The Scent of Your Shadow
by Kristiina Ehin
Bilingual English / Estonian edition
Translated from the Estonian by Ilmar Lehtpere
Introduced by Sujata Bhatt
PBS Recommended Translations Summer 2010
Part of our Visible Poets series edited by Jean Boase-Beier
Rooted in an ancient folk song tradition, Kristiina Ehin's poetry is both universal and deeply personal; her language is direct and simple, yet she expresses herself so vividly that her joys and sorrows become the reader's own. These poems, beautifully translated by Ilmar Lehtpere and selected from her most recent collection, were written over 2 years, beginning shortly before the birth of her son.
Here is a generous, honest imagination: visceral, shamanistic and wise. Kristiina Ehin is a visionary poet with a discerning and distinctive voice, a voice resonant with genuine passion, close to the primordial world of spirts and myths, but also rooted in history and in contemporary life. There is a refreshing lightness and originality to her poems, which are nonetheless poignant. She is able to express strong emotions without being sentimental. Her work has truly haunted me; it has entered the deepest layer of my being with its rare combination of directness and subtle nuances, ancient traditions and modernity.
ISBN: 978-1906570-53-8 (pbk), 978-1906570-54-5 (hbk)
Dimensions: 216 x 138 mm
Pages: 110
Bilingual edition Estonian / English
Published July 2010