Móðir mín í kví, kví
This is from an old Icelandic folk tale. A woman wrapped her newborn baby in her clothes to die out in the wild, which was a fairly common practice in Iceland with unwanted children (not enough food for another child, child born out of wedlock, etc…). The woman later planned to go to a party, but she had no clothes to wear. The ghost of her baby, called an útburður in Icelandic, offers her its rags to dance in at the party.
It's scary, like many lullabies, but the tune is haunting and nostalgic….
Móðir mín í kví, kví
Mother of Mine in the Pen
Lullaby
Lullaby
(Icelandic)
(English)
Móðir mín í kví, kví
kvíddu ekki því, því;
ég skal ljá þér duluna mína
duluna mína að dansa í,
ég skal ljá þér duluna mína
duluna mína að dansa í.
Mother of mine in the pen*, pen
Don't worry because, because
I'll lend you my rags,
My rags for you to dance in
I'll lend you my rags,
My rags for you to dance in.
Notes
*The sheep's pen
Comments
Translated by Monique Palomares.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
