The Icelandic connection - 01.03.2018, Qupperneq 12

10
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
Vol. 70 #1
ceremony of the monument:
Dakota Sunshine
Translation by Gudrun Hanson
When our weary winter yields
And spring relives its story,
Ah, what a pretty sight to see
The sun in all its glory!
And when the wide Dakota fields
With ripening wheat are swaying,
A pretty sight to see the sun
Upon the uplands playing.
When all this tender hay is cut,
In sickled-tows reclining,
Ah, what a pretty sight the sun
Upon the meadows shining.
Then he who yearns to catch a fish
Goes to the river streaming.
A pretty sight to see the pike
In sunny water gleaming.
When in the morn the farmer milks,
His brow with pleasure showing,
A pretty sight to see the sun
On all the cattle glowing.
If one can get a bit of gin,
At best by illness hinting
Then ’tis a pretty sight the sun
Upon the bottle glinting.
And now it seems to be the trend
To dress in latest styling,
And ’tis a pretty sight the sun
On lovely dresses smiling!
And if you long to go to church,
Your gladdened faith aligning;
Then ’tis a pretty sight the sun
Upon the preacher shining!
And though the ‘take’ is very small
The man’s surprise be showing;
It is a pretty sight the sun
Upon the platter glowing.
But if I had to go to church,
My need for succour pining,
I would as life the sun itself
Refused to go on shining.
And when I’ve passed beyond this place,
My bones to dust decaying,
’Twill be a pretty sight the sun
Upon my tombstone playing.
This next poem is about the Icelandic
celebration in our area called “The 2nd of
August” and also known for over 50 years
as “Deuce of August.” This is one of KN’s
famous drinking poems. He talks about
Reverend (Sera) Hans Thorgrimsen who
is one of my favorite pioneers. Sera Hans
was a highly respected pioneer pastor and
he probably did not find KN’s drinking
poems very funny. Sera Hans was very
much against drinking and local stories say
that he had not attended the party alluded
to in the poem and he was very angry about
this poem. North Dakota was a dry state at
this time.
August Second
Many left in drunken sail
Everywhere flows beer and ale;
Whisky? No one lacked a bit,
Cause Swain and Dor were selling it.
Women served their coffee swill;
Men ranted speeches at their will;
There was singing, there was dance.
There was I with Reverend Hans.
Annar Agiist
Margur JaaSaan fullur for
Freyddi a skalum malt og bjor
Brennivin ]3ar brast ei neinn,
Bvi badir seldu, Dori og Sveinn.