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الأب
نقدم في هذا النص ترجمة إلى اللغة العربية لأحد أعلام الأدب النرويجي والأوروبي عبر التاريخ، وهو الشاعر والكاتب والمسرحي الكبير بيورنستيرنه بيورنسون. أبصر بيورنسون النور في عام ١٨٣٢، وهو يعد أحد "الأربعة العظام" في الأدب النرويجي، وهم – بالإضافة له – هنريك إبسن، ويوناس لاي، وألكسندر كيلاند. كما أنه من كتب النشيد الوطني النرويجي. حاز على جائزة نوبل للآداب عام ١٩٠٣، وذلك – حسب لجنة الجائزة – "تقديرًا لقصائده المتعددة الرفيعة العظيمة، والتي لطالما عُرفت بحداثة إلهامها وروحها النقية النادرة". ومن الجدير بالذكر أنه كان أحد أعضاء اللجنة التي تمنح جائزة نوبل للسلام لمدة خمس سنوات. توفي في باريس عام ١٩١٠ عن ٧٨ عامًا ٣٢ كتابًا.
ebook
First published January 1, 1860
98 people want to read
About the author
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
789 books101 followersBjørnstjerne Martinus Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit."
Bjørnson is the author of the lyrics to the Norwegian National Anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet".
Bjørnson is the author of the lyrics to the Norwegian National Anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet".
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 28 reviews
September 8, 2015
This is a truly moving short story. I've arranged my thoughts into a haiku, but I can't do it justice:
"The course of one's life,
Denoted by what he gives
In paternal grief."
"The course of one's life,
Denoted by what he gives
In paternal grief."
November 21, 2024
Meh.
It was good until it was not.
I don't think I got the point of this.
Anyway. RTC.
It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.
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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1860] [6p] [Fiction] [1.5] [Not Recommendable]
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???????? 75 Short Masterpieces <--
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Meh.
Estuvo bien hasta que no lo estuvo.
No creo haber entendido el punto de esto.
Lo que sea. RTC.
Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.
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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1860] [6p] [Ficción] [1.5] [No Recomendable]
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It was good until it was not.
I don't think I got the point of this.
Anyway. RTC.
It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1860] [6p] [Fiction] [1.5] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
???????? 75 Short Masterpieces <--
-----------------------------------------------
Meh.
Estuvo bien hasta que no lo estuvo.
No creo haber entendido el punto de esto.
Lo que sea. RTC.
Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1860] [6p] [Ficción] [1.5] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
August 17, 2016
This is a lovely short story. About a father and how he raised his son seen through the eyes of another. I liked reading it. There's something incredibly lonely about this tale. 3 stars.
February 5, 2017
3.5 stars.
The Father is a touching and sad tale of a man's life with his son through the eyes of the priest as they pass each milestone in the son's life.
Short and to the point, this well written tale jumps from one milestone to the next, the changes in each space apparent from what is happening in the moment. It's a story meant to remind one truly of what matters in life, as well as to show how each milestone impacts the father's views of money and spirituality. The translation is very clearly done, although I am uncertain of who translated this particular edition.
I would recommend this for anyone looking for a sad and touching story to read in a short span of time.
The Father is a touching and sad tale of a man's life with his son through the eyes of the priest as they pass each milestone in the son's life.
Short and to the point, this well written tale jumps from one milestone to the next, the changes in each space apparent from what is happening in the moment. It's a story meant to remind one truly of what matters in life, as well as to show how each milestone impacts the father's views of money and spirituality. The translation is very clearly done, although I am uncertain of who translated this particular edition.
I would recommend this for anyone looking for a sad and touching story to read in a short span of time.
March 29, 2018
Novellen "Fadern" är skriven av Björnstjerne Björnson som med några sidor lyckades väcka nyfikenhet hos mig för att tolka det som står mellan raderna. Författaren tar oss på en resa i en fars live från det ögonblicket han fått ett barn tills barnet dör och hur olika omständigheter kan påverka oss.
Författaren beskriver hur faderns utseende inte har ändrats genom åren på grund av glädje, medan under ett år av sorg blev han gammal och prästen kände inte honom. Dessutom förmedlar författaren oss att pengar inte kan ge oss glädje.
Jag tycker att novellen är mycket gripande och mycket välskriven därför att den väcker olika känslor i läsaren bland annat nyfikenhet,lycka, kärlek och sorg
Författaren beskriver hur faderns utseende inte har ändrats genom åren på grund av glädje, medan under ett år av sorg blev han gammal och prästen kände inte honom. Dessutom förmedlar författaren oss att pengar inte kan ge oss glädje.
Jag tycker att novellen är mycket gripande och mycket välskriven därför att den väcker olika känslor i läsaren bland annat nyfikenhet,lycka, kärlek och sorg
July 3, 2015
Short, but good.
September 20, 2018
It is a rather tragic tale of a father who thinks that he has completely his responsibilities to his son, and is quite mistaken in the end.
January 10, 2026
This short piece of fiction affected me more deeply than I expected, largely because of how restrained it is. Bjørnson tells a story of power, pride, and grief without ever raising his voice.
The emotional force comes not from drama, but from what is withheld. By the time the final lines arrive, the silence feels heavier than any outcry.
Thord Overaas is introduced as a man of authority—wealthy, confident, and accustomed to respect. His interactions with the priest initially read almost transactional, as though religion itself were another social institution to be managed. I found myself mildly irritated by him at first, which made the story’s later turn all the more devastating.
The genius of the story lies in its structure. Bjørnson shows Thord at moments of public significance—his son’s baptism, confirmation, and engagement—each marked by generosity that feels performative, even self-satisfied. What’s missing is intimacy. We never see Thord alone with his son. Love is implied through pride and provision, not through tenderness.
When tragedy strikes, it does so without melodrama. The son’s death is reported plainly, almost casually. That understatement felt brutal. There is no space for Thord to prepare, and no space for the reader to soften the blow. Grief enters the story the way it enters life—suddenly, irreversibly, and without explanation.
What moved me most is Thord’s transformation. His final visit to the priest is stripped of pride. He speaks quietly. He gives anonymously. His power, once rooted in status, has been hollowed out by loss. The story never explicitly states that grief has made him humble, but the change is unmistakable. Bjørnson trusts the reader to notice the difference.
“The Father” stayed with me because it captures a truth that feels painfully real: that love is often recognised fully only after it is no longer actionable. Thord loved his son, but he loved him through control, projection, and ambition. Only when all of that becomes meaningless does something gentler emerge.
This is not a story about punishment or moral correction. It is about the cost of emotional distance and the way grief can strip a person down to something truer.
Bjørnson doesn’t console the reader. He simply observes, with compassion, how power collapses when it meets irreparable loss.
Read it at least once in your life. Possibly one of the greatest short stories ever written.
The emotional force comes not from drama, but from what is withheld. By the time the final lines arrive, the silence feels heavier than any outcry.
Thord Overaas is introduced as a man of authority—wealthy, confident, and accustomed to respect. His interactions with the priest initially read almost transactional, as though religion itself were another social institution to be managed. I found myself mildly irritated by him at first, which made the story’s later turn all the more devastating.
The genius of the story lies in its structure. Bjørnson shows Thord at moments of public significance—his son’s baptism, confirmation, and engagement—each marked by generosity that feels performative, even self-satisfied. What’s missing is intimacy. We never see Thord alone with his son. Love is implied through pride and provision, not through tenderness.
When tragedy strikes, it does so without melodrama. The son’s death is reported plainly, almost casually. That understatement felt brutal. There is no space for Thord to prepare, and no space for the reader to soften the blow. Grief enters the story the way it enters life—suddenly, irreversibly, and without explanation.
What moved me most is Thord’s transformation. His final visit to the priest is stripped of pride. He speaks quietly. He gives anonymously. His power, once rooted in status, has been hollowed out by loss. The story never explicitly states that grief has made him humble, but the change is unmistakable. Bjørnson trusts the reader to notice the difference.
“The Father” stayed with me because it captures a truth that feels painfully real: that love is often recognised fully only after it is no longer actionable. Thord loved his son, but he loved him through control, projection, and ambition. Only when all of that becomes meaningless does something gentler emerge.
This is not a story about punishment or moral correction. It is about the cost of emotional distance and the way grief can strip a person down to something truer.
Bjørnson doesn’t console the reader. He simply observes, with compassion, how power collapses when it meets irreparable loss.
Read it at least once in your life. Possibly one of the greatest short stories ever written.
January 4, 2022
A terrific short story that I read and re-read at least a dozen times and ultimately ended up narrating/sharing on my podcast.
It left me thinking a lot about the meaning behind the story, was it a beautiful story of a father's love for his son, a tale of grief, or a tale of regrets.
Either way, it's a quick read but one that was enjoyable.
You can listen to me narrate it here:
https://aicpod.com/2022/01/04/faded-w...
It left me thinking a lot about the meaning behind the story, was it a beautiful story of a father's love for his son, a tale of grief, or a tale of regrets.
Either way, it's a quick read but one that was enjoyable.
You can listen to me narrate it here:
https://aicpod.com/2022/01/04/faded-w...
August 6, 2018
I really hate this "there's freedom in suffering" bs, ESPECIALLY when it involves the church, the least suffering of all.
December 4, 2020
Although I didn't love it, there's something charming about it.
Read
February 15, 2022Meh
August 31, 2022
En kritikk av faderrollen og hva den kan føre til. Veldig fyldig kort fortelling.
March 22, 2023
Written by 1903 Nobel Prize in Lit. winner. tells a tale of pride and humility.
October 12, 2023
A father, a son and a priest over the course of time. It tells how the father's different encounters with the priest according to each phase of the life of his son.
December 20, 2023
Read this in class I loved how short it was and the general way the story was told.
January 2, 2024
read this twice to digest it. and the third time made me a bit sad for the father's loss.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2024
I denne korte og bevegande novella viser Bjørnson kva effekt ein sønns død kan gagne ein rik og likegydlig mann. Han tapte sin sønn og vant livet!
October 14, 2025
Nobelpristagare 1903.
En kort novell som väcker många frågor.
Siffran tre?
Tvångsgifte?
Den är enligt mig inte är helt enkel att tolka. Både djupbottnad och symbolisk. Läsvärd men aningen svår.
En kort novell som väcker många frågor.
Siffran tre?
Tvångsgifte?
Den är enligt mig inte är helt enkel att tolka. Både djupbottnad och symbolisk. Läsvärd men aningen svår.
December 17, 2025
A sad story about a man who finally learns an important lesson about life and money, but alas, the lesson comes too late.
Read
December 24, 2025i’ll b honest i don’t understand
March 20, 2017
synes det er en fin novelle fra den poetisk realisme. jeg tror fortsatt at jeg foretrekker Camilla Collett, men ikke si det til noen. (Amtmandens døtre ❤)
men godt jobba Bjørnson. ikke det at det betyr noe nå, men jeg liker skrivestilen din. tenkte å prøve meg på En Hanske neste gang.
men godt jobba Bjørnson. ikke det at det betyr noe nå, men jeg liker skrivestilen din. tenkte å prøve meg på En Hanske neste gang.
May 18, 2024
An understated short story about a rich man, his son and a priest. I read it from Works of Björnsterne Björnson. Translated from Norse by Rasmus B. Anderson. 1882. As a parent, I'd recommend it for age 11 and up.
August 3, 2012
Bare Bjørnson kan få sagt så mye med så få ord.
Read
October 7, 2017Extremely short book but quick fascinating read!
July 22, 2018
okay good...
Displaying 1 - 27 of 28 reviews