Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Steinar Opstad

Those who sanctify love, forsake love

Those who sanctify love forsake love
Those who curse love become an apostle of love
But no one has ever become more alive
than his love and his hopelessness

Thus powerless to love I am an outsider
who gathers letters
who carves names on the wall
while counting the years of renunciation

Souls also live in societies
and history is filled with witnesses
But in this our love we carry
the cross of transgression

Those who sanctify love, forsake love

Den som helliggjør kjærligheten, forlater den
Den forbanner den, blir kjærlighetens apostel
Men ingen har noensinne blitt mer levende
enn sin kjærlighet og sin håpløshet

Avmektig i det å elske står jeg utenfor
og samler bokstaver
og risser navn på veggen
mens jeg teller årene i forsakelse

Også sjelene lever i samfunn
og historien er full av vitner
Men i kjærligheten bærer vi
forbrytelsens kors
Close

Those who sanctify love, forsake love

Those who sanctify love forsake love
Those who curse love become an apostle of love
But no one has ever become more alive
than his love and his hopelessness

Thus powerless to love I am an outsider
who gathers letters
who carves names on the wall
while counting the years of renunciation

Souls also live in societies
and history is filled with witnesses
But in this our love we carry
the cross of transgression

Those who sanctify love, forsake love

Those who sanctify love forsake love
Those who curse love become an apostle of love
But no one has ever become more alive
than his love and his hopelessness

Thus powerless to love I am an outsider
who gathers letters
who carves names on the wall
while counting the years of renunciation

Souls also live in societies
and history is filled with witnesses
But in this our love we carry
the cross of transgression
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère