Tarjei Vesaas
Tarjei Vesaas was a Norwegian poet and novelist. Written in Nynorsk, his work is characterized by simple, terse, and symbolic prose. His stories often cover simple rural people that undergo a severe psychological drama and who according to critics are described with immense psychological insight. Commonly dealing with themes such as death, guilt, angst, and other deep and intractable human emotions, the Norwegian natural landscape is a prevalent feature in his works. His debut was in 1923 with Children of Humans (Menneskebonn), but he had his breakthrough in 1934 with The Great Cycle (Det store spelet). His mastery of the nynorsk language, landsmål (see Norwegian language), has contributed to its acceptance as a medium of world class literature.
“Draum om nedsnødde bruerMed vi står fell snøen tettare.Kåpearmen din blir kvit.Kåpearmen min blir kvit.Dei går mellom oss somnedsnødde bruer.Men nedsnødde bruer er frosne.Inni her er det levande varmt.Varm under snøen er armen din eisæl vekt på min.Det snør og snørpå stille bruer.Bruer ingen veit om.”
“Lovnad i djupaste snøen frå Siss til Unn:Det lovar eg deg at eg ikkje vil tenke på noko anna enn deg.Tenke på alt eg veit om deg. Tenke på deg heime og på skolen, og påskolevegen. Tenke på deg heile dagen, og dersom eg vaknar om natta.”
“Fire auge med glimt og strålar under vippene. Heile spegelglaset fullt. Spørsmål som skyt fram og gøymer seg att. Eg veit ikkje: Glimt og strålar, glimt frå deg til meg, frå meg til deg, og frå meg til deg åleine - inn i glaset og tilbake, og aldri noko svar på kva dette er, aldri noko løysning. Dei raude putande leppene dine, nei det er mine, så likt! Håret på same måten, og glimt og strålar. Det er oss! Vi kan ikkje gjera noko med det, det er som frå ei anna verd. Biletet byrjar å svive, flyt ut til kantane, samlar seg, nei samlar seg ikkje. Det er ein munn som smiler. Ein munn frå ei anna verd. Nei det er ingen munn, det er ikkje noko smil, det er noko ingen veit - det er berre oppspana augevipper over glimt og strålar.”
“This gave him another opportunity to use one of those words that hung before him, shining and alluring. Far away in the distance there were more of them, dangerously sharp. Words that were not for him, but which he used all the same on the sly, and which had an exciting flavour and gave him a tingling feeling in the head. They were a little dangerous, all of them.”
“Where the Flame was burningBy the long grey roadthere is ash after a fire gone outand signs of departurein dust and heat.That is all.But the flame that burnedin the circle of the travellerswhirled only before the eyein unextinguished longing.They were travelling for a dreamand could give all,and must go on in their searchingsand their unease,and the bonfire burned onin every edge of sight,whilst new searchers dug in the ashesand in the ground under the ashes,and it is dreamthat is happinessfor those journeying.”
“Bewilderment increases in the presence of the mirrors.”
“Almost nothing need be said when you have eyes.”
“What you want most you push away from you.You want more than you care to admit.”
“I like the modern form. Anyone who absolutely has to understand everything he sees misses a lot. It's not always true that "obscure words come from obscure thoughts.”