{"id":1398,"date":"2012-05-17T08:36:12","date_gmt":"2012-05-17T08:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/?p=1398"},"modified":"2014-08-22T18:14:12","modified_gmt":"2014-08-22T18:14:12","slug":"norway-in-red-white-and-blue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/norway-in-red-white-and-blue\/","title":{"rendered":"Norway in red, white and blue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today is syttende mai<\/strong>, the day when people all over Norway put on their best clothes (and smil<\/strong> \ud83d\ude42 ), pick a hand-held flagg<\/strong> and gather in the streets to celebrate the Norwegian constitution, which was signed on May 17th, 1814 (and formally ended the union with Denmark<\/a>). As Kari wrote,<\/a> \u201dthe whole country of Norway is full of parades, music, food, and national costume\u201d.<\/p>\n

One of the most important parts of walking in a syttende mai-tog<\/strong> (May 17th parade) is \u2013 singing! As the tog<\/strong> proceed throughout the cities, towns and villages of Norway, there are few moments without music. Schoolchildren and other paraders form a marching chorus, singing songs about Norway and freedom while the local brass band plays along on trumpets, trombones, tubas and trommer<\/strong> (drums).<\/p>\n

As you already know the Norwegian national anthem,<\/a> I\u2019ll give you the first verse of another popular song, Norge i r\u00f8dt, hvitt og bl\u00e5tt<\/strong> \u2013 \u201dNorway in red, white and blue\u201d. Norwegian nature words are not always possible to translate directly (mo<\/strong> means something like \u201da sandy plain at a brook or river\u201d), but let\u2019s try:<\/span><\/p>\n

Hvor hen du g\u00e5r i li og fjell,<\/strong><\/p>\n

where(ever) you walk in slopes and mountains\/highland,<\/em><\/p>\n

en vinterdag, en sommerkveld,<\/strong><\/p>\n

a winter\u2019s day, a summer\u2019s day,<\/em><\/p>\n

ved fjord og fossevell,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

at the fjord and (mighty) waterfall,<\/em><\/p>\n

fra eng og mo med furutr\u00e6r,<\/strong><\/p>\n

from meadow and plain with fir trees,<\/em><\/p>\n

fra havets bryn med fiskerv\u00e6r<\/strong><\/p>\n

from the fringes of the ocean with fishermen\u2019s villages<\/em><\/p>\n

og til de hvite skj\u00e6r,<\/strong><\/p>\n

and to the white reefs,<\/em><\/p>\n

m\u00f8ter du landet i trefarvet drakt,<\/strong><\/p>\n

you meet the country in three-coloured dress,<\/em><\/p>\n

sv\u00f8pt i et gjenskinn av flaggets farveprakt.<\/strong><\/p>\n

wrapped in a reflection of the glowing colours of the flag.<\/em><\/p>\n

Se, en hvitstammet bjerk oppi heien<\/strong><\/p>\n

Look, a white-trunked birch (up) in the moor<\/em><\/p>\n

rammer striper av bl\u00e5klokker inn<\/strong><\/p>\n

is framing stripes of harebells (blue flowers)<\/em><\/p>\n

mot den r\u00f8dmalte stuen ved veien;<\/strong><\/p>\n

against the red-painted cottage at the road;<\/em><\/p>\n

det er flagget som vaier i vind!<\/strong><\/p>\n

that\u2019s the flag flying in the wind!<\/em><\/p>\n

Ja, s\u00e5 hvit som hvite er sneen,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, as white as the white is the snow,<\/em><\/p>\n

og det r\u00f8de har kveldssolen f\u00e5tt,<\/strong><\/p>\n

and the red the evening sun has got,<\/em><\/p>\n

og det bl\u00e5 gav sin farve til breen,<\/strong><\/p>\n

and the blue gave its colour to the glacier,<\/em><\/p>\n

det er Norge i r\u00f8dt, hvitt og bl\u00e5tt.<\/strong><\/p>\n

that\u2019s Norway in red, white and blue.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n