The shepherdess | Once I saw a young maid

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by Jón Thoroddsen (1819 - 1868)

Translation © by Jim Reilly, Margrét Arnar

Smalastúlkan

Language: Icelandic (Íslenska)

Our translations: ENG

Yngismey eina sá
ég, þar sem falla blá
gil úr háhlíð;
léttfætt um leiti' og börð,
lautir og fjallaskörð                                                                
smalar og hóar hjörð
hringa lind fríð.

Um herðar líðast ljóst
lokkasafn, meyjar brjóst
sælleg að sjá;
augun til ásta snör 
og mjúk til kossa vör,
höndin svo hvít,
sem gjör hreinum af snjá.

Segðu það brúnablá
brúður, hvað skal sá fá,
féð þitt semm fann?
Allþreyttur er hann hér,
ærnar sem sat með þér;
verðung það virðist mér
vel þú kysstir hann.

Text Authorship:

by Jón Thoroddsen (1819 - 1868) [author's text not yet checked 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 Emil Thoroddsen (1898 - 1944), "Smalastúlkan", from Sönglög úr sjönleiknum Piltur og Stúlka, no. 4. [
text verified 1 time
]

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

ENG English (Jim Reilly) (Margrét Arnar) , title 1: "The shepherdess", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Jim Reilly

This text was added to the website: 2005-12-08
Line count: 21
Word count: 82

The shepherdess

Language: English after the Icelandic (Íslenska)

Once I saw a young maid
there where the blue ghylls (ravines)
score the mountain side;
nimble and light of foot
she goes over hill and dale
gathering her scattered flock
so sweet a maid.

Golden hair gently falls
down to her bosom fair
so sweet to see;
love quickens in her eyes
and soft mouth made for kissing,
her hands so white
as if made of new-fallen snow.

Tell me, my blue-eyed maid
what will you give to him
who found your sheep?
He is weary and tired
watching the flock all day;
surely you'll give him
a kiss for his pains.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Icelandic (Íslenska) to English copyright © 2005 by Jim Reilly and Margrét Arnar, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Margrét Arnar. Contact: cons-is-mn (AT) webtv (DOT) net
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Icelandic (Íslenska) by Jón Thoroddsen (1819 - 1868)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2005-12-08
Line count: 21
Word count: 103