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Långt bort om fjärdens våg, långt bort om fjälets topp du ensam dagen såg och växte ensam opp. Jag saknade ej dig; Jag sökte ej din stråt; jag visste ej en stig, som skulle lett ditåt. Jag kände ej din far, jag kände ej din mor, jag såg ej var du var, jag såg ej vart du for. Liksom den bäck, där rann, för den, som rinner här, vi voro för varann, så länge du var där; Två plantor, mellan dem en äng i blomning står; två fåglar, som fått hem, i skilda lundars snår. O, andra nejders son! vi flög du dädan, säg? O fågel långt ifrån! vem styrde hit din väg? Till hjärtat, som var kallt, säg, hur du lågor bar - Hur kunde du bli allt för den, du intet var?
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804 - 1877), "Hvem styrde hit din väg?" [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 August Engelberg (1817 - 1850), "Vem styrde hit din väg" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Erkki Gustaf Melartin (1875 - 1937), "Hvem styrde hit din väg?", op. 97 no. 5 (1913?) [ voice and piano ], from Fem nya sånger, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Laura Constance Netzel (1839 - 1927), "Hvem styrde hit din väg?", op. 20 (2 Sånger för röst, piano, och violin ) no. 1 [ voice, violin, and piano ], Christiania: Carl Warmuth [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Peterson-Berger (1867 - 1942), "Långt bort om fjärdens våg", c1886 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Filip von Schantz (1835 - 1865), "Hvem styrde hit din väg?", 1864 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957), "Vem styrde hit din väg?", op. 90 (6 sånger (Six Songs)) no. 6 (1917) [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Kyle Gee) , "Who brought you here to me?", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Kuka johdatti tiesi tänne?", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Qui t'a emmené ici ?", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 133
Far beyond the waves of the bay, far beyond the peaks of the mountains, alone you saw the light of day and alone you grew up. I did not miss you, I did not try to find your tracks, I knew of no path that would have led me there. I did not know your father; I did not know your mother; I did not see where you had been, I did not see where you were headed. Like that stream in the distance flowing towards this stream, we were the exact same to each other when you were distant from me. Like two plants separated by a meadow blooming between them, Two birds that have found homes in different nests. Oh, son of another world! Tell me, how then did you fly? Oh, bird from far away! Who brought you here to me? How did you carry these flames to my cold heart? -- How could you become everything to one who thought nothing of you?
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Swedish (Svenska) to English copyright © 2014 by Kyle Gee, (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.
Kyle Gee. Contact: kyleanthonygee (AT) gmail (DOT) com
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in Swedish (Svenska) by Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804 - 1877), "Hvem styrde hit din väg?"
This text was added to the website: 2014-01-09
Line count: 28
Word count: 166