Letter
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
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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-
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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
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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
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
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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
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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, 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