(no subject)

[leka-moya.livejournal.com]

I want to know if any of you know of poems about being the cruel one in love. The one who breaks up or cheats or leaves.

Here's a poem by Marta Tikkanen for you. It's from her book Århundrets Kjærlighetssaga, which is about her turbulent marriage to an alcoholic.

Før
var du ekkel og spydig
bare når du drakk

Nå er du
enda eklere og spydigere
når du er edru

En skulle tro du ikke
trengte drikke
når du kan være
ekkel allikevel

Men det er kanskje like bra
at du drikker
iblant
så slokner du i hvert fall
til slutt

My attempt at translating:

Before
you were only mean and sarcastic
when you drank

Now you are
even meaner and more sarcastic
when you're sober

One should think you wouldn't
need to drink
when you can be
so nasty anyway.

But maybe it's just as well
that you drink
sometimes
because at least
you pass out in the end.

Comments

[teithiwr.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I almost understood the original. :D (Studying Swedish in school pays off - I can almost understand Norwegian.)

[hello-marly.livejournal.com]

også mig! and i'm in the midst of learning danish.