FO 893
Kim Simonsen 2018
FØROYAR Regin Dahl 1918-2018
Men eg komi til tín, tí lívsfrøin spríkir í hvørji æðr, tí sælan syngur í mær -
28 KR Test proof
Regin Dahl 100th Anniversary 100 years ago, this year, Faroese poet, musi-
Regin Dahl studied literature and Norse
cian and translator Regin Dahl (1918-2007)
at the University of Copenhagen. His first
was born in Sandágerði in Tórshavn. Regin
poem was published in the literary maga-
Dahl graduated from Sorø Academy in 1937.
zine Varðin in 1936. At the age of eighteen,
Most of his life he worked as a publishing
he made his debut with the poetry collection
editor of the Gyldendal Publishing House.
”Í útlegd” (In Exile). The sense of exile was a consistent theme in his poetry, correspon-
Regin Dahl received the M.A. Jacobsen’s
ding to the fact that he lived all his life out-
cultural award in 1973 and again in 1978. He
side his homeland.
is also known in the Faroes for his groundbreaking work in Faroese music. In 1998, at
Regin Dahl published eight collections of
the age of 80, he became the first Faroese
poetry. As a poet, Regin Dahl is an impor-
to receive the Cultural Award of the Faroe
tant voice in Faroese literature and especi-
Islands.
ally in Faroese poetry. The titles of the books display a superior knowledge of old Faroese
Regin Dahl’s sense of the Faroese language
language and culture which he exposed to
came from his father, provost Jákup Dahl
his literary modernism. An example of these
who, among other things, had translated the
titles is ”Eftirtorv” (Remnants of peat), indi-
Bible into Faroese. From his mother, Maria
cating scraps of peat falling off the load and
Dahl, Regin Dahl inherited deep musical
lying scattered over the heath.
sensibility. Maria Dahl was the daughter of the renowned musician Bager Hansen,
At the inception of World War II connecti-
whose bourgeois name was Georg Caspar
ons between the Faroe Islands and Denmark
Hansen.
came to a halt. Regin Dahl was one of many young Faroese who stayed in Denmark for
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