YOU CALL FOR PEOPLE
You call for people of great stature. What gives great stature to a person?
To become nothing and forget oneself for that which is greater than she.
The unrepentant call out. They themselves would grow into giants
the moment they bowed their knees in the shadow of the immense things.
But raise your voices until the gods awake, until new gods rise up and answer!
When no one asks for people any more, then your people will be here.
Translated
into English by David McDuff in "Karin Boye: Complete poems".
Swedish original
Copyright © 2005:
Translation from Swedish into English: David McDuff
Published with the permission of:
David McDuff, translation.
May and Hans Mehlin, Layout.
For more information, please visit the website
of David McDuff and his
own pages with the translations.
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