Videvisa
Videvisa
The Willow Song
Children's Song
Children's Song
(Swedish)
(English)
Sov du lilla videung,
än så är det vinter!
Än så sova björk och ljung,
ros och hyacinter.
Än så är det långt till vår,
innan rönn i blomma står.
Sov du lilla vide,
än så är det vinter.
Solskens öga ser på dig,
solskens famn dig vaggar.
Snart blir grönt på skogens stig,
och var blomma flaggar.
Än en liten solskensbön:
vide liten blir så grön.
Solskens öga ser dig.
Solskens famn dig vaggar.
Sleep, little willow bud,
It is still winter!
Sleeping still are birch and heather,
Roses and hyacinths.
It's still long until spring,
Until the rowans bear fruit.
Sleep, little willow bud,
It's still winter.
The sunlight's eye watches you,
The sunlight's embrace cradles you.
Soon the forest's paths turn green,
And all the flowers raise flags.
Yet a little sunlight-prayer:
Tiny willow bud turning green.
The sunlight's eye watches you,
The sunlight's embrace cradles you.
Comments
The last verse is not so often sung, perhaps in part because the phrasing is a little odd. It was the writer Zacharias Topelius who wrote the song, and he lived in Finland, where the Swedish-speaking people are a minority (although a fairly influential one), and the dialect diverges somewhat from standard Swedish in various odd ways that most other Swedish dialects do not.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Leif Stensson of Project Runeberg for contributing and translating this song and also for providing such interesting commentary.
Project Runeberg is an open, voluntary project whose purpose is to make classic Nordic literature and art available in electronic form to the public, free of charge.
Many thanks to Bob Barker for his excellent proofing abilities!
Tack så mycket!
