Text & Translation
Törnet
English source:
Johan Ludvig Runeberg
Svept i vinterns is, försmås du,
Höljd af taggar, hatas du.
Men jag tänker: kommer våren,
Slår du ut i blad och rosor,
Och en växt fins ej på jorden,
Ljuf och älskad såsom du.
O, hur mången törnestängel
Står ej naken i naturen,
Som behöfde kärlek blott,
Blott en solblick af ett hjerta,
För att kläda sig i rosor
Och hvart väsens glädje bli!
The Brier Rose
English translation ©
Maria Forsström
Wrapped in the Winter's ice you are rejected,
Shrouded in thorns you are despised.
But I think: come Spring,
And you blossom with leaves and roses
And a plant is nowhere on Earth,
Sweet and loved as you.
O, how many a brier-rose
Stands naked in Nature,
That only needed love,
Only a sun-gaze from a heart,
To wrap itself in roses
And become the joy of each being!
Törnet
English source:
Johan Ludvig Runeberg
The Brier Rose
English source:
Maria Forsström
Törne, du min syskonplanta,
Brier-rose, you my sibling plant,
Svept i vinterns is, försmås du,
Wrapped in the Winter's ice you are rejected,
Höljd af taggar, hatas du.
Shrouded in thorns you are despised.
Men jag tänker: kommer våren,
But I think: come Spring,
Slår du ut i blad och rosor,
And you blossom with leaves and roses
Och en växt fins ej på jorden,
And a plant is nowhere on Earth,
Ljuf och älskad såsom du.
Sweet and loved as you.
O, hur mången törnestängel
O, how many a brier-rose
Står ej naken i naturen,
Stands naked in Nature,
Som behöfde kärlek blott,
That only needed love,
Blott en solblick af ett hjerta,
Only a sun-gaze from a heart,
För att kläda sig i rosor
To wrap itself in roses
Och hvart väsens glädje bli!
And become the joy of each being!
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…
