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Poetry

Skagafjörður

By Gerdur Kristný
Translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb

I try to be
kind to the children
so they’ll tend my grave
when the time comes
crumble biscuits in the grass
on my birthday
and recite the poem about
the gambolling cows
themselves grown old and grey

All the same I will
know them again
by the heavenly smell of the stable

may they always be fragrant as the Jesus child

Translation of “Skagafjörður.” © Gerdur Kristný. By arrangement with the author. Translation copyright 2011 by Victoria Cribb. All rights reserved.

English Icelandic (Original)

I try to be
kind to the children
so they’ll tend my grave
when the time comes
crumble biscuits in the grass
on my birthday
and recite the poem about
the gambolling cows
themselves grown old and grey

All the same I will
know them again
by the heavenly smell of the stable

may they always be fragrant as the Jesus child

Skagafjörður

Ég reyni að vera
alúðleg við börnin
svo þau hirði um leiðið mitt
þegar þar að kemur
mylji köku ofan í grasið
á afmælinu mínu
og fari með ljóðið um
fingruðu kýrnar
þá sjálf orðin gömul og grá

Samt á ég eftir að
þekkja þau aftur
á himneskri húsalyktinni

alltaf skulu þau ilma eins og Jesúbarnið

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