THE SPRING'S EXPECTANCY
Do I not walk here drunken with fragrance of roses
- yet no roses have come! -
Does not all tremble, wrapped in divine gossamer?
The reflected light whispers secret promises.
From far away a wind reached me lately,
light as a held-back breath,
full of a fragrance of shyly trembling expectancy.
Ever since then I have sensed a miracle.
I know nothing - walk as in a far-off land,
walk as in a dream, a dream of roses.
All is as before - yet all is changed.
Strange mystery over things!
Translated into English by David McDuff in "Karin Boye: Complete poems".
Swedish original
Copyright © 2005:
Translation from Swedish into English: David McDuff
Published with the permission of:
David McDuff, translation.
May and Hans Mehlin, Layout.
For more information, please visit the website of David McDuff and his own pages with the translations.