Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl

Language: icelandic

Translations: english (X. [I died but now I live for]) , polish (X.[Byłem umarły, a oto jestem żyjący]) , swedish (X.[Jag var död, men se, jag lever]) , estonian (X.[Ma surin aga vaata nüüd ma elan])

X. [Ég dó en nú lifi ég um ]

Ég dó en nú lifi ég um
aldir alda
og ég hef til þess lykla dauðans og heljar

Rita þú nú það er þú sérð:

Ungbörn sem gubba móðurmjólkinni
það er kvef í köldu lofti
og sólljósar hægðir

                                    Réttast væri að draga
                                                 úr fátækt
                       og hlekkja þessa mótmælendur
                                   við vegg
                                                við grátmúra
                                                                       við brjóstþil

Ég á hlutdeild með yður í þrengingunni,
ríkinu & þolgæðinu

Ég þekki verkin þín
Þú ert lifandi í nafninu en samt dauður

Translations:

Language: english

X. [I died but now I live for]

I died but now I live for
ages of ages
and hold the keys of hell and death

Write now what you see:

Infants regurgitating their mother's milk
there's a common cold in the air
and sunlit stool

                                      Rightly we should reduce
                                               poverty
                        and chain these protesters
                                      to walls of houses
                                                    wailing walls
                                                                     breastplates

I am with you in the oppression,
the kingdom & the perseverance

I know your work
You are alive in name and yet dead

Language: polish

X.[Byłem umarły, a oto jestem żyjący]

Byłem umarły, a oto jestem żyjący
na wieki wieków
i mam klucze śmierci i otchłani

Napisz więc to, co widziałeś:

Niemowlęta zwracające mleko matki
w zimnym powietrzu czuć przeziębienie
i osłonecznioną defekację

                                      Najsłuszniej byłoby zredukować
                                               biedę
                        i przykuć tych protestujących
                                      do muru
                                                    do ściany płaczu
                                                                     do napierśników

Ja, współuczestnik w ucisku i
królestwie & wytrwałości

Znam twoje dzieło
Twe imię jest wciąż żywe a mimo to martwe

Language: swedish

X.[Jag var död, men se, jag lever]

X.
Jag var död, men se, jag lever
i evigheternas evigheter
och jag har nycklarna till döden och dödsriket

Så skriv nu upp vad du har sett:

Spädbarn som spyr upp modersmjölken
förkylning finns i kalla luften
och solljus avföring

                                      Rättast vore att minska
                                               fattigdomen
                        och kedja fast demonstranterna
                                      vid en vägg
                                                    vid gråtmurar
                                                                     vid bröstvärner

Jag har del med eder i bedrövelsen
riket & ståndaktigheten

Jag känner dina gärningar
Du har det namnet om dig att du lever men du är död

Language: estonian

X.[Ma surin aga vaata nüüd ma elan]

X.
Ma surin aga vaata nüüd ma elan
igavesest ajast igavesti
ja mul on võtmed põrgusse ja surma

Kirjuta nüüd üles mida näed:

Imikud oksendavad emapiima välja
külmas õhus heljub nohu ja köha
ja päikesevalguse väljaheide

                                      Õigem oleks kärpida
                                               vaesust
                        ja aheldada meeleavaldajad
                                      majaseinte külge
                                                    nutumüüride külge
                                                                     raudrüüde külge

Koos sinuga olen vaevas
Kuningriigis & sihikindluses

Tean mida tegid
Oled nime poolest elus, muidu surnud

Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl

* 01.07.1978, Reykjavík, Iceland
lives in: Ísafjörður, Iceland

Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl was born in Reykjavík on July 1st 1978. He finished his secondary education in Ísafjörður in the Westfjords in Iceland in 1999 and later studied German in Berlin in 2003.

As well as being a writer, Eiríkur has done a number of jobs through the years, taught at grade school, done painting jobs at a ship yard, been a night guard at a hotel, worked at homes for handicapped people, been a caregiver at old people's homes, a cleaner at a cruise ship and a chef at a day care center, to name some.

He is one of the founders of Nyhil, a publishing house that focuses on writings by young people and also organizes various cultural events. Eiríkur Örn has organized a number of festivals and poetry programs for Nyhil in Reykjavik, Berlin and in Ísafjörður. He was the director of The Nyhil International Poetry Festival held in Reykjavik in August 2005 and the same festival in November 2006. A large group of Icelandic and foreign poets took part in these festivals.

Eiríkur was also director of Traktor in Ísafjörður, a sub-company of Bjartur Publishing House, which should focus on fresh and provocative literature by Icelandic and foreign authors.

Eiríkur Örn's first published book is the poetry book Heilagt stríð - runnið undan rifjum drykkjumanna (A Wholy War - Initiated by Drinkers) which he published himself in 50 copies in 2001. Earlier (in 2000) he had published three short stories, each in a booklet. Since then, Eiríkur has sent forward more books of poetry, published by Nyhil, in Icelandic and English, as well as two novels. The latter, Eitur fyrir byrjendur (Poison for Beginners) came out in 2006. His poetry has also appeared in collections and magazines in Iceland and abroad. Furthermore, Eiríkur Örn is a translator, both of fiction and non fiction, and has written articles about literature and social issues for newspapers, magazines and radio.

Eiríkur is a productive blogger, as can be seen on his site fjallabaksleidin.blogspot.com, as well as on other sites, such as the literary website Tíu þúsund tregawött (tregawott.net) and the Nyhil website (nyhil.org). In 2008 Eiríkur received the Icelandic Translation Award for his translation of Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem. Among other books he’s translated is Maíkonungurinn – selected poems by Allen Ginsberg and 131.839 slög með bilum, an anthology of foreign contemporary and experimental poetry.

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