Tomten

In the middle of winter and late at night, an old friend returns for his annual visit to take care of the animals and look after the inhabitants of the old farmhouse.  He goes through his regular routine but becomes perplexed by an undying question for which he cannot find the answer.  Generations come and generations go, but where do they come from and to where do they go?

This poem, also known as Midvinternattens Köld är Hård, was written in Swedish by Viktor Rydberg and originally published in the magazine Ny Illustrerad Tidning in 1881.  While outwardly being an idyllic Christmas poem, the poem asks deep questions about the passage of time and the meaning of life.