Rida, rida ranka
Lance sent this version of Rida Rida Ranka with the note: "…the verse you translated is the 'literary' version and the one I'm attaching now is the 'common' version…"
Rida, rida ranka
Rida, Rida, Ranka (Version 2)
Children's Song
Children's Song
(Swedish)
(English)
Rida, rida ranka
Hästen heter Blanka
Vart skall vi rida
Hem till att fria
Hos en Liten piga
Vad skall hon heta
Anna Maja Greta
Den tjoka ock feta
Nar vi kom dit
Var det ingen hemma
Mei än två små hundar som Stog under bänken
Ock hamla på, hänken ock grala
Woof, woof, woof
Rida, rida, ranka
The horse is named Blanka.
Where shall we ride?
Home, to propose
To a small maid.
What's her name?
Anna Maja Greta,
The plump and fat.
When we got there,
There was no one at home
Only two small dogs that stood under the bench
Growling and howling,
Woof, woof, woof!
Notes
Original Swedish version of Rida, rida, ranka by Hans Henrik Hallbäck (1838-1885), after the story by Zacharias Topelius (1818-1898).
Comments
"Blanka" is the historical Queen Blanka. In the original version, she is shaking her son, the infant King Hakan, up and down on her knee, as if he were riding a saw horse.
The people to whom the song was originally sung would have known it was referring to the Queen, but today's wider audience probably would not.
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Lance N. Peterson for contributing this song and for the commentary and for pointing me to the painting of Queen Blanka. Translation by Mama Lisa based on one provided by Lance.
Tack så mycket!
