Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Henrik Nordbrandt

THE SILVER CLASP

The June breeze presses a thin dress
up against the body of the girl who’s wearing it
and standing under a small parasol
in a rowing boat.
The dress is white and held together
by a silver clasp over her left breast.
The sea is milky blue.
Back on the beach there are people in striped swimsuits
bathing huts and ice-cream cones.
Since it’s yours truly who is rowing
it looks to them as if the girl was alone in the boat
and was pushing forwards
with the aid of the same passive force
as the silver clasp that prevents the dress from flying off.

DE ZILVEREN GESP

Het junibriesje drukt een dunne jurk
tegen het lichaam van het meisje dat haar draagt
en onder een kleine parasol
in een roeiboot staat.
De jurk is wit en wordt bijeengehouden
door een zilveren gesp boven haar linker borst.
De zee is melkachtig blauw.
Op het strand zijn mensen in gestreepte zwempakken
badhuisjes en ijswafels.
Aangezien ondergetekende degene is die roeit
ziet het er voor hen uit alsof het meisje alleen in de boot is
en zich voortbeweegt
met behulp van dezelfde passieve kracht
als de zilveren gesp die voorkomt dat de jurk wegvliegt.

SØLVSPÆNDET

Junibrisen presser en tynd kjole
ind mod kroppen af den pige, som har den på
og står under en lille solparasol
i en robåd.
Kjolen er hvid og holdt sammen
af et sølvspænde over hendes venstre bryst.
Havet er mælkeagtigt blåt.
Inde på stranden er der folk i stribede badedragter
badehuse og iskager.
Eftersom det er undertegnede, der ror
ser det for dem ud, som om pigen var alene i båden
og bevægede sig fremad
ved hjælp af den samme, passive kraft
som sølvspændet, der forhindrer kjolen i at flyve bort.
Close

THE SILVER CLASP

The June breeze presses a thin dress
up against the body of the girl who’s wearing it
and standing under a small parasol
in a rowing boat.
The dress is white and held together
by a silver clasp over her left breast.
The sea is milky blue.
Back on the beach there are people in striped swimsuits
bathing huts and ice-cream cones.
Since it’s yours truly who is rowing
it looks to them as if the girl was alone in the boat
and was pushing forwards
with the aid of the same passive force
as the silver clasp that prevents the dress from flying off.

THE SILVER CLASP

The June breeze presses a thin dress
up against the body of the girl who’s wearing it
and standing under a small parasol
in a rowing boat.
The dress is white and held together
by a silver clasp over her left breast.
The sea is milky blue.
Back on the beach there are people in striped swimsuits
bathing huts and ice-cream cones.
Since it’s yours truly who is rowing
it looks to them as if the girl was alone in the boat
and was pushing forwards
with the aid of the same passive force
as the silver clasp that prevents the dress from flying off.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère