Translations of Swedish Songs (S)
Sköna maj (Beautiful May)
Beautiful May, welcome to our area again!
Beautiful May, welcome, our playful friend!
Godlike flame of feelings awakes at your light.
Earth and sky are filled with love and delight.
Sorrows flee in springtime, happy smiles from tears.
Now from the bosom of a grove, and from the flower’s fragile bud,
Rise to meet you, happy victims up.
They only sing your praise, these rose bushes,
In your honor silver streams gurgle.
Hear with thankful tongue a thousand birds singing
like us, as we: Welcome beautiful May.
Sommarnatt (Summer Night)
In the half light of the midsummer nights
Intoxicating thoughts are stirred
With the love which goes out to you
And calls to you my most precious one
In the sweet slumber of the summer night
Whispering I love you
Clouds are white against blue sky.
High in the heavens the birds do fly
Away in the twilight to you
The wind comforts my longing
The whole of nature with a jubilant voice
Is singing I love you
The night expires in a ray of sunshine
Once more I whisper your name
Perhaps this time you will hear me
And love will awaken in you
Perhaps you too will sing
I love you
Sommarpsalm (Summer Hymn)
The earth adorned in verdant robe
Sends praises upward surging
While soft winds breathe on fragrant flowers
From winter now emerging
The sunshine bright gives warmth and light
To budding blossoms tender.
Proclaiming summer splendor.
Their happiness and their summer peace
The delirious birds praise:
From forest thicket,
from still abodes resounds their story.
A hymn goes up of joy and hope
From their happy song,
from the flowers and the trees.
Spillemannshambo
Come, shall we dance this hambo my friend,
But, don’t forget the tempo!
Hambo it is so rhythmic and nice,
Hej, don’t you think, tricky, sometimes?
Turn after turn he swings her around –
The fellow he has the power.
Hey, fallery, hey, fallara.
Forgotten is the very effort.
Listen to the fiddler, Tra-la-la-la-la-la,
He sings and taps the tempo
With his foot and hollers “hajsan!”
He plays so frantically,
When on the dance floor,
He plays upon his instrument again
While singing: “Tra-la-la-la-la Hejsan!”
Spinn, Spinn (Spin, Spin)
The young maiden—sitting at the spinning wheel adding to her wedding chest,
waiting in vain for her prince to show—comforted by her mother:
“Keep on spinning my darling. Some day he will come.” The daughter is spinning,
the tears are running, but never is her lover coming.
Paraphrase of the text by Annette Seaberg
Stämning (Mood)
All the growing shadows
Have molded together as one
Alone in the heavens beaming
A star so radiant alone.
Clouds are heavily gliding, dreaming
Dew from the flowers weeping
Strangely the evening breeze
Sighs in the linden.
Sverige (Sweden)
Sweden, Sweden, Sweden, fatherland,
Place of our yearning, our home on earth!
Now cowbells play where armies marched by torchlight
and deed became legend; now joined hand in hand
Thy people still swear ancient oaths of loyalty
Fall, Christmas snow, and murmur over the heath!
Burn, eastern star, through the June night!
Sweden, mother! Be our striving, our peace,
thou land where our children one day will live,
And our ancestors sleep under the churchyard stone.
Fall, Christmas snow, and murmur over the heath!
Burn, eastern star, through the June night!
Sweden, mother! Be our striving, our peace,
thou land where our children one day will live,
And our ancestors sleep under the churchyard stone.
Sångarfanan (The Singers’ Banner)
Once again the singers’ banner
Ever higher spheres is seeking.
Gladness in our eyes, and manner
Fervent to the hearts are speaking.
Forward brothers in our happy way!
Let song , wine and joy be our mainstay.
Over woods, lakes, hills and vales be breaking
Sound of songs, with a Hurrah!
With a ringing loud Hurrah!
Afar on verdant shore, wine galore
We drink to each encore.
With spirit high and gay
We’re on our way.
Don’t cry, oh pretty maid, your eyes’ spark
And red cheeks must not fade.
Soon in your loving arms
I’ll seek your charms, snug in your arms.
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