Plain Sailin / Venjuleg sigling
Plain Sailin
Reading the Orkneyinga saga en route to Shetland
Waves tummelled Jarl Rognvald aff a Sardinia. Dan steekit stumbas
I can aa but see him Skilin fur laand: guid wirds fur safe pilgrimage
I da saga he wrat 'roarin sea maks sport o wir sturdy timbers'
Wir peerie pilgrimage on da boat ta Shetland isna plain sailin
Dunts an shudders: nor'aester head on trowe da Roost. A'm seek is a dug.
Plain Sailing
Reading the Orkneyinga saga en route to Shetland
Waves jostled Jarl Rognvald lying off Sardinia. Then thick mists fell
I can all but see him peering for land: prayers for safe pilgrimage
In the saga he wrote 'roaring sea makes sport of our sturdy timbers'
Our little pilgrimage on the ship to Shetland isn't plain sailing
Bumps and shudders: north-easter head on through the Roost. I'm sick as a dog
Venjuleg sigling
Við lestur Orkneyinga sögu á leið til Hjaltlands
Bylgjur lömdu Rögnvald jarl úti fyrir Sardiníu. Síðan féll þétt þokan á.
Ég get næstum séð hann skyggnast til lands: bænir um örugga pílagrímsferð.
Í sögunni skrifaði hann: "... en leika lögur tér á við fögrum ..."
Litla pílagrímsferðin okkar á skipinu til Hjaltlands er ekki venjuleg sigling.
Högg og skjálfti: norðaustur höldum við gegnum Röstina. Ég er hundlasin.
Christine De Luca, Dimma, 2017
Reviews
- "The poems are among the poet's finest, and reflect especially her delight in language"Laureen Johnson, The New Shetlander, No 282, Yule 2017 , November 2017