Hjalmar Gullberg

Who was Hjalmar Gullberg?

Hjalmar Gullberg was a Swedish writer, poet and translator of Greek drama into Swedish.

Gullberg was born in Malmö, Skåne. As a student at Lund University, he was the editor of the student magazine Lundagård. He was the manager of the Swedish Radio Theatre 1936-1950. In 1940 he was made a member of the Swedish Academy, and he also became an honorary doctor of philosophy at Lund University.

As a friend of composer Lars-Erik Larsson he wrote the libretto of the religious lyrical suite God in Disguise. Gullberg, often described as a "black" poet, revealed a somewhat surprising and brighter and less melancholic side to his artistry in God in Disguise.

God in disguise ends with these following phrases:

"Bids us a human eye his silent fiest of love; us distant and slow as men are most,

puts, as heavenly healing för deep wounds of souls, a friend, freed from astuteness, his hands in ours,

See we a sunray linger in our bed of torment -then in disguise sits a God at your side"

"God in Disguise" refers to an underlying theme in the cycle meaning that on Earth there is God walking amongst us, but as he is in disguise we have difficulties identifying him. Thus it takes a lot from a person to be able to make changes in one´s mentality in order to become someone who can recognize the god amongst us.