***

***

Kun luuni vielä runoilivat

Te estitte minua kasvamasta.

Sinä, sinä.. oli aamuni itkun ruostuttama.

Silti vapaiksi rimpuiltiin, erämaihin kauas!

koskaan jäähtymättä. Me oltiin nuoria, hurjia -

Sääskiä hiuksissa.

Elän vielä pitkään, tiedän

Ja rouskutan ruohoa niiden haudoilla.

***

When my bones were still writing poetry

you were the ones who stunted my growth.

You, you… my weeping rusted the morning through.

And yet we wriggled free, far into the Wastes!

Never cooling off. We were young, ferocious -

with gnats in our hair.

I'm going to live for a long time, I know,

and chew on the grass of their graves.

Translation: Kasper Salonen

***

Quand mes os écrivaient encore de la poésie,

vous fûtent ceux qui retardèrent ma croissance. 

Vous, vous... mes pleurs ont littéralement rouillé la matinée. 

Et pourtant nous parvinrent à nous libérer, loin dans le désert! 

Sans jamais nous calmer. Nous étions jeunes, féroces,

des moucherons plein les cheveux.

Je vais vivre longtemps, je le sais, 

et mâcher l'herbe de leurs tombes.

Traduction : Bernard Peigneu

***

Toen mijn botten nog dichtten

beknotten jullie mijn groei.

Jij, jij... mijn morgen was door tranen verroest.

Maar we wrikten ons vrij, ver, de wildernis in!

Kenden geen kou. We waren jong, woest –

muggen in ons haar.

Ik zal nog lang leven, dat weet ik,

en kauwen op het gras van hun graven.

Vertaling: Sophie Kuiper

Poet

TÖLLI Elsa

TÖLLI Elsa

Poems

***

  • Danish Cultural Institute
  • Leeuwarden Europan Capital of Culture 2018
  • Czech Centre Brussels
  • Polish Institute - Cultural Service of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Brussels
  • Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the European Union
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