Expert: Roy Helge Rasmussen - 4/30/2007

Question
I saw that you translated the first and third verses of the song Vaaren by Greig.  I need a word by word translation of the second verse.  Can you help me?  I really appreciate it.

This is the second verse:
Saagiddren endaa meg unntest at sjaa
paa Vaarbakken dansa.
Fivreld at floksa og fjuka ifraa,
der Blomar seg kransa.
Alt dette Vaarliv eg atter fekk sjaa,
som sidan eg miste.
Men eg er tungsam og spyrja meg maa;
tru det er det siste?
Lat det sa vera. Eg mykit av vænt
i Livet fekk njota.
Meire eg fekk enn eg hadde fortent,
og Alting maa trjota.  

Answer
I can do even better, I can translate the second and third verse, in addition to the first and fourth that I allready did:

http://no.wikisource.org/wiki/Vaaren


1)
Enno ein Gong
Yet on time

fekk eg Vetren å sjå
Given (was) I winter to behold

for Våren å røma;
for spring to flee; (as it was fleeing from spring)


Heggen med Tre som der Blomar var på,
Bird Cherries with trees that had flowers on,

eg atter såg bløma.
I again saw blooming.

Enno ein Gong fekk eg Isen å sjå
Yet one time given (was) I Ice to behold

frå Landet å fljota,
(away) from land to float.

Snjoen å bråna og Fossen i Å
Snow to melt, and waterfall in river

at fyssa og brjota.
to flow and break.

Graset det grøne eg enno ein Gong
The grass, the green, I yet one time

fekk skoda med Blomar;
could watch with flowers;

enno eg høyrde at Vårfuglen song
yet (one more time) I heard that the Spring-bird sang

mot Sol og mot Sumar.
towards Sun and towards Summer


2)
enno ein Gong ut paa Aakren eg gjekk,
Yet one (more) time out onto (the) fields I walked,

der Plogen dei kjøyrde.
where(there) (the) plow they ran. (the field was plowed)

Enno ein Gong fekk eg skoda meg varm
Yet one (more) time given (was) I (to) watch myself warm

paa Lufti og Engi;
on (the) air and (the) fields;

Jordi at sjaa som med lengtande Barm
Earth to behold as with longing bosom

at sukka i Sængi.
to sigh in bed (furrows/beds).

Vaarsky at leika der til og ifraa,
Springcloud to play there to and from,

og Skybankar krulla,
and cloudbanks curl,

so ut av Banken tok Tora til slaa
then out of (the) bank took thunder to strike, (Lighting was striking out of the cloudbanks)

og kralla og rulla.
and boom and roll. (the thunder was booming and rolling)

Saagiddren endaa meg unntest at sjaa
Seed-mist yet (one more time) (was) allowed me to behold
     Saa-giddr - Old norse, Giddr: jumping up and down, curling around.
     Better direct translation: seed-curl, springtime miste curling over the fields.

paa Vaarbakken dansa.
on spring-ground (to) dance.


3)
Fivreld at floksa og fjuka ifraa,
Butterflies to flap and scuttle from (and to),

der Blomar seg kransa.
where flowers themselves (grow) framing {the subject}.

Alt dette Vaarliv eg atter fekk sjaa,
All this spring-life I again [was given] (to) behold,

som sidan eg miste.
that later I lost.

Men eg er tungsam og spyrja meg maa:
But I am slow-of-mind and ask myself must:

tru det er det siste?
(do I) think it is the last?

Lat det so vera: Eg myket av Vænt
Let it so be: I lots of beauty

i Livet fekk njota.
in life (was) given (to) enjoy.

Meire eg fekk en eg havde fortent,
More I (was) given than I had deserved,

og Alting maa trjota.
and all must end.


4)
Eingong eg sjølv i den vårlege Eim,
Once I myself in the spring-like scent,

som mettar mit Auga,
that satisfies my eye,

eingong eg der vil meg finna ein Heim
Once I there will (for) myself find a Home

og symjande lauga.
and swimming bathe. (å lauga = to take a bath (old norse) Also saturday= lørdag = laugardag = bathing-day)


Alt det, som Våren imøte meg bar
All that, that spring towards me carried

og Blomen, eg plukkad',
and the flower, I picked.

Federnes Ånder eg trudde det var,
Father's spirits I thought it was,

som dansad og sukkad',
that danced and moaned.


Derfor eg fann millom Bjørkar og Bar
Therefore I found between Birches and coniferous branches
   bar = granbar = fresh branches of spruce with all the green still on.

   
i Våren ei Gåta;
in spring a riddle;

derfor det Ljod i den Fløyta eg skar,
therefore the sound in the flute I carved,

meg tyktes at gråta.
(for) me appeared to cry.