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by Ernst Josephson (1851 - 1906)
Translation Singable translation by Herbert Harper

Maj
Language: Swedish (Svenska) 
Our translations:  FIN FRE
Luften är solig och skyarne tindra,
klarblåa böljorna locka och glindra;
fåglarne virka i häcken sitt bo;
rasande stormarne lagt sig till ro;

blommor och plantor på murarne pråla,
gifmilda blifva de karga och snåla,
klart som en klocka slår gökens kuku;
fåret lagt af sig sin ulliga skrud;

korna åt fältet förnöja sitt öga,
timmarne löpte i båset så tröga;
kvinnfolket skvallrar i solen mer gladt,
än när vid spiseln hon huttrande satt.

Ute på klippan sig stormfågeln lägrar.
Se, hvilka skaror af måsar och hägrar!
Kretsa ej mer rundt om krängande mast.
Gladt i min trädgård mig fågnar en trast;

och till mitt sinne, där skuggorna bodde,
som icke längre på solljuset trodde,
tränger en glimt så föryngrande varm:
våren har funnit en väg till min barm.

Confirmed with Ernst Josephson, Svarta Rosor och Gula, C. & E. Gernandts Förlags Aktiebolag, Stockholm, 1901, page 117.

In Sibelius's score there are some spelling changes: fåglarne -> foglarna ; kvinnfolket -> qvinnfolket.


Text Authorship:

  • by Ernst Josephson (1851 - 1906), "Maj", appears in Svarta Rosor och Gula [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957), "Maj", op. 57 (8 sånger (Eight Songs)) no. 4 (1909) [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English [singable] (Herbert Harper) , "May"
  • FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Toukokuu", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Mai", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Theobald Rehbaum) , "Mai"


Researcher for this page: Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 129

May
Language: English  after the Swedish (Svenska) 
Springtime and sunshine and clouds that are flying,
Clear blue the waters are sparkling and sighing.
In the close hedges a bird builds its nest;
Tempest and storm are asleep and at rest.
 
Flowers are all budding in meadow and garden;
Spring makes those kinder whom winter doth harden.
Clear as a bell the first cuckoo doth call;
Winter coats now from the sheeps' back do fall.
 
Cows in the meadows rejoicing are feeding,
Slow in the stable the hours were in speeding.
Folk in the sunshine can gossip at ease,
But in the winter they shiver and freeze.
 
Round the great rock where the storm waves were leaping,
See, how the masses of seagulls are sweeping!
Circling no more round the storm shaken mast.
Birds in my garden are singing at last.
 
And to my bosom, that weary with sorrow,
Could not believe in a brighter tomorrow,
Cometh the sunshine reviving my heart:
Spring who hast found me, how welcome thou art.

From the Sibelius score.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by Herbert Harper , "May" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Swedish (Svenska) by Ernst Josephson (1851 - 1906), "Maj", appears in Svarta Rosor och Gula
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Harry Joelson

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-06
Line count: 20
Word count: 163

Gentle Reminder

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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