Gunnar Björling

Is not dada necessary for lightweightless eyes?

DADA:


          I slay dust beneath my foot,
          I am the voice shaken out into space,
          I am the sieve that let through
          and built the hall of pillars.



   Your lip gives off its colour and the tongues twist, you change your head, you meet the gaze of your fate on the streetcorner or right in front of your very nose's cut-out.

(from Kiri-ra! 1930 trans David MacDuff)

Jag skriver inte litteratur, jag söker mitt ansikte och fingrarna

(I'm not writing literature, I'm looking for my face and my fingers)

(Gunnar Björling 1887-1960)



[Posted in honour of International Dadaism Month. I wanted to quote some of Björling's poetry in Swedish but I couldn't find even one snippet of it on the Internet. However, my search felt worthwhile when it led me to Johannes Göransson's Släpkoppel.]