Chorus
About the runic stone in the summer night
The water nymphs play;
The water sounds, the breeze sings,
The moon stands high in the blue heavens.

There is a splashing and laughing, a surging and a diving -
Beings rise and fall like lilies,
Golden hair floats upon the waters,
White limbs shimmer.

Bass Solo
With a beard of rushes, the merman blows
His coiled shell trumpet,
The nymphs dance their winding dance to his blowing,
They are in the best of spirits.

With a giggle, the youngest suddenly cries:

Nymph (Soprano I)
Oh look what I found in the waves!
A shining, beckoning skeleton,
It gleams as brightly as silver.

I bumped against the coral reef with my foot
While I was merrily diving,
There it lay in the branches [of coral], I pulled it out;
Now do tell, what could we do with it?

Queen
What to do with it?  Ha, 'tis a fine find!
Who knows about such things?
The bony thing is bonny and fair,
Let us make a harp out of it.

Come, Rush-Beard, you old musician,
You are well-versed in such things;
I will bestow a swordfish upon you to use as your steed
If you manage to complete the task.

Merman
Give the skeleton to the merman,
He will complete the task with consummate skill,

Chorus
Thanks to the merman!

Merman
From the fingers he makes fine tuning pegs,
From the sternum he fashions the frame.

Chorus
Thanks to the merman!

Merman
Lend, queen, to me some of your golden hair
I will stretch the strands across [the frame] as harp strings;

Now sounds the harp upward and downward;
You waves, cease your roaring,
You wind hold quietly your breath,
And fall asleep while listening!

You seagulls, fly to the shore,
Little goldfish, rise from the depths of the sea;
The very air listens, the sea listens,
Enchanted all about.

Chorus
Enchanted all about,
Hark, hark,
Now the harp resounds upward and downward,
The waves cease their roaring,
The wind quietly holds its breath,
And falls asleep while listening.

The seagull flies to the shore,
Little goldfish rise from the depths of the sea,
The very air listens, the sea listens,
Enchanted all about.

Merman
Enchanted all about.

Chorus
Hark, hark, hark well, hark well,
Enchanted all about,
Hark well, hark well, hark well.