Translating and Writing Like an Imposter!

After a short introduction of the group Svikaskáld we will go over one of their poems, Þurrkur by Melkorka Ólafsdóttir. This poem will follow with a few key words in English to help those of you who don’t know Icelandic navigate the poetry. The exercise will be to try to either: (1) translate the poem into your own or another language, or, (2) from understanding the images brought by the poem, write another poem in relation to what has been read. It could be a reply, an imitation or something completely different that draws from the experience of reading the poem. Now, you may look again at your chosen word(s) and try to assimilate them into the poem.

ÞURRKUR

Og þú tíndir það af snúrunum

vandlega og yfirvegað

allt sem ég hafði strengt og skapað

fyrir okkur

ég hafði aldrei séð jafn vandlega brotinn þvott

eða betur raðað í tösku

(Melkorka Ólafsdóttir)

þurrkur: dry, drought | og: and | þu: you | tína: to collect | af: from | snúra: pick, gather, pluck | vandlega carefully, thoroughly | yfiregað/ir: well-balanced; deliberate; sober-minded; methodic; measured; level-headed; dispassionate; considered; composed; balanced; controlled | allt: everything, all | sem: that | hafði/hafa: to have | strengt / strengja:pull taut (hang) | skapað / skapa: to create | fyrir: for | okkur / við: us  | ég: I séð/ sjá to see | aldrei: never | jafn: equally, just as | brotin/n:folded | þvott/ur: laundry | eða: or | betur: better | raðað/ raða: put in order, arrange | í: in | tösku/ taska: suitcase

Svikaskáld

Svikaskáld, or Impostor Poets, are a female writers’ collective based in Reykjavík, Iceland. The collective came together early in 2017 and has since published a collective novel, three collective poetry collections and two individual poetry collections, as well as hosting various events, writing workshops and seminars for the old and young alike. For three years now, they have hosted a monthly poetry reading series, Svikakvöld / Imposter Nights, in the literary center Gröndalshús.

The Impostor Poets are: Fríða Ísberg, Melkorka Ólafsdóttir, Ragnheiður Harpa Leifsdóttir, Sunna Dís Másdóttir, Þóra Hjörleifsdóttir, Þórdís Helgadóttir

Extension

I invite you to read other poems by Svikaskáld that I’ve selected for you. The English translations of the key terms will help you navigate the poems.