The Ballad of Steinbjørn Jacobsen

September 24, 2015 9:57 AM

I Sing for You an Apple is an account by writer and translator Eric Wilson of "escorting a Faroese poet-hero around the USA" in 1978. The poet-hero from the Faroe Islands was Steinbjørn Berghamar Jacobsen, who wrote fiction, poetry, plays and children's books in the language of his North-Atlantic archipelago. His works have not been translated into English, but they have been set to music. On Tinna og Tám he reads his own poems, accompanied by Kristian Blak and Heðin Ziska Davidsen (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 ). And after his passing in 2012, two of his children, Kári and Eyð Jacobsen, made an album, Tungl, where they turned his poems into indie songs (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10).
posted by Kattullus (3 comments total)

Steinbjørn B. Jacobsen did write a travel account about his trip, Brá úr USA but, like the rest of his work, it has not been translated into English.
posted by Kattullus at 9:59 AM on September 24, 2015

Nice to listen to, even without translation. The music reminds me some of Oregon.
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 10:08 AM on September 24, 2015

The story in that Eric Wilson article is really something. I very much want to read more about Jacobsen. Thank you for introducing him to us!
posted by ocherdraco at 4:37 PM on September 24, 2015 [1 favorite]