Looks a bit angry looking out over the sea.
Angry at the ocean for splashing it over again and again?
Angry at the humans for polluting the sea?
Don’t let your anger sink you, ha de Gött!
Some places fills you with calm, this is one of mine.
I can sit there, out of the wind and just listen to the sounds.
Waves breaking and swooshing up the beach.
The clicking of the colourful stones.
As they struggle to stay on as the water runs back to the sea.
Just to collect new energy.
Do the same again, but never ever the same.
Remember to stop so you can find your place, ha de Gött!
I have this epic poem to write
about procrastination
…
… tomorrow …
…
Tomorrow is only a day away, ha de Gött!
My absolute favourite Swedish poet is Gustaf Fröding (1860 – 1911). This brilliant poet and author’s short life was darkened with mental illness. Both his own and his parents. Perhaps this is evidence that brilliance and folly dances on a razor sharp edge.
He is still a popular poet in Sweden. The poems are highly musical and lends itself to musical setting. He is one the poets with the highest number of his poems that have been set to music. Many of them topping the charts for weeks on.
Many of his brilliant poems are written in the melodic dialect from his home province Värmland. In my mind the most beautiful Swedish dialect. Even if a person with this dialect is really angry with you it sounds like a declaration of love. The dialect is often a challenge to understand by Swedish speakers and then to translate to English!
Even so an Englishman named Mike McArthur took on the task with Frödings most loved poems. He did an excellent job and to that I’m glad to be able to share one of the poems in English. This poem was a great comfort to me when I lost my son four years ago.
Solace
When comes deep sorrow, as when night descending
in wildest forests, where man goes astray,
who trusts the glimmer, which ahead is wending,
the light that peeps out, flickers, hides away?
In fun it flickered, in fun fled this caper,
who takes a Jack o'lantern for a taper?
No, grieve till in the brain the numbness creeping
in weary torpor, is the solace found
- just like the wanderer, who was lost and sleeping
of soft and mossy down, a sleep so sound.
And when from misty depths he wakes from dreaming,
sees in the wooded hide the morn sun gleaming.
There is a Fröding society that published this as a year book in 2023. You can find them on the web here. Only in Swedish, but Google translate or Chat GPT can help. Seems this is the only way to get a copy of this book. You can also find out more on Wikipedia where there are some links to more of his works in English.
Ha de Gött!
Merry Christmas to all
the children's glittering eyes,
listening for the jingles,
of the Santa fly-by and hoo-hoo.
the cosy warmth from the,
overheated credit cards in the corner.
Santa is hi-jacked by the soft drink corporations.
Merry Christmas to all
the lonely watching reruns on TV,
homeless hobo looking for shelter in the cold wind,
child hiding under the bed from domestic disturbance.
the empty churches of lost faith,
last minute gift in the cathedral of commerce,
overworked mum falling asleep under the tree.
Merry Christmas to all
the warmth of near and dear,
grand child on the knee of great grand parent,
the facetime conversation and the texts.
generations together, carried by tradition.
blessed together and in warm house.
Remembering that it is all about LOVE.
Svensk version
God Jul till alla
barnens glittrande ögon,
lyssnar efter bjällrorna när tomten,
flyger förbi och ylar hoo-hoo.
den mysiga värmen från,
de överhettade kreditkorten i hörnet.
Tomten blir kapad av de stora läskföretagen.
God Jul till alla
de ensamma som tittar på TV repriser,
hemlös luffare som söker skydd i den kalla vinden,
barn som gömmer sig under sängen, från vuxnas bråk.
de tomma kyrkorna av förlorad tro,
sista minuten present i shoppingens katedral,
överarbetad mamma somnar under granen.
God Jul till alla
värmen från nära och kära,
barnbarn på gammelmormors knä,
facetime samtalet och SMS:en.
generationer tillsammans, buren av tradition.
välsignade tillsammans i ett varmt hus.
Minns att allt handlar om Kärlek.
Christmas spirit is there in your heart, find it, share it. Ha de Gött i Jul!
Winter green oak tree at Lammö, Bohuslän Sweden.
Some say that a tree has feelings and as I hugged this old oak I’m sure I felt a connection and a warmth. I hope she’s pleased with her green winter coat.
Hug a tree but look out for the ants, ha de Gött!
The morning mist lifts
as the sun rays chases away
the bad dreams of the night
The light is there, trust it. Ha de Gött!
Svensk version
Morgondimman lättar
när solens strålar jagar bort
nattens mardrömmar
Ljuset finns där, lita på det. Ha de Gött!
slowly the wind dies down
from frantic roar to silent whisper
as the sea slowly settles
the last waves make a lazy splash
onto the battered shores
a forgive me caress
and the sun slowly fades
behind the dissolving clouds
Anger is okay, but don’t stay that way. Ha de Gött!
Svensk version
långsamt avtar vinden
från frenetiskt vrål till tyst viskning
när havet sakta lägger sig
de sista vågorna gör ett slött plask
mot misshandlade stränder
en förlåt mig smekning
och solen försvinner sakta
bakom upplösande moln
Ilska är okej, men fastna inte i den. Ha de Gött!
Too warm, soaking sweaty sheets
too cold, where is that blanket
the too soft pillow is too hard
why can’t he come, only for a fast drive by
spread that magic powder in my eyes
Mr Sandman, please come on in
place two Sumo wrestlers on my eyelids
let them win this fight
slumber, only to fall over the edge
with a bang you hit the floor
wide awake, for the next hour
trying to untangle yourself
from the bed linen web
giving in, fading into oblivion of sleep
then the alarm goes off, and out the window
Sleep tight if you’re still awake, ha de Gött!
Swedish version
För varma, genomblöta svettiga lakan
för kallt, var är täcket
den för mjuka kudden är för hård
varför kan han inte komma, bara en snabb sväng förbi
sprida det där magiska pulvret i mina ögon
Jon Blund, snälla kom in
placera två sumobrottare på mina ögonlock
låt dem vinna denna kamp
slumrar, bara för att falla över kanten
med en smäll slår du i golvet
klarvaken, nästa timme
försöker du reda ut dig själv
från sängklädernas spindelväv
ger efter, försvinner i sömnens glömska
sedan går larmklockan, och ut genom fönstret
a man of steel
an iron man
so pumped up
makes rattle and clatter
inside so empty
a tin man
No person should be an empty vessel, smile and say hi. Ha de Gött!
UlleHaddock 