Happy Birthday in Swedish Posted by Marcus Cederström on Jul 26, 2012 in Culture
This blog has been plugging along now for over five years now! Pretty impressive. The blogs fifth birthday was just last month in fact. With that in mind, I think it’s time to take a quick look at singing Happy Birthday in Swedish. Of course, it is not a direct translation, and doesn’t even use the same melody, but that’s what makes it a bit exciting. I’ve included the lyrics below as well as a YouTube clip from the film Sånghatten (there are puppets involved. Puppets with adult human hands. It’s a bit creepy, just be warned.).
The Swedish version of Happy Birthday is called Ja må du leva. And the personal pronoun is generally adapted depending on who youa re singing to. If someone identitifes as a man, then the song will generally be sung as J a å han leva, if someone identifies as a woman, then the song will probably be sung as Ja må hon leva. You get the idea.
So, without further ado, the lyrics to Ja må du leva:
Ja, må han leva!
Ja, må han leva!
Ja, må han leva uti hundrade år!
Javisst ska han leva!
Javisst ska han leva!
Javisst ska han leva uti hundrade år!
In English:
Yes, may he live!
Yes, may he live!
Yes, may he live for a hundred years!
Of course he will live!
Of course he will live!
Of course he will live for a hundred years!
The song usually ends with four repetitions of “Hurra!” And if people are feeling especially adventurours, there is a second verse that is sometimes sung:
Och när han har levat!
Och när han har levat!
Och när han har levat uti hundrade år!
Ja, då ska han skjutas!
Ja, då ska han skjutas!
Ja, då ska han skjutas på en skottkärra fram!
In English:
And when he has lived
And when he has lived
And when he has lived for a hundred years!
Yes, then he will be wheeled
Yes, then he will be wheeled
Yes, then he will be wheeled away in a wheelbarrow!
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About the Author: Marcus Cederström
Marcus Cederström has been writing for the Transparent Swedish Blog since 2009. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Oregon, a Master's Degree in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a PhD in Scandinavian Studies and Folklore from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has taught Swedish for several years and still spells things wrong. So, if you see something, say something.
Comments:
Hauke:
In Denmark there are regional variants of the intonation of the hurras, like e.g. increasing the pitch for the third one. If you use the wrong one it is obvious you are from elsewhere or a different group. Is there something similar in Sweden?
Jerry Olson:
Thank-You Marcus.
Susanna:
Do not forget the last two parts! 🙂
Och när hon har skjutits
Och när hon har skjutits
Och när hon har skjutits på en skottkärra fram!
Ja, då ska hon hängas
Ja, då ska hon hängas
Ja, då ska hon hängas på en häst bak-och-fram!
Och när hon har hängts
Och när hon har hängts
Och när hon har hängts på en häst bak-och-fram!
Ja, då ska hon dränkas
Ja, då ska hon dränkas
Ja, då ska hon dränkas i en flaska champagne!
Linn:
Speaking of which, this interview with Malin Åkerman really annoys me, because she tells Conan two things that aren’t true. The first being that Malin is an old lady’s name and that basically no young people have that name. It’s actually a very common name for young Swedish women and girls. The second is about the birthday song. She says that the song goes “we hope that you live to a hundred and then we’re going to shoot you and put you in a wheelbarrow”. I hope that she knows that’s not the meaning of the song, because otherwise she’s completely missed that “skjuta” can mean both shoot and push.
I don’t know, maybe I’m being overly sensitive (I don’t want my country to be misrepresented yo!), but I find it REALLY annoying when people can’t get stuff straight AND pass that “information” on to other people.
Michael Short:
@Linn loll. I am learning swedish and when I first heard this song I thought skjuta meant shoot but as I learned more it made more sense.
Marcus Cederström:
@Michael Short It does sound strange at first!
Linn:
Good thing I remembered to link to the interview 😛
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sydQUn0RA2I
Hansapelle:
In Holland we sing it like this:
Lang zal ze leven
Lang zal ze leven
Lang zal ze leven in de gloria
In de gloria, in de gloria
Hieperdepiep Hoera (3 times)
Karen:
Thank you for posting the second verse. As an American of Swedish heritage, we always sang the first verse. Birthdays are such a special occasion. We always celebrate the recipient. I would like to honor the parents of the child. Hipp, hipp, hurray, to those who raise wonderful children and keep our traditions alive.
Marcus Cederström:
Great comments, everyone.
Torbjörn Jerlerup:
Well. The second verse is sung because it is a PUN in swedish.
The correct translation is NOT “Yes, then he will be wheeled”.
The correct translation is: Yes, then he will be shot and killed (wheeled).
Because skjutas in swedish means “be shot, killed” and wheeled.
That is what makes the second verse so popular. You sing that he will get shot, he will get shot”, Implying shooting. Then in the final part you write in a wheelbarrow so the reader understands that the meaning was NOt shot, but wheeled.
Marcus Cederström:
@Torbjörn Jerlerup You’re absolutely right, good addition to the discussion! The translation above is a literal one so it doesn’t capture the full meaning.
Peggy Harris:
@Marcus Cederström why on earth would a birthday song be about shooting the birthday person. that’s just weird!
Marcus Cederström:
@Peggy Harris These are the mysteries of the Swedish universe!