TUA FORSSTRM
ONE EVENING IN OCTOBER
I ROWED OUT ON THE LAKE
EN KVLL I OKTOBER RODDE
JAG UT P SJN
Tua Forsstrm is a visionary Finland-Swedish poet who has become Finlands most celebrated contemporary poet. Her poetry draws its sonorous and plangent music from the landscapes of Finland, seeking harmony between the troubled human heart and the threatened natural world.
One Evening in October I Rowed Out on the Lake is her first new collection since her celebrated trilogy,
I studied once at a wonderful faculty, published by Bloodaxe in 2006. As Swedens August Prize jury commented, this is poetry both melancholy and impassioned, expressing a struggle against meaninglessness, disintegration, destruction against death in life. Bilingual SwedishEnglish edition. COVER ART
Gleaming Lights of the Soul by Yayoi Kusama LOUSIANA MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, 2013 (PHOTO: JOHN MANAVES)
Contents
Mrkret, regnet, vnligheten En kvll med rosor som dalar till bottnen lngsamt en frusen gata i Mejlans en alldeles vanlig kvll
The darkness, the rain, the kindness An evening with roses that sink to the bottom slowly a frozen street in Mejlans a perfectly ordinary evening
Sndra i dess minsta delar de minsta delarna, vad hittar du? Mrkret, regnet, vnligheten Ett fyrverkeri slog ut i sydvst ver Granvgen pltsligt med vldiga blommor som dalade ner och slocknade lngsamt strtade ner i vattnet och slocknade pltsligt en vanlig kvll med rosor lngsamt och smlte i vattnet strtade ner och fll
Split into their smallest parts the smallest parts, what do you find? The darkness, the rain, the kindness A firework display unfolded in the south-west over Granvgen suddenly with enormous flowers that floated down and went out slowly plunged down into the water and went out suddenly one ordinary evening with roses slowly and melted in the water plunged down and fell
Jag fll genom papperen lagda t sidan Jag kom till ett stlle dr jag skulle stanna i fyra ntter men jag stannade fyra r Nn sade: ni har vllat kommunen betydande utgifter Jag sade: det hr r min situation En liten modig katt kom till min undsttning Jag kunde se vad jag ville i mrkret om natten och ingen sg mig Det var som en drm men jag drmde inte Jag var inte rdd och jag kunde g genom kalcedon Jag kunde g genom kvartskristaller Jag kunde g genom sorgsen och sjuk P bottnen i dyn lg slantar frn mnga lnder och glnste Vi nskar oss vad som helst mellan himmel och jord Allt vad vi ser och inte kan se och tappade bort Jag knner inte igen mig och ingen ser mig Allting hnder fr frsta gngen och vi blir rdda I skogsbrynet har ngon aggressiv handling intrffat Det luktar ljumt nr man slaktar mnniskor och djur Jag fll genom de trttsamma omtagningarna Jag sger att jag har gtt en kurs men det hjlper mig inte Jag menar bara att det r s disparata bilder P stt och vis gr det att byta ut oss alla Stickor och strn, ngot med att sakna mtt och grnser Ngon kom gende i regnet och sade flj med och jag slpper inte den handen
I fell through the papers laid aside I came to a place where I was supposed to stay for four nights but I stayed four years Someone said: you have caused the council considerable expense I said: this is my situation A little brave cat came to my rescue I could see what I wanted in the dark at night and no one saw me It was like a dream but I wasnt dreaming I was not afraid and I could pass through chalcedony I could pass through quartz crystals I could pass through sad and sick In the mud on the bottom coins from many lands lay gleaming We wish for anything between heaven and earth All that we see and cannot see and lost I do not recognise myself, and no one sees me Everything happens for the first time and we are frightened At the forests edge some aggressive act has taken place There is a lukewarm smell when people and animals are slaughtered I fell through the tiresome retakes I say that I have been on a course but it doesnt help me I simply mean that the pictures are so disparate In a way we can all be swapped round Sticks and straws, something about lacking dimensions and limits Someone came walking in the rain and said come with me and I wont let go of that hand
Du skulle inte frebr mig Du skulle inte vnda bort ansiktet Blser hagel och grus mot ansiktet Blser alarnas frmjl p vattnet
You wouldnt reproach me You wouldnt turn your face away Hail and gravel blow in the face The alders pollen blows on the water
Det finns fyra slags mrker och vargen springer p starka tassar genom din drm Vi frsvagas i den astronomiska gryningen, pulsen sjunker, vi blir kallblodiga medan stjrnorna bleknar och gr ner under horisonten Det finns stjrnor av en sdan magnitud att vi hpnar Februarimorgon med bltt och moln ver snn och spret av tassar i rt linje fr att vargarna inte lter sig distraheras i likhet med oss som leker en stund med frhoppningarna och glmskan.
Den hr lgenheten r mycket liten Varandras spr genom hjrtat snn
There are four kinds of darkness and the wolf runs on strong paws through your dream We grow weaker in the astronomical dawn, the pulse drops, we become cold-blooded while the stars fade and set beneath the horizon There are stars of such magnitude that we are amazed February morning with blue and clouds above the snow and the tracks of paws in a straight line because the wolves dont let themselves be distracted like us who play for a while with our hopes and oblivion. This flat is very small One anothers tracks through the heart the snow
Jag sade att jag har gtt en livrddningskurs, att jag kan hmta upp vuxna och barn och gamla ur vattnet Det kndes inte bra men s mindes jag att det var sant! Jag skrev under dokumentet med mitt namn och frband mig att rdda alla i bassngen. Man tar mnniskan i famn och lgger henne p kakelgolvet och blser liv i hennes kropp, med lpparna mot hennes lppar. Sedan skall man inte skiljas t. Jag gr ner till stranden, dyker frn bryggan i det svala vattnet och simmar ut diagonalt mot holmen med den lilla nckrosdammen.
I said that I have been on a lifesaving course, that I can fetch adults and children and old folk out of the water It didnt feel good but then I remembered that it was true! I signed the document with my name and pledged to save everyone in the pool.
I said that I have been on a lifesaving course, that I can fetch adults and children and old folk out of the water It didnt feel good but then I remembered that it was true! I signed the document with my name and pledged to save everyone in the pool.
One takes the person in ones arms and puts them on the tiled floor and blows life into their body, with ones lips against their lips. After that one mustnt separate. I walk down to the shore, dive off the jetty into the cool water and swim out diagonally towards the island with the small lily pond. Its further than I remembered, but I have swum that stretch before.
Jag talar om fr min lkare att mnniskan har ett automatiskt hjrta som slr tills en mtlig sammansttning rubbas Det blev ska p natten och elavbrott, men jag nskar att du hade sett det rda molnet dessfrinnan som pltsligt stod dr ver viken underifrn belyst av solen som gtt ner nr jag krde hem frn Ekens och speglingen i vattnet, det brann! Jag verdriver inte. Ett par minuter senare var allt som vanligt men frndrat Fren gr och betar, stannar upp
I tell my doctor that man has an automatic heart that beats until a delicate composition is disturbed There was thunder in the night and power cuts, but I wish before that you had seen the red cloud that suddenly stood there over the bay lit from below by the sun that was setting as I drove home from Ekens and the reflection in the water, it burned! I dont exaggerate.
