the moors of his region, the areas of his childhood and the poor life in the country, often switching between harsh realism, a fresh love of nature and sentimental nostalgia. Some of his poems are written in dialect. Among his best known are the beloved Jeg er Havren ("I am the Oats"); Jens Vejmand, a tribute to the worn-out roadmender; Jutland (English translation by J. A. Peehl); and Historiens Sang ("The Song of History"). As a poet, he shows himself an agitator, writing battle songs for the working class. Aakjær is one of the most beloved Danish poets of the 20th Century. As a Jutlandish regionalist and dialect writer he is the heir of Blicher. But he was also inspired by Robert Burns, whose Auld lang syne he translated into Jutlandish dialect. Together with Johannes Vilhelm Jensen and Martin Andersen Nexø he is one of the outstanding "new realists" from the 1910s though never that famous outside Denmark. In many ways he is a literary figure of transition between old rural culture and modern socialist agitation. As a castigator of society, he was popular, even among his opponents. His first wife was the author Marie Bregendahl, known for her regionalist works. The Oats Aakjær's poem Havren (The Oats) was first published in his poetry collection "Vejr og Vind og Folkesind" from 1916. As his other poetry, it is mostly a salute to nature, in contrast to his otherwise very political agitation and writing. Havren is a poem in twelve verses, and a melody was composed for it in 1917 by Aksel Agerby. Today, only seven or eight of the original twelve verses are sung, and the song is often referred to as Jeg er havren (I am the oats). Original poem in Danish HAVREN Jeg er Havren. Jeg har Bjælder paa, mer end tyve, tror jeg, paa hvert Straa. Bonden kalder dem for mine Fold. Gud velsigne ham, den Bondeknold! Jeg blev saaet, mens glade Lærker sang over grønne Banker Dagen lang; Humlen brumled dybt sin Melodi, og et Rylefløjt gled ind deri. Viben fløj om Brak og Pløjemand og slog Kryds for baade Plov og Spand. Kryds slog Bonden ogsaa over mig for at gi’ mig Helse med paa Vej. Mens i Dug jeg groede Fod for Fod, groede Sangen sammen med min Rod; den, som ydmyg lægger Øret til, hører Lærkens Triller i mit Spil. Det kan kolde