Best of IMAGINE 2007
When the violin is silent
the bird kneels low towards a shelter
when the frozen roads of winter
deceive how city and hill differ
I often see within the palaces of wishes
within the sweet smelling woods of greater countries
my love that would stand taller
than any other Icelander
he that once stayed with me
like a tone within the string of the violin
for eternity my wishes of peace for those that have passed
will follow him
even if the line is broken
even if the string is torn
I have given him one wish
my thoughts forever where he walks
Frændi þegar fiðlan þegir
The original Icelandic poem and inspiration of the song “When the violin is silent”
by Halldór Laxness
Frændi, þegar fiðlan þegir,
fuglinn krýpur lágt að skjóli,
þegar kaldir vetrarvegir
villa sýn á borg og hóli,
sé ég oft í óskahöllum,
ilmanskógum betri landa,
ljúflíng minn sem ofar öllum
íslendíngum kunni að standa,
hann sem eitt sinn undi hjá mér
einsog tónn á fiðlustreingnum,
eilíft honum fylgja frá mér
friðarkveðjur brottu geingnum.
Þó að brotni þorn í sylgju,
þó að hrökkvi fiðlustreingur,
eg hef sæmt hann einni fylgju:
óskum mínum hvar hann geingur.
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POEM — Songbird
PHOTO AND WRITTEN ESSAY — Journal of the Ladybug
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