{"id":2758,"date":"2021-05-31T22:53:42","date_gmt":"2021-05-31T22:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/?p=2758"},"modified":"2021-05-31T23:04:58","modified_gmt":"2021-05-31T23:04:58","slug":"summer-nights-in-norway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/summer-nights-in-norway\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Nights in Norway"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>; no copyright.)<\/p><\/div>\n

Gratulerer med vel overst\u00e5tt! <\/strong>(Congratulations with a \u201dwell passed\u201d [birthday]!) This belated greeting \u2013 a handy Norwegian lifeline for forgetful people \u2013 will have to do for all you fans of Norway in 2021. Due to technicalities, I was unable to wish you gratulerer med dagen<\/strong> (happy constitution<\/a> day) on May 17th<\/span>. Beklager tradisjonsbruddet! <\/strong>(Sorry for the break with tradition!)<\/p>\n

Here at the end of May Norway is at its most beautiful. My phone is brimming with shared blinkskudd <\/strong>(perfect shots = photos) of sunkissed mountain slopes and blooming apple trees. Temperatures are high, and the bravest \u201dVikings\u201d have been taking a swim in the green fjords. Without corona restrictions, tourists would be flocking to Norway right now.<\/p>\n

Som<\/strong> et lite plaster p\u00e5 s\u00e5ret<\/strong> (By way of consolation, literally \u201das a small plaster on the wound\u201d) I\u2019d like to share a beautiful, short vise<\/strong> [veeceh] (ballad, song) with you. \u201dVi skal ikkje sova bort sumarnatta\u201d<\/strong> (We Shouldn\u2019t Sleep Away the Summer Night) perfectly captures the feeling of a warm Norwegian summer, I think. The lyricist Aslaug L\u00e5stad Lygre wrote the original poem in Nynorsk<\/strong> Norwegian<\/a>, but with a little help I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll understand the meaning. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Vi skal ikkje sova bort sumarnatta1<\/a><\/sup>sommernatta<\/span>,<\/strong><\/p>\n

ho2<\/a><\/sup>hun<\/span> er for ljos3<\/a><\/sup>lys<\/span> til det.<\/strong><\/p>\n

D\u00e5 skal vi vandra i saman4<\/a><\/sup>i saman = sammen<\/span> ute,<\/strong><\/p>\n

under dei lauvtunge tre5<\/a><\/sup>de l\u00f8vtunge tr\u00e6r<\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We shouldn\u2019t sleep away the summer night,<\/em><\/p>\n

she\u2019s too bright for that.<\/em><\/p>\n

Then we\u2019ll wander together outside,<\/em><\/p>\n

below the trees heavy with leaves.<\/em><\/p>\n

D\u00e5 skal vi vandra i saman ute,<\/strong><\/p>\n

der blomar6<\/a><\/sup>blomster<\/span> i graset st\u00e5r.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vi skal ikkje sova bort sumarnatta,<\/strong><\/p>\n

som kruser med dogg v\u00e5rt h\u00e5r.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then we\u2019ll wander together outside,<\/em><\/p>\n

where flowers stand in the grass.<\/em><\/p>\n

We shouldn’t sleep away the summer night<\/em><\/p>\n

that frizzles our hair with dew.<\/em><\/p>\n

Vi skal ikkje sova fr\u00e5 h\u00f8ys\u00e5teangen7<\/a><\/sup>h\u00f8ys\u00e5te = haycock; ange = fragrance<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

og grashoppespelet8<\/a><\/sup>gresshoppespillet<\/span> i eng,<\/strong><\/p>\n

men vandra i lag under bleikbl\u00e5 himlen<\/strong><\/p>\n

til fuglane lyfter veng9<\/a><\/sup>vinge<\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We shouldn\u2019t sleep from the smell of fresh cut hay<\/em><\/p>\n

and the grasshopper\u2019s play in the meadow,<\/em><\/p>\n

but we should wander together below the pale blue sky<\/em><\/p>\n

until the birds will lift their wing(s).<\/em><\/p>\n

Og kjenna at vi er i slekt med jorda,<\/strong><\/p>\n

med vinden og kvite10<\/a><\/sup>hvite<\/span> sky,<\/strong><\/p>\n

og vita at vi skal vera11<\/a><\/sup>v\u00e6re<\/span> i saman<\/strong><\/p>\n

like til morgongry12<\/a><\/sup>morgengry<\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And feel we are related to the earth,<\/em><\/p>\n

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

and know that we\u2019ll be together<\/em><\/p>\n

all the way till daybreak.<\/em><\/p>\n