Jon Fosse

Jon Fosse is the author of plays, prose and poetry. He lives now in Oslo, after some years in Austria.



Flying Backwards

I

Is there any reason to think
that the future has not already
taken place, and that it is only there
like a bird
flying backwards into
into
into this dark evening
in early spring
I think and I close the window
against the emptied street
and I see that the evening is not dark
but bright
and that the leaves are sprouting on the tree
before my window


II

But there is no one to be seen
no cars being driven
and my heart is calmer
than it used to be.

Å flyga baklengs

I

Finst det nokon grunn til å meina
at framtida ikkje alt
har funne stad, og berre er der
lik ein fugl
som flyg baklengs inn i
inn i
inn i denne mørke kvelden
tidleg på våren
tenkjer eg og lèt att vindauga
mot den aude gata
og eg ser at kvelden ikkje er mørk
men lys
og lauvet sprett på treet
der føre vindauga


II

Men ingen folk er å sjå
ingen bilar køyrer
og hjarta mitt er rolegare
enn det plar vera



©Jon Fosse. Translation by Gordon Walmsley and Sunniva Langmoen



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