Songs

Näcken

by Jean Sibelius

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Text & Translation

Näcken
Swedish source: Ernst Josephson

Djup stod färgen på fura på sten,
Furor och stenar, de kasta skuggor hän,
I skummande silfver och gull.
Sitter på stenen i skuggans breda famn
Svartlockig gosse så bleknad som en hamn,
Och trefvar med stråke på sträng.

Neckens gullharpa spela opp en dans,
Gigan går efter och misstar all sin sans
För elfkung med silfver i skägg.

Gossen var blott min egen fantasi,
Necken var forsen, som brusade förbi
Och stänkte sitt skum på min kind.

The elfking
English translation © Herbert Harper

Shadows falling on fir tree and on stone,
Fir-trees and stones and shadows dark and lone,
Embroidered with silver and gold.

Quiet on a stone in deepest shadow lost,
Sits there a boy as pallid as a ghost,
and moveth his bow o'er the strings.

Nixie's gold harp a merry dance doth play,
Harpers fast follow, till cometh on his way,
The Elfking grey bearded and old.

My boy was but the spirit of a dream;
Nixie the torment of a mountain stream
That sprinkled its foam on my face.

Näcken
Swedish source: Ernst Josephson

The elfking
English source: Herbert Harper

Djup stod färgen på fura på sten,
Shadows falling on fir tree and on stone,
Furor och stenar, de kasta skuggor hän,
Fir-trees and stones and shadows dark and lone,
I skummande silfver och gull.
Embroidered with silver and gold.
Sitter på stenen i skuggans breda famn

Svartlockig gosse så bleknad som en hamn,
Quiet on a stone in deepest shadow lost,
Och trefvar med stråke på sträng.
Sits there a boy as pallid as a ghost,

Neckens gullharpa spela opp en dans,
Gigan går efter och misstar all sin sans
För elfkung med silfver i skägg.

Gossen var blott min egen fantasi,
Necken var forsen, som brusade förbi
Och stänkte sitt skum på min kind.

Composer

Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer and violinist of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is best known for his set of seven symphonies, but he also composed over a hundred songs for voice and piano, and various pieces inspired by nature…

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