Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Jan Erik Vold

The Bird from Kapingamarangi

      1
So nothing
can
be
replaced

by nothing, then?
the prince asked. Yes, so
it
seems, said the bird

from Kapingamarangi, provided
you make
no distinction
between yes and no.

      2
Make no
distinction between yes
and
no, Prince Adrian

asked, how? Well, first
you must
come upon a genuine
piece of nothing. Then you’ll find

it costs you
nothing
to give it away, nothing
to keep it.

      3
Adrian
asked: How can you tell
whether nothing
is genuine or not? Raising

its beak, the bird said: When
that which exists
is just as real
as that which doesn’t, and when that

which doesn’t
is just as real as that which does – that’s when
your heartache
comes to an end.

      4
It was a beautiful
day. The waves broke
around
the tiny island, far off

in the ocean. The prince
was lying on the beach, under the
sun, beyond
language. He rubbed his eyes

and nodded, when the bird
declared: Prince
Adrian, I’ve flown a great distance, all the way
from Kapingamarangi

in order
to sing
you The Nothingness
Sang: “When nothing

meets with nothing
nothing
will come up, nothing will come up.
When nothing

needs
nothing, lacks nothing – that’s when
everything
will be at peace.” The sun mill was grinding, the sand

was burning, the prince didn't know
where he
was. The prince, he just
laughed.

FUGLEN FRA KAPINGAMARANGI

FUGLEN FRA KAPINGAMARANGI

      1
Kan
altså ingenting
erstattes
med

ingenting?
spurte prinsen. Ja, det ser
slik
ut, sa fuglen

fra Kapingamarangi, for den som lar
være å skjelne
mellom
ja og nei.

      2
Lar våre
å skjelne mellom ja
og
nei, spurte

prins Adrian, hvordan? Nei, det gjelder
å finne fram til
et ekte
stykke ingenting. Da merker du

det koster
ingenting
å gi det
bort, ingenting å holde på det.

      3
Adrian
spurte: Hvordan vet man om ingenting
at det er
ekte? Fuglen

høynet nebbet
og sa: Når det
som fins er like virkelig som det
som ikke fins, når

det som ikke fins
er like virkelig som det som fins – that’s
when your heartache
comes to an end.

      4
Det var en vakker
dag. Bølgene
brøt
om den vesle øya, ute

i havet. Prinsen lå på stranden, under
solen, utenfor
språket. Han gned seg
i øynene, nikket

på hodet, da fuglen
sa: Prins
Adrian, jeg har fløyet langt, helt
fra Kapingamarangi – det

har jeg gjort for å synge
ingenting-sangen
for
deg: “Når ingenting

møter ingenting
oppstår ingenting, oppstår ingenting.
Når ingenting
savner ingenting, ønsker

ingenting – da er
alleting
i
ro.” Solkverna malte, sanden

den glødet, prinsen
visste ikke
hvor han var. Prinsen han
lo.
Close

The Bird from Kapingamarangi

      1
So nothing
can
be
replaced

by nothing, then?
the prince asked. Yes, so
it
seems, said the bird

from Kapingamarangi, provided
you make
no distinction
between yes and no.

      2
Make no
distinction between yes
and
no, Prince Adrian

asked, how? Well, first
you must
come upon a genuine
piece of nothing. Then you’ll find

it costs you
nothing
to give it away, nothing
to keep it.

      3
Adrian
asked: How can you tell
whether nothing
is genuine or not? Raising

its beak, the bird said: When
that which exists
is just as real
as that which doesn’t, and when that

which doesn’t
is just as real as that which does – that’s when
your heartache
comes to an end.

      4
It was a beautiful
day. The waves broke
around
the tiny island, far off

in the ocean. The prince
was lying on the beach, under the
sun, beyond
language. He rubbed his eyes

and nodded, when the bird
declared: Prince
Adrian, I’ve flown a great distance, all the way
from Kapingamarangi

in order
to sing
you The Nothingness
Sang: “When nothing

meets with nothing
nothing
will come up, nothing will come up.
When nothing

needs
nothing, lacks nothing – that’s when
everything
will be at peace.” The sun mill was grinding, the sand

was burning, the prince didn't know
where he
was. The prince, he just
laughed.

The Bird from Kapingamarangi

      1
So nothing
can
be
replaced

by nothing, then?
the prince asked. Yes, so
it
seems, said the bird

from Kapingamarangi, provided
you make
no distinction
between yes and no.

      2
Make no
distinction between yes
and
no, Prince Adrian

asked, how? Well, first
you must
come upon a genuine
piece of nothing. Then you’ll find

it costs you
nothing
to give it away, nothing
to keep it.

      3
Adrian
asked: How can you tell
whether nothing
is genuine or not? Raising

its beak, the bird said: When
that which exists
is just as real
as that which doesn’t, and when that

which doesn’t
is just as real as that which does – that’s when
your heartache
comes to an end.

      4
It was a beautiful
day. The waves broke
around
the tiny island, far off

in the ocean. The prince
was lying on the beach, under the
sun, beyond
language. He rubbed his eyes

and nodded, when the bird
declared: Prince
Adrian, I’ve flown a great distance, all the way
from Kapingamarangi

in order
to sing
you The Nothingness
Sang: “When nothing

meets with nothing
nothing
will come up, nothing will come up.
When nothing

needs
nothing, lacks nothing – that’s when
everything
will be at peace.” The sun mill was grinding, the sand

was burning, the prince didn't know
where he
was. The prince, he just
laughed.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère