You must not sleep (by Arnulf Øverland, 1935)

[mogster]

You must not sleep
by Arnulf Øverland, 1935

I awoke one night from a strange dream,
it was like a voice speaking to me,
remote like a undertow -
and I stood up: What is it you want?

- You must not sleep! You must not sleep!
You must not believe it was only a dream!
Yesterday I was convicted.
Tonight they've raised the gallow.
They'll pick me up at five tomorrow!

All the basement are filled,
and all barracks has cell by cell.
We're lying and waiting in stone cold cells,
we're lying rotting in dark holes!

We don't know ourselves what is waiting,
and who's the next they will be taking.
We moan, we scream - but can you hear?
Are there absolutely nothing you can do?

Nobody can see us.
Nobody knows our fate.
Even more:
No one will believe what happens here daily!

You think it can't be true,
that such evil is not possible to man.
There are after all decent people around?
Brother, you have still a lot to learn!

It was said: You shall give your life, if it's demanded.
And now we have given it, in vain, in vain!
The world has forgot us! We have been deceived!
You must sleep no more tonight!

You must not go to your business venture,
and think about your wins or losses!
You must not blame the land or cattle,
and think that this is more than enough!

You must not sit in your snug home,
and say: That's sad, poor people!
You must not endure so very well,
the unjustice that does not affect yourself!
I shout with my voice, the last breath,
you are not allowed to go and forget!

Forgive them not; they know what they do!
They're breathing the glow of evil and hate!
They enjoy the killing, the moaning excites them,
they want to drown us all in blood!
You don't believe it? You know it, I know!

I know you know that children are soldiers,
that flows with song over plaza's and streets.
Egged on by their mother's piety,
will defend their country and go to war!

You know the low of people's deceit,
with glory, with faith and honor -
you know that a hero, the child will dream of,
you know he will wave the sword and the flag!

And then he's sent into a rain of steel,
entangled in a barbed wire reel,
and rot for Hitler's aryan race!
You know, that is the meaning of it all!

I didn't understand it. Now it's to late.
My judgement is fair. My sentence deserved.
I believed in progress, I believed in peace,
in work, in solidarity and mostly, in love!

But those that don't want to die in a flock,
get to try it alone, at the hangmans block!

I shout in the dark - if only you could hear!
There are only one thing left to do:
Help yourself, while your hands are free,
Save your children! Europe is burning!

*********

I shook by frost. I put some clothes on.
Outside the stars was a glitter.

To the east only a slight gleam,
was telling the tale of the voice from the dream:

The day behind the rim of the earth,
arose with a tinge of blood and fire,
arose with a fear so breathless and dire,
it was like the stars themselves froze!

I thought: Now it is happening.
Our time is past - Europe is burning!

-------------------------------------

The lines:

You must not endure so very well,
the unjustice that does not affect yourself

is very well known and oft quoted by Norwegians.

I realize that most, if not all, of the poetic elegance of the poem was lost in my translation.
Still, it has something to tell us today.

[Octafish]

1. Perfect poem or the present day. Thank you, mogster!

I am going to try and memorize it.

Lord knows we are re-living those days.

Today's political gangster class share the exact same traits as the 1930s version.

[mogster]

2. Thank you, Octafish.

And thank you for going so gently on my translation skills ;-)
This poem is indeed a poem of the present day.

Good on you for your work here at the DU :yourock:

[Ghost Dog]

4. Thank you very much for your translation work here, mogster.

I was not aware of this poem. I shall read and re-read it in a quiet moment tonight. :hi:

[mogster]

5. Thank you, Ghost Dog

And all to no avail - I found a ready English translation at the place where I copied the Norw. one:

http://www.svar911.no/eng/dikt.php

All I had to do was click the English flag :hi:

Dare not to sleep!
by Arnulf Øverland, 1937

I was awakened one morning, by the quaintest of dreams
‘twas like a voice, spoken to me
It sounded afar - like an underground stream,
I rose and said: Why do you call me?

Dare not to slumber! Dare not to sleep!
Dare not believe, it was merely a dream!
Yore I was judged.
The gallows were built in the court this evening,
They’ll come for me — 5’ in the morning

This dungeon is teeming,
And barracks stand dungeon by dungeon
we lie here, awaiting, in cold cells of stone,
We lie here, we rot, in these murky holes.

We know not ourselves, what does lie ahead
Who will be the next one they'll reach for.
We moan and we shriek: But do you take heed?
Is there none among you who’ll hearken?

No one can see us,
None know what befalls us.
Yet more:
None will believe - what the day will bring us!

And then You defy: This dare not be true!
That men can be utterly evil.
There has to be some one with merits pure
Oh, brother, you still have a great deal to learn

They said: You will give your life, if commanded
We’ve given it now, for naught it was handed
The world has forgotten, we’ve all been deceived
Dare not to sleep in this hour - this eve.

You oughtn’t go to your business hence,
Or think: What’s your loss – or what is your gain?
You oughtn’t attribute your fields and your kine,
Nor say you’ve enough - with all that is thine.

You oughn’t abide, sitting calm in your home
Saying: Dismal it is, poor they are, and alone
You cannot permit it! You dare not, at all.
Accepting that outrage on all else may fall!
I cry with the final gasps of my breath:
You dare not repose, nor stand and forget

Pardon them not - they know what they do!
They breathe on hate-glows, and evil pursue,
They fancy to slay, they revel with cries,
Their desire is to gloat, when our world is at fire!
In blood they are yearning to drown one and all!
Don’t you believe it? You’ve heard the call!

You know how infants will soldiers remain,
While dashing through streets, fields, chanting ‘bout pain
Aroused by their mothers‘ assurance of glory
They’ll shelter their land - and they’ll never worry

You know the fatality of the lies,
that glory and faith and honor abides
You discern the dauntless dreams of a child,
A saber, a banner, he’ll flaunt them so wild,

And then they’ll leave home for a rainfall of steel,
‘Till last they hang ragged on barbed wire will,
Decaying for Hitler's Aryan call,
That is what a man’s for - after all…

I couldn’t imagine – too late now it is
My sentence is just: The verdict's no miss
I believed in prosperity, dreamt about peace
In labor and fellowship; love’s fragrant kiss
Yet those who don’t die on the battlefield,
Their heads for the axeman, will certainly yield

I cry in the gloom - if only you’d knew
There is but one thing - befitting to do
Defend yourself, while your hands are still yearning,
Protect your offspring - Europe is burning.

***

I shook from the chill. To dress, up I rose
Without stars were shining, so far, yet so close
‘twere simply a brilliant ray in the east,
Admonishing warning from the dream that just ceased

The day that soared up from earths furthermost strand
Augmenting with blood — and with firebrand
It grew with terror - like a breath that was lost
It seemed like the starlight - was slain by the frost.

I weighed: Something is imminent - and it’s dire
Our era is over — Europe’s on fire!

(That site is a bit interesting in itself - a Norwegian 911-site, demanding a new investigation. I haven't seen any organized work like this by Norwegians, and I found it thru the google ads here at the DU.)

[Ghost Dog]

11. Mmm. I shall compare the two versions, thanks

(this perhaps provides greater information).

I see, BTW, the USA's 9/11 bombshell just beginning to explode. Perhaps therein lies the salvation of us all.

[mogster]

12. The difference in dates (1935 and 1937)

Is because the poem first was published in a magazine, Samtiden (Current times), then released in his own collection in 1937. It is a good picture of that time. The poet was very concerned by the growth of the Nazi movement, and also the civil war in Spain.
He was imprisoned in 1941 after writing resistance poems, and spent time in jail and prison camp in Norway before being sent to Sachsenhausen.


Arnulf Øverland
(1889-1968)

An interesting anecdote about this man is that he was sued for blasphemy in 1933 after taking a real round on Christianity in the work «Kristendommen, den tiende landeplage» (Christianity - the tenth plague of the land). He defended himself in court and won.
This changed Norway, and the religious spooks never got their footing again. Um, until lately, of course.

[glitch]

3. Haunting. Thank you for sharing these.

"You must not endure so very well,
the unjustice that does not affect yourself"

Should be oft quoted everywhere.

[mogster]

6. It's a very good quote

But shouldn't it be 'injustice', maybe? :-) I think that's correct English, I translated this a bit quick.

[glitch]

7. Injustice is correct, you got it. nt

[mom cat]

8. Thanks so much for that exquisite translation.

:hug:

[mogster]

9. Thank you, mom cat

You are the best :hug:

[EFerrari]

10. Kick and kick

[mogster]

13. A

:hug: for you and a :kick: for the thread :-)

[snot]

14. I thank you, too. nt