Beetling rock, with roar and smoke
Break before my hammer-stroke!
Deeper I must thrust and lower
Till I hear the ring of ore.
From the mountain's unplumbed night,
Deep amid the gold-veins bright,
Diamonds lure me, rubies beckon,
Treasure-hoard that none may reckon.
There is peace within the deep—
Peace and immemorial sleep;
Heavy hammer, burst as bidden,
To the heart-nook of the hidden!
Once I, too, a careless lad,
Under starry heavens was glad,
Trod the primrose paths of summer,
Child-like knew not care nor cummer.
But I lost the sense of light
In the poring womb of night;
Woodland songs, when earth rejoiced her,
Breathed not down my hollow cloister.
Fondly did I cry, when first
Into the dark place I burst:
"Answer spirits of the middle
Earth, my life's unending riddle!—"
Still the spirits of the deep
Unrevealed their answer keep;
Still no beam from out the gloomy
Cavern rises to illume me.
Have I erred? Does this way lead
Not to clarity indeed?
If above I seek to find it,
By the glare my eyes are blinded.
Downward, then! the depths are best;
There is immemorial rest.
Heavy hammer burst as bidden
To the heart-nook of the hidden!—
Hammer-blow on hammer-blow
Till the lamp of life is low.
Not a ray of hope's fore-warning;
Not a glimmer of the morning.
Notes
English translation is reprinted from Lyrics & Poems from Ibsen. Trans. Fydell Edmund Garrett. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1912.
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Comments
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Is this about sex? Re-read notice the word choice - and the last three lines - also Bukowski loved Ibsen - read Bukowski then read this again
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this is so beautiful. i really really like this one. its the kind of poem that ill read over and over. its nice goooood job. going in the faves.
Hope -
Hmm.... I speak Norwegian, and I have to say the Norwegian version
of this poem is better... But I guess that's the way with
all writing; original is always the best. Still interesting.
Jen
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interesting
reminds me of dwarfs and other mining creatures, knockers and such
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