I was recently asked to do something very different; to translate a poem by Tove Ditlevsen for a Danish fashion designer, Cecilie Bahnsen, who is planning to have my translation read to a backtrack during Paris Fashion week, as her models walk up and down the runway.
This will be Bahnsen’s debut showcase at the annual fashion event. She will present her Ready to Wear Spring Summer 2022 Collection, featuring 30 different looks. I’m excited to see how it will all play out.
In the meantime, below is the poem and my audio recording.
Night Wandering
The rain had stopped, leaving only
naked trees, dripping quietly,
black branches woven in the moonlight,
and a soft glow on the wet slate roofs.
All was tranquil, cool, and filled with dampness.
The earth, tired from the day, drank and dreamed,
merged with the breath of night,
and the moon was round and bright with joy.
Nothing was as before – the blind
nervous din of life was quelled,
and no one knew what night was thinking.
It rested, attentive as a woman who is loved.
The towers stretched silently to the barren
sky’s expanse of fog and stardust,
while the wind trembled in the wet leaves,
still troubled by the tears that had fallen.
The canal’s dark water lapped on the beach
with a soft pulse like a child asleep.
The light glittered on the black waves
like day and night together at play.
All was beautiful; all gray and dusty pain
was washed away by heaven’s warm tears.
In moonlight and dampness the city lay there
completely forgetting why it was sad.
It slept in peace, yet alert to dreams.
A church bell tolled three crisp tones,
and the night approached us, anxious about daytime,
as we walked with it into the morning mist.
By Tove Ditlevsen Ⓒ1939
Translated from the Danish by Michael Favala Goldman Ⓒ2022
Photo: Screenshot from Cecile Bahnsen’s website.
UPDATE: March 5, 2022
It happened! Here’s the video from the show: