Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The Yuletide lads - part 15


On Christmas night itself
- so a wise man writes
- the lads were all restraint
and just stared at the lights.


Then one by one they trotted off
into the frost and snow.
On Twelfth Night the last
of the lads used to go.


Their footprints in the highlands
are effaced now for long,
the memories have all turned
to image and song

By Jóhannes úr Kötlum / Translated by Hallberg Hallmundsson
Pictures/Copyright©Olafur Petursson

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The Yuletide lads - part 14

Candle beggar
( Kertasníkir )

The thirteenth was Candle Beggar
- ´twas cold, I believe,
if he was not the last
of the lot on Christmas Eve.
    He trailed after the little ones
    who, like happy sprites,
    ran about the farm with
    their fine tallow lights.
      By Jóhannes úr Kötlum / Translated by Hallberg Hallmundsson
        Pictures/Copyright©Olafur Petursson

        Monday, December 22, 2008

        The Yuletide lads - part 13

        Meat Hook
        ( Kjötkrækir )

        Meat Hook, the twelfth one,
        his talent would display
        as soon as he arrived
        on Saint Thorlak´s Day.
          He snagged himself a morsel
          of meat of any sort,
          although his hook at times was
          a tiny bit short.
            By Jóhannes úr Kötlum / Translated by Hallberg Hallmundsson
              Pictures/Copyright©Olafur Petursson

              Sunday, December 21, 2008

              The Yuletide lads - part 12

              Door Sniffer
              ( Gáttaþefur )

              Eleventh was Door Sniffer,
              a doltish lad and gross.
              He never got a cold, yet had
              a huge, sensitive nose.
                He caught the scent of lace bread
                while leagues away still
                and ran toward it weightless
                as wind over dale and hill.
                  By Jóhannes úr Kötlum / Translated by Hallberg Hallmundsson
                    Pictures/Copyright©Olafur Petursson

                    Saturday, December 20, 2008

                    The Yuletide lads - part 11

                    Window Peeper
                    ( Gluggagæjir )


                    The tenth was Window Peeper,
                    a weird little twit,
                    who stepped up to the window
                    and stole a peek through it.
                      And whatever was inside
                      to which his eye was drawn,
                      he most likely attempted
                      to take later on.
                        By Jóhannes úr Kötlum / Translated by Hallberg Hallmundsson
                          Pictures/Copyright©Olafur Petursson

                          Friday, December 19, 2008

                          The Yuletide lads - part 10

                          Sausage Swiper
                          ( Bjúgna krækir )

                          The ninth was Sausage Swiper,
                          a shifty pilferer.
                          He climbed up to the rafters
                          and raided food from there.
                            Sitting on a crossbeamin
                            soot and in smoke,
                            he fed himself on sausage
                            fit for gentlefolk.
                              By Jóhannes úr Kötlum / Translated by Hallberg Hallmundsson
                              Pictures/Copyright©Olafur Petursson

                              Thursday, December 18, 2008

                              The Yuletide lads - part 9

                              Skyr Gobbler
                              ( Skyr gámur)

                              Skyr Gobbler, the eighth,
                              was an awful stupid bloke.
                              He lambasted the skyr tub
                              till the lid on it broke.
                                Then he stood there gobbling
                                - his greed was well known -
                                until, about to burst,
                                he would bleat, howl and groan.
                                  By Jóhannes úr Kötlum / Translated by Hallberg Hallmundsson
                                  Pictures/Copyright©Olafur Petursson

                                  Wednesday, December 17, 2008

                                  The Yuletide lads - part 8

                                  Door Slammer
                                  ( Hurðaskellir )

                                  The seventh was Door Slammer,
                                  a sorry, vulgar chap:
                                  When people in the twilight
                                  would take a little nap,
                                  he was happy as a lark
                                  with the havoc he could wreak,
                                  slamming doors and hearing
                                  the hinges on them sqeak.
                                    By Jóhannes úr Kötlum / Translated by Hallberg Hallmundsson
                                      Pictures/Copyright©Olafur Petursson

                                      Tuesday, December 16, 2008

                                      The Yuletide lads - part 7

                                      Bowl Licker
                                      ( Askasleikir )

                                      Bowl Licker, the sixth one,
                                      was shockingly ill bred.
                                      From underneath the bedsteads
                                      he stuck his ugly head.
                                        And when the bowls were left
                                        to be licked by dog or cat,
                                        he snatched them for himself
                                        - he was sure good at that!
                                          By Jóhannes úr Kötlum / Translation by Hallberg Hallmundsson
                                            Pictures/Copyright©Olafur Petursson

                                            Monday, December 15, 2008

                                            The Yuletide lads - part 6

                                            Pot Scraper
                                            (Pottasleikir)

                                            Pot Scraper, the fifth one,
                                            was a funny sort of chap.
                                            When kids were given scrapings,
                                            he'd come to the door and tap.

                                            And they would rush to see
                                            if there really was a guest.
                                            Then he hurried to the pot
                                            and had a scrapingfest.

                                            English translation/Copyright © Hallberg Hallmundsson.

                                            Sunday, December 14, 2008

                                            The Yuletide lads - part 5

                                            Spoon Licker
                                            (Þvörusleikir)

                                            The fourth was Spoon Licker;
                                            like spindle he was thin.
                                            He felt himself in clover
                                            when the cook wasn't in.

                                            Then stepping up, he grappled
                                            the stirring spoon with glee,
                                            holding it with both hands
                                            for it was slippery.

                                            English translation/Copyright © Hallberg Hallmundsson.

                                            Saturday, December 13, 2008

                                            The Yuletide lads - part 4

                                            Stubby
                                            (Stúfur)

                                            Stubby was the third called,
                                            a stunted little man,
                                            who watched for every chance
                                            to whisk off a pan.


                                            And scurrying away with it,
                                            he scraped off the bits
                                            that stuck to the bottom
                                            and brims - his favorites.


                                            English translation/Copyright © Hallberg Hallmundsson.

                                            Friday, December 12, 2008

                                            The Yuletide lads - part 3

                                            Gully Gawk
                                            (Giljagaur)



                                            The second was Gully Gawk,
                                            gray his head and mien.
                                            He snuck into the cow barn
                                            from his graggy ravine.

                                            Hiding in the stalls,
                                            he would steal the milk, while
                                            the milkmaid gave the cowherd
                                            a meaningful smile.

                                            English translation/Copyright © Hallberg Hallmundsson.

                                            Yuletide lads - part 2

                                            Sheep-Cote Clod
                                            (Stekkjastaur)



                                            The first of them was Sheep-Cote Clod.
                                            He came stiff as wood,
                                            to pray upon the farmer´s sheep
                                            as far as he could.

                                            He wished to suck the ewes,
                                            but it was no accident
                                            he couldn´t; he had stiff knees
                                            - not to convenient.

                                            English translation/Copyright © Hallberg Hallmundsson.

                                            Thursday, December 11, 2008

                                            The Yuletide lads - part 1

                                            Let me tell the story
                                            of the lads of few charms,
                                            who once upon a time
                                            used to visit our farms.

                                            They came from the mountains,
                                            as many of you know,
                                            in a long single file
                                            to the farmsteads below.

                                            Grýla was their mother
                                            - she gave them ogre milk -
                                            and the father Leppalúdi;
                                            a loathsome ilk.

                                            They were called the Yuletide lads
                                            - at Yuletide they were due -
                                            and always came one by one,
                                            not ever two by two.

                                            Thirteen altogether,
                                            these gents in their prime
                                            didn´t want to irk people
                                            all at one time.

                                            Creeping up, all stealth,
                                            they unlocked the door.
                                            The kitchen and the pantry
                                            they came looking for.


                                            They hid where they could,
                                            with a cunning look or sneer,
                                            ready with their pranks
                                            when people weren´t near.

                                            And even when they were seen,
                                            they weren´t loath to roam
                                            and play their tricks - disturbing
                                            the peace of the home.

                                            English translation/Copyright © Hallberg Hallmundsson.

                                            Thursday, January 03, 2008

                                            Concious ... barely!

                                            I can't believe that the holidays are over soon. It's never a good thing to take such a long break away from studying and this has been a long break for me. I was planning to be so diligent, studying for an exam and doing work on my presentations, but have I done a single thing. NO! I'm not very anxious about it but when you tell yourself you are going to do something it's annoying when you haven't done it. The fact is that I have not had a single opportunity of doing what I wanted, I haven't been able to see everyone I wanted, or do everything I wanted to do while here for these three brief weeks. But to be honest, right now, I can't wait to get home (to Glasgow) and start some sort of routine again with my studies. When you have your family around you are much more restricted from doing stuff that you would normally do. On days that I was banking on having piece and quite and to actually be able to do something, family members had an uncanny sense of showing up and disrupting everything I had planned for the day. So I say that although it is very nice to spend the holidays at home, family can sometimes be too much.
                                            Still, my Christmas here at home have been incredibly nice. Christmas Eve was perfect. It was White Christmas, shortly before seven o'clock it started snowing and from then on it snowed for the next few days. While it snowed outside the presents rained inside. The presents nearly drowned the christmas tree (which is not a small tree) and as soon as we had delivered each present to its receiver the blizzard of wrapping paper hit the living room. It was amazing and so much fun watching my niece open one present after another, she enjoyed it so much. Thankfully they had arrived in a pickup truck type car so not difficult to ferry all the loot back home.
                                            On Saturday my friends Hrabba and Gummi invited me over for dinner along with our friend Guðný Stella and her guy. It was so much fun, good food, good wine and great company. After dinner we took two rounds of Carcassonne, I can't remember who actually won the first round but I definitely remember who won the second. ME! I totally remember that because that doesn't happen too often. So me very happy bunny be. But even better, I was back at their place last night and we were trying out a new version of Carcassonne and I actually won that one too (I actually think that was pure dumb luck because Gummi wasn't trying very much) but what a way to start the year. Mwhuhahahahha!
                                            Am tired now and want to do something else than blog, my fingers are hurting from being under used so I have to take this in strides.

                                            Saturday, December 15, 2007

                                            The Yuletide lads - part 6

                                            Pot Scraper
                                            (Pottasleikir)

                                            Pot Scraper, the fifth one,
                                            was a funny sort of chap.
                                            When kids were given scrapings,
                                            he'd come to the door and tap.

                                            And they would rush to see
                                            if there really was a guest.
                                            Then he hurried to the pot
                                            and had a scrapingfest.

                                            English translation/Copyright © Hallberg Hallmundsson.

                                            Friday, December 14, 2007

                                            The Yuletide lads - part 5

                                            Spoon Licker
                                            (Þvörusleikir)

                                            The fourth was Spoon Licker;
                                            like spindle he was thin.
                                            He felt himself in clover
                                            when the cook wasn't in.

                                            Then stepping up, he grappled
                                            the stirring spoon with glee,
                                            holding it with both hands
                                            for it was slippery.

                                            English translation/Copyright © Hallberg Hallmundsson.

                                            Thursday, December 13, 2007

                                            The Yuletide lads - part 4

                                            Stubby
                                            (Stúfur)

                                            Stubby was the third called,
                                            a stunted little man,
                                            who watched for every chance
                                            to whisk off a pan.


                                            And scurrying away with it,
                                            he scraped off the bits
                                            that stuck to the bottom
                                            and brims - his favorites.


                                            English translation/Copyright © Hallberg Hallmundsson.

                                            Wednesday, December 12, 2007

                                            The Yuletide lads - part 3

                                            Gully Gawk
                                            (Giljagaur)



                                            The second was Gully Gawk,
                                            gray his head and mien.
                                            He snuck into the cow barn
                                            from his graggy ravine.

                                            Hiding in the stalls,
                                            he would steal the milk, while
                                            the milkmaid gave the cowherd
                                            a meaningful smile.

                                            English translation/Copyright © Hallberg Hallmundsson.