Text & Translation
Solveigs Sang (Solveig's Song)
Norwegian source:
Henrik Ibsen
og neste Sommer med, og det hele År,
men engang vil du komme, det ved jeg vist,
og jeg skal nok vente, for det lovte jeg sidst.
Gud styrke dig, hvor du i Verden går,
Gud glæde dig, hvis du for hans Fodskam mel står.
Her skal jeg vente til du kommer igjen;
og venter du hist oppe, vi træffes der, min Ven!
The winter may pass and the spring disappear
English translation ©
E. M. Smyth
the summer too will vanish and then the year.
But this I know for certain: thou’lt come back again;
And e’en as I promised, thou’lt find me waiting then.
God help thee, when wand’ring thy way all alone,
God grant thee his strength as thou kneel’st at his throne.
If thou now art waiting in heav’n for me,
O there we’ll meet again love and never parted be!
© 2014 Naxos
Reproduced by kind permission.
Solveigs Sang (Solveig's Song)
Norwegian source:
Henrik Ibsen
The winter may pass and the spring disappear
English source:
E. M. Smyth
Kanske vil der gå både Vinter og Vår,
The winter may pass and the spring disappear,
og neste Sommer med, og det hele År,
the summer too will vanish and then the year.
men engang vil du komme, det ved jeg vist,
But this I know for certain: thou’lt come back again;
og jeg skal nok vente, for det lovte jeg sidst.
And e’en as I promised, thou’lt find me waiting then.
Gud styrke dig, hvor du i Verden går,
God help thee, when wand’ring thy way all alone,
Gud glæde dig, hvis du for hans Fodskam mel står.
God grant thee his strength as thou kneel’st at his throne.
Her skal jeg vente til du kommer igjen;
If thou now art waiting in heav’n for me,
og venter du hist oppe, vi træffes der, min Ven!
O there we’ll meet again love and never parted be!
Composer
Poet
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential…