Can You Help with a Norwegian Song?
Clay wrote:
Hi: My name is Clay and I live in Canada. My grandfather decended from Norway. He taught my mother a song when she was little and we are trying to find the lyrics to the whole song. All I know is jeg ere sa glad til yewl kevll. I don’t know how to spell in Norwegian, so I’m not sure if this makes any sense at all. If it does, I would sure appreciate it if you could send me the words to this song.
Thank-you
If anyone can help, please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
January 18th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
It is a Christmas song. We are so glad on Christmas Day. I don’t know all the words right now.
January 20th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
The words in norwegian are:
Jeg er så glad hver julekveld, for da ble Jesus født.
Da lyste stjernen som en sol, og engler sang så søtt.
Det lille barn i Betleham, han var en konge stor
som kom fra himlens høye slott, ned til vår arme jord.
Nå bor had høyt i himmelrik, han er Gud’s egen sønn,
men husker alltid på de små og h°rer deres bønn.
Jeg er så glad hver julekveld, da synger vi hans pris.
Da åpner han for alle små sitt søte paradis.
Da tenner moder alle lys, og ingen krok er mørk.
Hun sier stjernen lyste så i hele verdens ørk.
Jeg holder av vår julekveld og av den Herre Krist,
og at han elsker meg igjen, det vet jeg ganske visst.
It is a most beautiful Christmas song!
February 7th, 2007 at 12:26 am
The song is “I am so glad on Christmas Eve, the night of Jesus’s birth, when like the sun the star shone forth, and angels sang on earth. ” It’s a popular Children’s Christmas song, and is in the Lutheran hymnal. The song your grandfather sang was” Jag er sa glade en Jul kvall,” (missing the dots on scandanavian vowels.)I know it as an old Swedish song, so I think it is claimed by all of Scandanavia, too.
February 7th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Thanks for all of your help!
It looks like the name of the song with the accents is Jeg er så glad hver julekveld.
According to this site:
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/non/no/jegersag.htm
It was written by Inger M. Wexelsen (1832-1911) in 1859.
The melody is by Peder Knudsen, and was written in the same year also.
Here’s the midi tune from the same site:
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/mid/c/h/r/christmas_eve.mid
Here you can find the sheet music
If anyone can provide a full English translation of this song, that would be great!
Thanks!
Lisa
February 19th, 2007 at 8:57 am
Thanks very much Lisa, and all the responses. My mother will be so happy to see these words. I’m sure it will allcome back to her then.
Thanks again, Clay Schwartz
December 13th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
This is a very common , and beautiful, Christmas song along with the English translation.
Jeg er så glad hver julekveld,
for da ble Jesus født,
da lyste stjernen som en sol,
og engler sang så søtt.
Det lille barn i Betlehem,
han var en konge stor
som kom fra himlens høye slott
ned til vår arme jord.
Nå bor han høyt i himmerik,
han er Guds egen Sønn,
men husker alltis på de små
og hører deres bønn.
Jeg er så glad hver julekveld,
da synger vi hans pris:
da åpner han for alle små
sitt søte paradis.
Da tenner moder alle lys,
så ingen krok er mørk;
hun sier stjernen lyste så
i hele verdens ørk.
Hun sier at den lyser enn
og slukkes aldri ut,
og hvis den skinner på min vei,
da kommer jeg til Gud.
Jeg holder av vår julekveld
og av den herre Krist
og at han elsker meg igjen,
det vet jeg ganske visst.
ENGLISH LYRICS TRANSLATION
1. I am so glad each Christmas Eve,
The night of Jesus’ birth!
Then like the sun the Star shone forth,1
And angels sang on earth.
2. The little Child in Bethlehem,
He was a King indeed!
For He came down from heaven above
To help a world in need.
3. He dwells again in heaven’s realm,
The Son of God today;
And still He loves His little ones
And hears them when they pray.
4. I am so glad on Christmas Eve!
His praises then I sing;
He opens then for every child
The palace of the King.2
5. When mother trims the Christmas tree
Which fills the room with light,
She tells me of the wondrous Star
That made the dark world bright.
6. She says the Star is shining still,
And never will grow dim;
And if it shines upon my way,
It leads me up to Him.
7. And so I love each Christmas Eve
And I love Jesus, too;
And that He loves me every day
I know so well is true.
December 14th, 2007 at 5:49 am
The version and the translation above are from the site linked to in Lisa’s comment. I found a longer version with 9 verses on Wiki
1. Jeg er så glad hver julekveld,
for da ble Jesus født;
da lyste stjernen som en sol,
og engler sang så søtt.
2. Det lille barn i Betlehem,
han var en konge stor
som kom fra himlens høye slott
ned til vår arme jord.
3. Nu bor han høyt i himmelrik,
han er Guds egen sønn,
men husker alltid på de små
og hører deres bønn.
4. Jeg er så glad hver julekveld,
da synger vi hans pris;
da åpner han for alle små
sitt søte paradis.
5. Da tenner moder alle lys,
så ingen krok er mørk.
Hun sier stjernen lyste så
i hele verdens ørk.
6. Hun sier at den lyser enn
og slokner aldri ut,
og hvis den skinner på min vei,
da kommer jeg til Gud.
7. Hun sier at de engler små,
de synger og i dag
om fred og fryd på jorderik
og om Guds velbehag.
8. Å gid jeg kunne synge så,
da ble visst Jesus glad;
ti jeg jo også ble Guds barn
engang i dåpens bad.
9. Jeg holder av vår julekveld
og av den Herre Krist,
og at han elsker meg igjen,
det vet jeg ganske visst.
Could anyone provide a LITERAL translation please?
December 16th, 2007 at 11:00 am
This is a fairly well known Christmas song and is found in the “Lutheran Book of Worship” (published in 1978 and aslo known as “The Green Hymnal”) It is hymn #69
March 1st, 2009 at 6:13 pm
@Monique, in case you’re still there: Well, a LITERAL translation will look like broken English, of course… here is mine – deliberately disregarding English syntax etc. so that you can actually match each couple of Norwegian and English words, thanks to the similar structure of these languages:
1. Jeg er så glad hver julekveld,
for da ble Jesus født;
da lyste stjernen som en sol,
og engler sang så søtt.
I am so glad every Christmas Eve,
because then was Jesus born;
then shone the star like a sun,
and the angels sang so sweet(ly).
2. Det lille barn i Betlehem,
han var en konge stor
som kom fra himlens høye slott
ned til vår arme jord.
The small (”little”) child of Bethlehem,
he was a great king (lit. “king great”)
who came from Heaven’s high castle
down to our poor Earth.
3. Nu bor han høyt i himmelrik,
han er Guds egen sønn,
men husker alltid på de små
og hører deres bønn.
Now lives he high in the heavenly kingdom,
he is God’s own son,
but loves always the small (ones)
and hears their prayer.
4. Jeg er så glad hver julekveld,
da synger vi hans pris;
da åpner han for alle små
sitt søte paradis.
I am so glad every Christmas Eve,
then sing we his praise;
then opens he for all small ones
his sweet Paradise.
5. Da tenner moder alle lys,
så ingen krok er mørk.
Hun sier stjernen lyste så
i hele verdens ørk.
Then turns on mother all the lights,
so no corner is dark (”murky”).
She says the star shone so
(illuminating) all the world’s darkness.
6. Hun sier at den lyser enn
og slokner aldri ut,
og hvis den skinner på min vei,
da kommer jeg til Gud.
She says that it shines still
and turns never off,
and when (i.e. as long as) its shines on my way
then come I to God.
7. Hun sier at de engler små,
de synger og i dag
om fred og fryd på jorderik
og om Guds velbehag.
She says that the small angels
they sing also today
for peace and joy on the Earthly kingdom
and for God’s pleasure.
8. Å gid jeg kunne synge så,
da ble visst Jesus glad;
ti jeg jo også ble Guds barn
engang i dåpens bad.
Oh if only I can sing so,
then is surely Jesus glad;
indeed I’d also remain God’s child
even (just like) in Baptism’s bath.
9. Jeg holder av vår julekveld
og av den Herre Krist,
og at han elsker meg igjen,
det vet jeg ganske visst.
I believe (=”hold” for true) our Christmas
and the Lord Christ,
and that he loves me in turn,
that know I quite for sure.
March 1st, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Thanks Marco! This is exactly the sort of translation that I need! People out there will understand and I can start from it to translate it into other languages.
May 9th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Maria Arrendondo sings “Jeg er så glad hver julekveld”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhM9MWzp5LQ