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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

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by Ernst Josephson (1851 - 1906)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

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

Mai
Language: French (Français)  after the Swedish (Svenska) 
L'air est ensoleillé et les nuages scintillent
Les vagues bleu clair étincellent et charment ;
Dans les haies les oiseaux bâtissent leurs nids ;
Les tempêtes déchaînées se mettent au repos.

Fleurs et plantes s'étalent sur les murs,
Les chiches et les ladres deviennent charitables,
Le chant du coucou sonne clair comme une cloche ;
Le mouton a mis de côté son habit de laine.

Les vaches regardent avec plaisir vers les champs,
Le temps a passé si lentement dans l'étable ;
Au soleil, les dames cancanent plus gaiement
Que lorsqu'elles tremblotaient près de la cheminée.

Les oiseaux des tempêtes s'arrêtent sur les falaises.
Voyez les bandes de mouettes et de hérons !
Elles ne tournoient plus autour des mâts agités.
Heureux dans mon jardin, un merle me réjouit ;

Et dans ma tête où demeuraient des ombres,
Qui ne croyait plus à la lumière du soleil,
Perce un chaud rayon de jouvence :
Le printemps a trouvé le chemin de mon cœur.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Swedish (Svenska) to French (Français) copyright © 2014 by Pierre Mathé, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

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

 

This text was added to the website: 2014-09-16
Line count: 20
Word count: 156

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