“On March 14 2022, Norwegian poet Odveig Klyve posted a powerful, spontaneous poem on her personal Facebook page condemning the inhumanity of Vladimir Putin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Within days, it had been shared thousands of times and translated into 50 different languages. Since then, with the help of Shetland poet Robert Alan Jamieson, the poem has given birth to an online group amassing over 600 members from all across the world and made front-page headlines in the Norwegian press. The poem has currently been translated into over 40 languages and dialects with versions totalling over 50, all of which you can read by joining the group at the link above.
Now, it is our honour to announce that we will be publishing a single volume of each and every translation, as well as Odveig’s stunning original. Titled Skjelv Du På Handa, Vladimir? / Does Your Hand Shake, Vladimir?, 100% of the profit made on the book will go to organisations providing aid in Ukraine. We want to do this quickly as time is of the essence, but we can still use your help. We are looking for more translations into languages currently missing from the list, and would encourage anyone, poet or not, to contact us should you feel compelled to do so. The deadline for submissions is the end of April.”
Click on the link below to read about the project in the words of its originators, and to find a list of every language the poem has currently been translated into for reference.
Taproot press
The original poem by Odveig Klyve in Norwegian
Skjelv du på handa
i dag, Vladimir,
når du lyfter koppen
til munnen,
når dei fortel at
tusen på tusen er døde
på din kommando
på krigens nittande dag.
Skjelv du på handa
når dei fortel at
nitti barn er drepne,
og hundre er skada
av kuler og bomber.
Skjelv du på handa
når dei seier at tusenvis
av dine eigne er døde,
dei unge soldatane
nesten barn dei og.
Skjelv du på handa
når du høyrer at
sjukehus er bomba, at
gamle menn og kvinner
er drepne
mens dei flyktar,
at nokon har blødd i hel
mens du drikk
morgonkaffien din.
Skjelv du på handa,
Vladimir Vladimirovich,
når du lyfter koppen,
mens du flyktar
frå det menneskelege.
.
Odveig Klyve
.
.
In English:
.
Does your hand shake
today, Vladimir,
as you lift the cup
to your mouth,
when they tell you
thousands upon thousands have died
at your command
on the nineteenth day of the war.
Does your hand shake
when they tell you
ninety children have been killed,
and hundreds injured
by bullets and bombs.
Does your hand shake
when they say that thousands
of your own are dead –
these young soldiers,
almost children themselves.
Does your hand shake
when you hear
that hospitals are bombed,
that old men and women
are killed
as they flee,
that some have bled to death
while you drink
your morning coffee.
Does your hand shake
Vladimir Vladimirovich
as you lift your cup;
as you flee
from humanity.
.
Odveig Klyve
translated from Norwegian
by Kenneth Steven
.
.
In Ukrainian:
.
Чи дрижать тобі руки нині,
Владимир,
коли підносиш чашку
до губ,
коли тоді розказують
про тисячі й тисячі загиблих
за наказом твоїм
на дев’ятнадцятий день війни.
Чи дрижать тобі руки,
коли чуєш
про дев’яносто вбитих дітей
і сотні скалічених
від куль і бомб.
Чи дрижать тобі руки,
коли чуєш про тисячі своїх,
юних солдатиків,
майже дітей іще.
Чи дрижать тобі руки,
коли чуєш
про розбомблені лікарні,
про старих і жінок,
які рятуються втечею
під кулями,
про тих, хто стікає кров’ю,
доки ти п’єш
свою ранішню каву.
Чи дрижать тобі руки,
Владимир Владимирович,
коли підносиш чашку
до губ, ховаючись
від усього людяного.
.
Odveig Klyve, Одвейґ Кліве,
translated into Ukrainian
by Natalia Ivanychuk, Наталя Іваничук
.
.
In German:.
.
Zittern nicht deine Hände,
Wladimir,
wenn du deine Tasse hebst,
wenn dir berichtet wird,
dass Tausende getötet wurden auf deinen Befehl.
Zittern nicht deine Hände,
wenn dir berichtet wird,
dass neunzig Kinder getötet und Hunderte von Kugeln und Bomben getroffen wurden.
Zittern nicht deine Hände,
wenn dir berichtet wird,
dass auch Tausende von den deinen getötet wurden,
Tausende von jungen Soldaten,
sie waren auch noch Kinder.
Zittern nicht deine Hände,
wenn du hörst,
dass Krankenhäuser zerbombt und
fliehende alte Männer und Frauen getötet wurden, und dass noch
viele weitere verbluten werden
bevor du deine Tasse leerst.
Zittern nicht deine Hände,
Wladimir Wladimirowitsch,
wenn du, die Tasse hebend,
alles Menschliche fliehst.
.
Odveig Klyve.
translated into German
by Maria Ko
.
.
In Russian:
.
Дрожат ли руки твои,
Владимир,
когда ты чашку подносишь к губам,
когда тебе говорят,
что на девятнадцатый день войны
тысячи были убиты по твоему приказу.
Дрожат ли руки твои,
когда тебе говорят,
что девяносто детей были убиты и
сотни изранены пулями и осколками бомб.
Дрожат ли руки твои,
когда тебе говорят,
что и среди своих тысячи были убиты,
тысячи молодых солдат,
детей, не успевших вырасти.
Дрожат ли руки твои,
когда ты слышишь,
что больницы были разбомблены,
что старики и старухи бежали спасаясь и были убиты,
что многие истекут кровью ещё до того, как чашка твоя опустеет.
Дрожат ли руки твои,
Владимир Владимирович,
когда, поднося к губам чашку,
ты бежишь всего человеческого.
.
Odveig Klyve
translated into Russian
by Maria Ko
.
.
In Swedish:
.
Skakar dina händer
idag, Vladimir,
när du lyfter koppen
till munnen,
när de berättar att
tusen och åter tusen har dött
på din order
på krigets nittonde dag.
Skakar dina händer
när de berättar att
nittio barn har dödats,
och hundratals är skadade
av kulor och bomber.
Skakar dina händer
när de säger att tusentals
av dina egna er döda,
dessa unga soldater
nästan barn de också.
Skakar dina händer
när du hör att
sjukhus har bombats,
att gamla män och kvinnor
har dödats
när de flyr,
att andra har förblött
medan du dricker
ditt morgonkaffe.
Skakar dina händer,
Vladimir Vladimirovitj
när du lyfter koppen,
när du flyr från det mänskliga.
.
Odveig Klyve
translated into Swedish
by Lotta Malm
.
In Shetlandic
.
Döes dy haands shakk
da day, Vladimir,
as du lifts da cup
ta dy mooth,
quhan dey say ta de
thoosins apo thoosins ir dee’d
at dy oardir
apo da nineteenth day a’da waar.
Döes dy haands shakk
quhan dey tell de
ninety bairns ir been felled
an hundirs miraakilt
be bullits an boms.
Döes dy haands shakk
quhan dey say thoosins
a’dy ain ir felled –
yon young soadgers
near bairns demsels.
Döes dy haands shakk
quhan du hears
at hospietils ir bombed,
at aald men an wiemin
ir felled
as dey flee,
at someens blöd ta daeth
quhile du preevs
dy moarnien koffee.
Döes dy haands shakk,
Vladimir Vladimirovitch,
as du lifts dy cup;
as du flees
fae aa at’s human.
.
Odveig Klyve
translated into Shetlandic
.
.
In Icelandic:
.
Skjálfa á þér hendurnar
í dag Vladimir,
þegar þú lyftir bollanum
að vörunum,
þegar þeir segja að
þúsundir séu dánir
að þinni skipun
á nítjánda degi stríðsins.
Skjálfa á þér hendurnar
þegar þeir segja að
nítíu börn séu látin
og hundrað eru særð
eftir kúlur og sprengjur.
Skjálfa á þér hendurnar
þegar þeir segja að þúsundir
af þínum mönnum séu látnir,
einnig ungu hermennirnir
nánast börn.
Skjálfa á þér hendurnar
þegar þú heyrir að
sprengjur falli á sjúkrahús, að
gamlir menn og konur
séu drepin þegar þau flýja,
að einhverjum blæddi út
meðan þú drakkst
morgunkaffið þitt.
Skjálfa á þér hendurnar,
Vladimir Vladimirovich,
þegar þú lyftir bollanum
flýrðu frá öllu
sem er mannlegt.
.
Odveig Klyve –
translated into Icelandic
by Hildur and Anna Sigurdardottir
.
.
In Italian
.
Ti trema la mano oggi
Ti trema la mano
oggi, Vladimir,
quando alzi la tua tazza
alla bocca,
quando ti dicono che
migliaia di migliaia sono morti
al tuo comando
in questo diciannovesimo giorno di guerra.
Ti trema la mano
quando ti dicono che novanta bambini sono stati uccisi e centinaia sono feriti
da proiettili e bombe.
Ti trema la mano?
quando ti dicono che migliaia dei tuoi sono morti,
i giovani soldati,
che sono quasi bambini anche loro.
La tua mano trema quando senti che ospedali vengono bombardati, che vecchi e donne
vengono uccisi
mentre fuggono,
che qualcuno è morto
dissanguato mentre stai bevendo
il tuo caffè mattutino.
La tua mano trema Vladimir Vladimirovich,
quando sollevi la tua tazza, mentre fuggi
da essere un umano.
.
Odveig Klyve
translated into Italian
by Tess Bordeleau Vallée
,
.
