25. Jib Þrongs Jinns Sir

An abnominal for Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson

Þis      brig

      ninon   jib;

Þis      born ibis   rib

no brió   bring rós   iris

Þis      joss-gnósis

           bong-grin

           
            nó Þin jingo

sorb   orris   nigrosin

I join   in Þis song o’

gibbon-origin       gó

nó sin   Þorn      nog  

rosin   iron      sign

I join      bóÞ

griss—n—bison

bóÞ

job—n—boss

bóÞ

son—n—biro in Þis song

( )—n—( )   noÞings

rising   norÞ

The Icelandic letter Þ – pronounced something like ‘th’ – has no equivalent in English. My use of it in English words is obviously ‘wrong’. I have taken this liberty in the spirit of irreverent fun, and to reflect the musical innovation of Jonsi and Sigur Ros themselves, specifically in the constructed lyrical ‘language’ Volenska (or ‘Hopelandic’) used throughout the album ( ). Effectively glossolalia, Volenska has no semantic meaning but contains some of the sounds found in Icelandic. The poem as a whole, I hope, weaves between sense and lyrical non-sense, evoking the man and the band in its broken textures and images.