AT THE BOTTOM OF THINGS

 
I read in the newspaper that someone had died, someone
                               I knew by name.
She lived, like me, wrote books, like me, grew old,
                               and now she is dead.
Think, to be dead and have left everything behind;
dread, terror and loneliness, and the  unforgiving guilt.
But a great justice lies hidden at the bottom of things.
We all have a grace to expect - a gift of which no one 
                               can rob us.
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.