare, mere ville, mere hete enn mitt hjerte kan forstå, vil jeg bare stå i regnet slik som hester står i regnet på en bred og saftig slette mellom tunge fjell, som her. Stå og kjenne kroppen suge dette svale, sterke, våte, som i strie strømmer siler over ansikt, hår og hender. Likne skogen der den suger, som et barn, av himlens bryster. Likne sletten, full av sødme, sitrende av fromt begjær. Slik som hester står i regnet, lutende, med våte flanker, og lar duft av muld og væte drive sterkt og søtt i sinnet, vil jeg stå og bare være og la himmel-yret falle, inntil tanken fri for feber følger drømmene til klarhet i en steil og stille ro.

From Astrid Hjertenæs Andersen (1915–1985), De unge søylene, H. Aschehoug & Co, Oslo 1948.

Poem of the Week. 52 poems through the year

From the time when the earliest texts were recorded in runic inscriptions, poetry has had a strong position in Norway. By introducing a new poem each week throughout 2019, we aim to highlight the quality and breadth of Norwegian poetry. «Poem of the Week» presents 52 poems, inspired by the changing seasons and the passing of the year. The selection has been made by Annette Vonberg and Tone Carlsen, and consists of poems from the earliest handwritten manuscripts up until today, with a special emphasis on contemporary poetry.

Poem of the week