Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Kinck, Hans E.
1922-09-04

Transcription:

Tor Martin Leknes

Page

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Transcription
Translation

Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Kinck, Hans E.
1922-09-04
Brevs.189-66500, Nasjonalbiblioteket

10 Pages

Transcription: Tor Martin Leknes

Transcription

                                        Sandalstrand 4de sept. 1922.

                  Kjære Kinck!

Ja det blev længe, för dú hörte noget fra mig nú, –

jeg har nemlig været i Bergen en túr og arbeidet lidt

for at skaffe nogen skillinger, – og saa har jeg gjæld

paa húndrede kanter, som jeg nú har havt et helt stræv

med at skille os af med för reisen – og mangfoldige

andre ting som maa ordnes paa gaarden (med arbeidere,

som skal údföre adskilligt, medens jeg er borte – og

materialer til disse o.s.v.) – Ja dette blev en kjede-

lig indledning og en daarlig úndskyldning: – Ja túsend

tak da kjære Kinck for all hyggen i sommer, – og

at dú vilde bo her i all tarveligheden, – og tusend

tak for bogen om Brúegel, – det var dog saa altfor

snildt af dig, – hils din frúe og dötre med stor tak

fra mig, – dú vidste at finde det, som vilde glæde

mig, – jeg har frydet mig over den, – ja min kone og, – nú

i flere dage; – jeg har læst den ogsaa nú, – men det er jo

særlig illústrationerne; som er saa udmærket gjengivne, –

der giver boken saadan værdi for mig, – hvad texten

angaar, er der jo nogle aabenbare feil – synes jeg, – ligesom

der er smaafeil – úkorrektheder ved angivelse af gallerier

saaledes er "barnemordet i Betlehem" – henfört til Wiens

kunsthistoriske múseúm, – og jeg har selv seet og beúndret

det i Brüssel; – men det er sandt, – det kan jo hænde,

der kan findes en gjentagelse af det i Wien, – ligesom

"de blinde" findes baade i Loúvre-galleriet og i (Nationalmúseúm) Neapel,

uden at nogen vel kan sige, – hvilket er orginalen af dem.

Jeg havde nú opgivet veien om Wien, men boken fra dig

har ombestemt mig igjen, – jeg maa se "aarstiderne" –

og "Kongernes tilbedelse", – særlig det sidste virker mægtigt i

reprodúktionen. Brúegel er mystikkens maler endog mere

end Rembrandt, – og saa er han saa mangesidig, at

det ofte er rent útroligt, at det kan være samme mand,

som har malet de forskjellige billeder, – og alligevel er

det en slig udpræget personlighed, som taler gjennem

hvert billede, – at forfalskning er údelukket.

Det er, som om han gaar paa jagt i sin egen hjerne

efter de utysker, trold og djævle, som skjúler sig i hans

hjernes dystre skoge, – de han selv ikke kjender

til búnds, og hvor han derfor opdager ting som endog

skræmmer ham selv. – Kan hænde jeg tager feil, –

kan hænde han beregnede alt – og beregnede saa

II

genialt, at mystikken blir levende – at groende

troldskab, djævler og menneskedyr "levnede op" i det

han skabte – – – og dette paa beregning?

Nei jeg kan ikke tro det, – men han er en gaade for

mig. Det synes mig, at det maa have været for ham

som for en mand, der har en stor skogvidde, som han

stadig har streifet om i fra barndommen af – og hvor

han tror sig at kjende hver sti, – og saa en dag, – han kanske

er gammel, – finder han paa at gaa gjennem en krok

af skogen, hvor han tilfældigvis för ikke har været, –

og han opdager, – at han i sin egen skog – i aarevis – har

gaaet like forbi baade vilde dyr – björnehi og röver-

húler – eller endog fabeldyr, som han ikke troede

"fandtes til"; – – saa at han siden blir mörkræd i

sin egen skog.

Ja úndskyld alt sludderet mit! Jeg er nervös af

meget skitt-stræv i anledning údreisen – og denne

asthmaen, som nú begynder at tage nattesövnen fra mig.

Men jeg er saa glad over, at jeg fik være en sommer

sammen med dig en stúnd, – om tiden end ikke blev

nyttet paa bedste maade; – dú fik jo intet se af "fieldet",

end ikke det nærmeste, – som var lett tilgjæn-

geligt; – det lille, dú fik af "fieldet" paa overgangen

til Olden, var jo mer strabadsieúst end det var 

var værdt, – (det dú fik se gjennem skodden); – jeg angrede siden paa,

at jeg narrede dig over der, – men jeg haaber da inder-

lig, at dú ikke havde ondt af túren senere? –

Vi skiltes altsaa paa bryggen i Loen, – og jeg drog

tilbake til mine nyvúndne venner i Olden, – hvor det

gik fra det ene gilde til det andet – langt úd over

nat – först paa "Yris hotel", hvor jeg "maatte" beúndre

alle Singers malerier – megen teknisk dygtighed – og en

skjelden gang lidt mere, – en usigelig trist kirkegaard i

snefyk var virkelig god, – men manden er "stivnet".

Saa til motorbaatens eier: han "Búkke-Bent", – et

morsomt gammelt tún – öl og dram – saa videre til

övre Vasenden – og atter öl og dram, og saa videre med

to spræke hester om natten op til det lille hotel Brixdal, –

(hvor vi var dú og jeg), – jentene maatte op kl. 3 om natten og danse, –

rikelig rödvin og fossedúr, – Brixdalsbreen hang som

grön ædder ned gjennem den trange dal, – som skjúl-

tes af skodden den dag, dú og jeg var der; – vi fúlgte til-

III

slút i morgenlyset – (som ikke var stort mellem de trange

field) – de 3 jenter til sengs i all ærbahed – jeg tror i allefald 

det var forholdsvis ærbart, – rigtignok hörte jeg, den ene af

jenterne sige til sin sengekammerat: "Jagú {…} da gjingje 

fý deg!", hvilket jo nærmest beviser "ærbarheden".

Dagen efter maatte jeg "modstrittende" være med nedover til

vasenden igjen (Rustöen) der blev det atter öl – og maatte saa

vi opover igjen til Briksdal, hvor jenterne spanderede

middag paa os. – Imidlertid var der kommen 2 Kristiania-

damer som skúlde over "skaret" til Jölster; – de havde

nogen frygtelige oppakninger, og jeg var uforsigtig nok til

at love den ene dame at bære hendes oppakning, der

veiede ca. 30 kg., – og det fik jeg angre mindst húnd-

red gange over fjeldet; – – det var en deilig túr tilbake

i klarveir, – men frygtelig strabadsieus paa grúnd af oppak-

ningen som jeg sled ordentlig med; – damerne var hyggelige

med rigtig moderne östlandsk "frihed"; – (jeg syntes nú forresten

at de – for at være i stilen – ogsaa kunde været saa "frie",

at de havde sluppet at sætte gúle flekker i snebræerne

for hvert trin, de traadte.) – De búrde jo sagt fra paa

"naturens vegne", – jeg syntes mest synd i Dem ud paa nat,

da det blev húnde koldt – jeg frös paa grúnd af svetten,

og damerne frös selvfölgelig endnú mere paa sine ben,

som var gjennemvaade "paa natúrens vegne".

Da vi kom frem til Dreva kl. 2 om natten, var

vi saa trætte, at vi sjanglede, – jeg havde næsten ikke

fölelse i mine skuldre efter bære remmerne, – damerne

indrömmede ogsaa, at min oppakning havde været for svær,

og de tilböd mig som vederlag for bæringen at faa sma-

ke alt, hvad de havde i sine oppakninger bl. a. kognak

og likörer, som gjorde godt, – og efterpaa spúrgte de, om

"der ikke var noget andet , – jeg havde særlig lyst paa;

thi hvis det kúnde skaffes af dem, skulde jeg faa det", –

jeg var lidt usikker paa, hvad de mente, og sa derfor

at nú led det paa morgenen, og jeg var saa træt og sövnig,

at jeg let kunde komme til at forsnakke mig og önske

mig noget, som ikke gik an, – saa kúnde damerne

kanske komme til at angre sit letsindige tilbúd, –

og jeg troede derfor det var bedst, vi fik sove, – og

dermed blev det; – og vi sov da til langt paa dag.

Næste dag tok vi hesteskyds til Skei, hvor jeg var saa heldig,

at en bil stod færdig at reise nedover til Vasenden, hvor

jeg maatte ligge over til næste dag, da der gik bil til Sandal

IIII

Da jeg kom hjem laa der búd til mig fra konsúl Mohr,

at jeg maathe komme til Bergen og tage med de halv-

færdige ting, han hadde seet paa og gjöre dem færdige

i Bergen hos ham. – Af ökonomiske hensyn gjorde

jeg det, – endskjönt det var mig i mod, – der blev ogsaa

liden arbeidsro – fest og gode dage – biltúrer rúndt

Bergens omegn o.s.v. Vi var der i 14 dage og havde det 

selvfölgelig storartet, – et af billederne blev dog "refuseret", –

men ellers tjente jeg jo bra paa toúren. Men vi hadde

en slem túr paa sognebaaten fra Vadheim til Bergen;

der var saa overfyldt af tourister og andre folk, at de

laa paa gulver og borde i salonen og sat tætpakket

paa dækket, hvor min kone og jeg og maatte holde

til, – og vi frös ordentlig den natten. –

Nú reiser vi antagelig i midten af denne maaned til

udlandet – Engel og Kari og jeg, – vi reiser först til Köln

og langs – (eller paa) – Rhinen i smaa dagsmarscher til

Maintz og derfra til Donaú, som vi tænkte at fölge

like til Wien – derfra blev det da til Triest tænker

jeg – over Italien til Frankrike; – Marseille – Barcelona

Taragona – Valencia – Madrid. – Omveien om Valencia

er, fordi jeg tænker saa smaat paa en toúr over til de

Baleariske öer. Fra Madrid blir det vel sydover til

Cadix (eúropas ældste by?) – selvfölgelig maa vi "tage

med" Granada og Sevilla og Malaga. – Reisen fra

Wien til Triest og videre over Italien kjender dú bedre end

jeg, og veed dú noget specielt der, vilde være dig taknemlig

for et par ord: Genúa og Venedig? kanske? Vil dú sende mig et

par ord til H. Holm Karl Johansgd. 23 – jeg vil ikke plage dig

med at opsöke dig i Kristiania; – jeg heftede din tid nok væk

i Jölster i sommer. – Unge Holm kom hid samtidig som

jeg kom hjem fra toúren sammen med dig, – han var her

medens vi var i Bergen og reiste i slutten af augúst, – jeg

likte ham godt – lidt for nervös – saa han kunde gjöre 

andre nervös; – min kone kúnde ikke fordrage ham – og han

fik vist föle det stakkar – jeg prövede jo at böde paa det,

men det var ikke saa let; fik et hyggeligt brev fra

ham i gaar og 2 böker. Fra Ravensberg fik jeg ogsaa 2 böker

af Victor Húgo, – jeg har desværre ikke skrevet og takket ham (skriver i dag til ham)

Træffer dú ham – maa dú hilse. Fond er saa begeistret over dig at han

vil indramme dit brevkort. Ja lev da vel og túsinde hilsener fra

Engel börnene og mig din hengivne N. Astrúp

Konvolutt, framside:

Recomanderet (Confidencielt)

Til 

Digteren Hans E. Kinck

Görbitz gate 4

Kristiania

Konvolutt, bakside:

Posten gik i forgaars för jeg vidste – saa brevet kom ikke afsted.

Tör jeg bede dig, om adressere mit brev til Ravensberg

jeg har ikke hans adresse – og tillader mig

da at adressere til dig – hans brev.

Bedste hilsen

Din

Astrúp

Translation

                                                                              Sandalstrand 4 Sept. 1922.

                   Dear Kinck!

Well, it has been a long time since you have heard anything from me, –

I have been to Bergen, you see, and worked a little

in order to get hold of a few shillings, – while I have debts 

in a hundred places, which I have gone to great trouble

to pay off before the journey – and a multitude

of other things that have to be seen to on the farm (with farmhands, 

who will have to do all kinds of work, while I am away – and

the materials for these jobs etc.) – Well, this was a bor-

ing introduction and a poor excuse: – Thank you

so much dear Kinck for the pleasant times this summer, – and

for being willing to live here under such miserable conditions, – and thank you

so much for the book on Brúegel, – it was indeed much too 

kind of you, – say hello to your wife and daughters with many thanks

from me, – you found the very thing that would give me

pleasure, – I have been enjoying it immensely, – and my wife as well, – for

several days now; – I have read it as well by now, – but it is

the illustrations in particular; which are excellently reproduced, –

that make the book so valuable to me, – as far as the text

is concerned, there are some obvious mistakes – I think, – in the

sense of small errors – inaccuracies when specifying galleries

so that "The Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem" – is attributed to Vienna’s

historical art museum, – and I have seen and admired it myself

in Brussels; – but then it is true, – there is a possibility,

that a reproduction of it may exist in Vienna, – just as

"The Blind" is found both in the gallery of the Loúvre and in (the National museum) in Naples,

without anyone being able to say, – which of them is the original.

I had given up on the idea of going to Vienna, but the book from you

has changed my mind again, – I must see "The Seasons" –

and "The Adoration of the Magi", – the latter in particular is magnificent as

a reproduction. Brúegel is the painter of mystery even more-

so than Rembrandt, – and he is so versatile that

it is often quite unbelievable that it could be the same man,

who has painted the different pictures, – and nonetheless there

is such a distinct personality that speaks through

each picture, – that a forgery is out of the question.

It is as though he goes searching in his own mind

for the monsters, gnomes and devils that conceal themselves in the

murky forests of his mind, – those which he is not fully

acquainted with, and where he can thus come across things that still 

frighten him. – It is possible that I am wrong, –

it is possible that he calculated everything – and calculated so

II

ingeniously, that the mystery came alive – that the nascent

gnomes, devils and hybrid creatures "came to life" as he

created them – – – and is all of this calculated?

No I cannot believe it, – but he is a riddle to

me. It seems to me, that it must have been for him

as it is for a man who owns a vast woodland, which he

has incessantly wandered about since childhood – and where

he believes he knows every path, – and then one day – he is

old perhaps – he decides to walk through a corner

of the forest, where he by chance has never been before, –

and he discovers that in his own forest he has – for years –

walked past wild animals – bear dens and fox

holes – or even fairytale beasts, which he did not believe

"existed"; – – so that he begins to fear the dark in

his own forest.

Well excuse all this nonsense of mine! I have become overwrought from

gruelling toil due to my impending departure – and this

asthma, which has now begun to rob me of sleep at night.

But I am so happy that I was able to spend some time

together with you this summer, – even though the time was not

spent in the best way; – you never got to see "the mountains",

not even those closest, – which were easy to

reach; – the little view of "the mountains", that you saw on the crossing

to Olden, was more strenuous than it was 

worth, – (what you were able to see through the fog); – I regretted afterwards

that I misled you to go there, – but I sincerely hope, 

that you did not suffer any problems subsequently? –

We parted at the pier in Loen, – and I returned

to my newfound friends in Olden, – where we

went from one social gathering to another – until late into

the night – first at the "Yris Hotel", where I was "forced" to admire

all of Singer’s paintings – technically very skilled and only

rarely a little more, – an unspeakably desolate churchyard in

a snowstorm was really good, – but the man has become "rigid".

Then to the motorboat owner’s place: that "Búkke-Bent" ["Billy-goat-Bent"], – a

funny old farm – beers and spirits – then on to

Övre Vasenden – and more beers and shots, and then onward

riding two spry horses in the night up to the little hotel Brixdal, –

(where we had been you and I), – the girls had to get out of bed at 3 in the morning to dance, –

Lots of red wine and the din of the waterfall, – The Brixdal Glacier ran like

green bile down into the narrow valley, – which had been con-

cealed by the fog that day you and I were there; – we followed at

                          III

last, in the light of dawn, – (which was not significant in between those narrow

mountains) – the 3 girls to bed in all chastity – at least I believe

it was relatively chaste, – although it’s true, I heard one of the

girls say to her bed companion: "My gosh, you came 

after all!", which nearly proves [my point about] "chastity".

The next day I had to join the others "under great duress" in returning

down to Vasenden (Rustöen), where there was more beer – and had to travel

we up to Briksdal again, where the girls treated

us to dinner. – In the meantime 2 ladies from Kristiania [Oslo] had 

arrived, who were on their way over "the pass" to Jölster; – They had

a frightful load of luggage, and I was so careless as to

promise one of the ladies that I would carry her luggage, which 

weighed about 30 kg, – I regretted it at least a hun-

dred times while crossing the mountain; – – the return trip was wonderful

in clear weather, – but terribly strenuous because of the lug-

gage that I struggled exceedingly with; – the ladies were pleasant

with a very modern East Norway "liberal comportment"; – (in fact I think

that – in order to keep up appearances – they might also have been so "liberated",

as to spare themselves leaving yellow patches in the glacier

for each step that they took.) – They should have made known the need to respond to 

"the call of nature", – I felt most sorry for them during the night,

when it became freezing cold – I froze because of my sweat,

but the ladies of course froze even more because of their feet,

which were soaking wet "due to the call of nature".

When we arrived in Dreva at 2 in the morning, we

were so tired, that we staggered, – I have almost no

feeling in my shoulders after carrying the straps, – the ladies

even admitted, that my luggage had been too heavy,

and as compensation for carrying [the load] they offered me a taste

of everything that they had in their luggage among other things cognac 

and liquor, which helped, – and afterwards they asked if

"there was nothing else, – that I had a special yen for;

for if it was possible for them to arrange it, then I would get it", –

I was a little unsure of what they meant, and therefore said

that it would soon be morning, and I was so tired and sleepy,

that I might say something I didn’t intend to and wish

for something that was not possible, – and then the ladies

might come to regret their frivolous offer, – 

and I therefore thought it best, that we got some sleep, – and

that is what we did; – and we slept until late in the day.

The next day we took a horse and carriage to Skei, where I was so fortunate,

as to find an automobile standing ready to make the trip down to Vasenden, where

I had to sleep over until the next day, when a car was scheduled to go to Sandal.

                                        IIII

When I arrived home there was a message for me from Consul Mohr;

saying that I had to come to Bergen and bring with me the half-

finished things he had looked at and finish them

at his place in Bergen. – For financial reasons I

did so, – although it was against my wishes, – and in fact there was

little time for work – parties and leisure days – automobile excursions around

Bergen’s countryside, etc. We were there for 14 days and had a

wonderful time of course, – although one of the pictures was "refused", –

I otherwise made a good profit on the trip. But we had

a dreadful trip on the parish boat from Vadheim to Bergen;

it was so overcrowded with tourists and others, that they

lay on the floors and tables in the lounge and sat crowded together

on deck, where my wife and I also had to

be, – and we froze properly that night. –

We will most likely be leaving in the middle of this month 

to go abroad – Engel and Kari and I, – we will first travel to Cologne

and along – (or rather on) – the Rhine in small daily stages to 

Mainz and from there to the Danube, which we plan to follow

as far as Vienna – from there I thought we would go 

to Trieste – across Italy to France; – Marseille – Barcelona

Tarragona – Valencia – Madrid. – The detour via Valencia

is because I am considering a little trip over to the 

Balearic Islands. From Madrid the trip will most likely continue southward to

Cádiz (Europe’s oldest city?) – Of course we must "in-

clude" Granada and Seville and Malaga. – The journey from

Vienna to Trieste and further across Italy you are more familiar with than

I, and if you know of anything in particular there, I would be grateful

for a few words: Genoa and Venice? perhaps? Would you send me a

few words c/o H. Holm Karl Johansgade 23 – I will not bother you

by looking you up in Kristiania [Oslo]; – I wasted enough of your time

in Jölster this summer. – Young Holm arrived here at the same time that

I returned home from the trip with you, – he was here

while we were in Bergen and departed at the end of August, – I

liked him a lot – a bit too nervous – so much so that he could make

others nervous; – my wife could not tolerate him – and he

must have sensed it poor chap – I attempted to make up for it, 

but it was not so easy; received a nice letter from

him yesterday and two books. From Ravensberg I also received 2 books

by Victor Húgo, – I have unfortunately not written to thank him (I will write to him today)

If you meet him – you must say hello. Fond is so enthusiastic about you that he

wants to frame your postcard. Live well then and a thousand greetings from

Engel, the children and me Your devoted N. Astrúp

Envelope, front:

To 

The Poet Hans E. Kinck

Görbitz gate 4

Kristiania [Oslo]

Envelope, back: 

The day before yesterday the mail went out before I was aware of it – so the letter was not sent.

Dare I ask you to [re]address my letter to Ravensberg

I do not have his address – and thus permit myself

to address his letter – to you.

Best regards

Your

Astrúp