Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Tua Forsström

Amber

I have an amber ring that
shimmers through the lake’s water

I dive, stir up the silt, particles
of minerals loosen and float along

the bottom, just like the oak-blossom bud’s
starry hairs floated and were enclosed in the stone

then, during the time of sabre-toothed tigers
and small horses

in the sub-tropical forests with elderberry
and camphor trees here, where we live in houses

You see more clearly underwater
You see more clearly when you are sick

I dive into the cool water, stir up
silt, particles float slowly, minerals

like the oak-blossom bud’s starry hairs float
in amber through thirty million years, shimmering

in the lake’s water when I dive, everything
is stirred up, gets cloudy, shimmers

BARNSTEEN

Ik heb een barnstenen ring die
ligt te glinsteren in het meer

Ik duik, slib omwoelend, partikels
van mineralen komen los, zweven over

de bodem zoals sterharen van eikenbloemknoppen
zweefden en in steen werden gevat

toen, in de tijd van de sabeltijger
en de kleine paarden

in subtropische wouden met vlier
en kamferbomen, hier, waar wij in huizen wonen

Je ziet klaarder onder water
Je ziet klaarder als je ziek bent

Ik duik het koele water in, slib
omwoelend, partikels zweven langzaam, mineralen,

zoals sterharen van eikenbloemknoppen
al dertig miljoen jaar in barnsteen zweven, glinsteren,

in het meer als ik duik, alles
wordt omgewoeld, vertroebelt, glinstert

BÄRNSTEN

Jag har en bärnstensring som
skimrar genom insjövattnet

Jag dyker, rör upp slam, partiklar
av mineraler lösgörs och svävar längs

bottnen, liksom ekblomsknopparnas
stjärnhår svävade och inneslöts i stenen

då, på den sabeltandade tigerns
och de små hästarnas tid

i de subtropiska skogarna med fläder
och kamferträd här, där vi bor i hus

Man ser klarare under vatten
Man ser klarare när man är sjuk

Jag dyker i det svala vattnet, rör upp
slam, partiklar svävar långsamt, mineraler,

som ekblomsknopparnas stjärnhår svävar
i bärnsten genom trettio miljoner år, skimrar

i insjövattnet när jag dyker, allt
rörs upp, grumlas, skimrar
Close

Amber

I have an amber ring that
shimmers through the lake’s water

I dive, stir up the silt, particles
of minerals loosen and float along

the bottom, just like the oak-blossom bud’s
starry hairs floated and were enclosed in the stone

then, during the time of sabre-toothed tigers
and small horses

in the sub-tropical forests with elderberry
and camphor trees here, where we live in houses

You see more clearly underwater
You see more clearly when you are sick

I dive into the cool water, stir up
silt, particles float slowly, minerals

like the oak-blossom bud’s starry hairs float
in amber through thirty million years, shimmering

in the lake’s water when I dive, everything
is stirred up, gets cloudy, shimmers

Amber

I have an amber ring that
shimmers through the lake’s water

I dive, stir up the silt, particles
of minerals loosen and float along

the bottom, just like the oak-blossom bud’s
starry hairs floated and were enclosed in the stone

then, during the time of sabre-toothed tigers
and small horses

in the sub-tropical forests with elderberry
and camphor trees here, where we live in houses

You see more clearly underwater
You see more clearly when you are sick

I dive into the cool water, stir up
silt, particles float slowly, minerals

like the oak-blossom bud’s starry hairs float
in amber through thirty million years, shimmering

in the lake’s water when I dive, everything
is stirred up, gets cloudy, shimmers
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère