"Vårvindar friska" is sung for the Spring Festival called Walpurgis

You can find the first verse of Vårvindar friska below. More verses to the song can be found in the notes.

Notes

Lyrics by Julia Nyberg (1785-1854). Folk melody

*****

Sara R. wrote:

I'm writing about the Swedish children's song Vårvindar Friska (Spring Breezes Weave and Whisper). There are more verses to the song, here they are...

Hjärtat vill brista -
Ack! när den sista
Gången jag hörde kärlekens röst
Avskedets plåga,
Ögonens låga,
Mun emot mun vid klappande bröst.
Fjälldalen stod i blomstrande skrud,
Trasten slog drill på drill för sin brud;
Strömkarlen spelte,
Sorgerna delte,
Suckande, berg och dal.

Natten så fager,
Ljus som en dager,
Göt över skog och bölja sin glans.
Älvornas vingar
Glänsande ringar
Slöto kring ängens tuva i dans.
Suckande hjärtan, suckande lund,
Smekande ord och saligt förbund!
Strömkarlen spelte,
Sorgerna delte
Vakan kring berg och dal.

Ack, att vid polen
Midsommarsolen
Tusende år bortsovit så sällt!
Hastigt vem kallar?
Krigsbudet skallar
Fjärran ifrån: "Till vapen!" så gällt.
Nu var ej tid hos flickan att bo,
Löftet han gav om kärlek och tro;
Strömkarlen spelte,
Sorgerna delte,
Suckande, berg och dal.

Hurtigt på slätten,
Med bajonetten,
Snabb som en ren, han ilade ned;
Där, ibland fanor,
Flygande svanor,
Klingande spel, i blixtrande led,
Rak som en tall, han höjde sig opp,
Såg jag hans bild vid tårarnas lopp.
Strömkarlen spelte,
Sorgerna delte,
Suckande, berg och dal.

Snart han marchera' -
Kom aldrig mera
Åter till hemmets brudliga tjäll.
När av min Modig
Vålnaden blodig
Svävar på västerns rodnande fjäll,
Klaga, mitt hjärta, klaga! - O, hör!
Vallhornets klang bland klipporna dör:
Strömkarlen spelar,
Sorgerna delar
Vakan kring berg och dal.

And Translated;

Heart will break -
Oh! When I last
heard the voice of love
Torment of farewells,
Flame of the eye,
Mouth to mouth by a beating heart.
The field-valley stood in prosperous robes,
The thrush was trilling to his bride
The riverman/river sprites played,
Sorrows dismayed,
Sighing, hill and dale.

The night so fair,
Bright as a day,
Founded its lustre over forests and billows.
Wings of the fairies
Shining rings
Shut in a dance around the meadow's tussock.
Sighing hearts, sighing grove,
Caressive words and blessed union
The riverman/river sprites played,
Sorrows dismayed
They wake in hill and dale.

Oh, that by the pole
The midsummer sun
Has slept away a thousand years
Quick, who is calling?
The war command resounds
From afar: "Grab your weapons!" in a shrill tone.
Now there's no time to live with the girl,
The promise he made of love and faith
The riverman/river sprites played,
Sorrows dismayed,
Sighing, hill and dale.

Cheerful on the plain,
With the bayonet,
Quick as a reindeer, he hurried down;
There, among banners,
Flying swans,
Ringing game, in lightning line,
Straight as a pine he rose,
I saw his image by the race of tears.
The riverman/river sprites played,
Sorrows dismayed,
Sighing, hill and dale.

Soon he marched -
Never came again
Never came home again.
When the bloody ghost
of my Modig*
Floats on the reddened fields of the west,
Cry out, my heart, cry out! - and hear!
The herdsman's horn
Now echo, then pale.
The riverman/River sprites playing,
Sorrows dismaying
They wake in hill and dale.

*Every soldier got a 'soldier name' that somehow was supposed to fit their personality. Modig means Brave and this was a common soldier name.

Byeeee! :)

Download MIDI Tune

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Monique Palomares for the midi tune and to Frank Petersohn for allowing us to post the English translation from his site called Volkslieder - German and other Folk Songs. Thanks to Sara R. for the extra verses.

Tusen takk!