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Can Anyone Help with a Norwegian Rhyme with the Line, “Kan du gleme gammel Norge”?

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

David Russett wrote:

I’m trying to find the words to a Norwegian rhyme or song. The only part I know goes something like:

Kan du gleme gammel Norge?
O vey! Ya, ya, gleme kan!

Or it may be:

Kan du huske gammel Norge?
Ove! Ya, Ya, huske kan!

Does anyone know the rest of this little rhyme? Some of the old Norwegians when I was a kid knew this and would recite it. I know there is much more to it that those two lines.

If anyone can help David with the Norwegian words and/or an English translation to this song, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Children's Songs, Norwegian Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions | 2 Comments »

Lyrics to the Norwegian Birthday Song with an English Translation and YouTube Videos

Sunday, April 19th, 2009

Here are lyrics to the Norwegian Birthday song “Hurra for deg som fyller ditt år!” (Hurray for You for Celebrating Your Birthday). It’s a birthday song written by Margrethe Aabel Munthe (1860 – 1931):

Hurra for deg som fyller ditt år!
(Norwegian)

Hurra for deg som fyller ditt år!
Ja, deg vil vi gratulere!
Alle i ring omkring deg vi står,
og se, nå vil vi marsjere,
bukke, nikke, neie, snu oss omkring,
danse så for deg med hopp og sprett og spring,
ønske deg av hjertet alle gode ting
og si meg så, hva vil du mere? Gratulere!

Høyt våre flagg vi svinger. Hurra!
Ja, nå vil vi riktig feste!
Dagen er din, og dagen er bra,
men du er den aller beste!
Se deg om i ringen hvem du vil ta!
Dans en liten dans med den du helst vil ha!
Vi vil alle sammen svinge oss så gla’
og en av oss skal bli den neste – til å feste!

Here’s an English translation I came up with…

Hurray for You for Celebrating Your Birthday!

Hurray for you for celebrating your birthday!
Yes, we congratulate you!
We all stand around you in a ring,
And look, now we’ll march,
Bow, nod, curtsy, we turn around,
Dance for you and hop and skip and jump!
Wishing you from the heart all good things!
And tell me, what more could you want? Congratulations!

We wave our flags up high! Hurray!
Yes now we’ll really celebrate!
The day is yours, the day is great,
But you’re the best!
Look in the ring who you want to choose!
Dance a little dance with who you want to!
We’ll all turn around together so joyfully,
And one of us shall be the next – to celebrate!

Here you can hear the first verse (which is how it’s traditionally sung)…

Here’s a video with both verses mentioned above, plus extra verses after that, and it shows the actions you can do with the song.

If anyone could provide any info about the extra lyrics that would be great! But note that they don’t seem to be part of the original lyrics by Margrethe Aabel Munthe. Just the first two verses are. Most people know the first verse. Some know the two above. I don’t think many are familiar with more than that!

Happy Birthday Everyone!

Love, Mama Lisa

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Posted in Birthday Songs, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Customs, English, Holiday Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Children's Songs, YouTube | 2 Comments »

Can Someone Help with a Norwegian Lullaby?

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

Janice wrote:

My grandmother used to sing me a Norwegian song that sounded like this:

Kishey louie barnay
Glueten stewie yarnay

I remember that it meant “Rock-a-bye my baby, put her in the kettle”, but of course my mom says that’s not true!

Do you have any idea what the song was or what the translation would be?

Thanks,

Janice

If anyone can help out with the lyrics to this Norwegian lullaby and/or an English translation, please comment below.

Thanks in advance!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Lullabies, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Children's Songs, Questions, Readers Questions | 6 Comments »

Can Someone Help with a Norwegian Song about a Horse with the Line, “Stodola Pumpa”?

Saturday, April 26th, 2008

Jeanette wrote me…

Good Evening;

My husband’s Grandmother was from Norway and she used to sing a song to him as a little boy about a poor man’s horse, a rich man’s horse, a soldier’s horse etc. My children and Grandchildren only remember the chorus – and only phonetically as they remember my husband (who is now deceased) singing it to them as he gave them a horsey ride on his knee.

The chorus sounded like this to them:

Stoldala, stodola, stodola pumpa,
Stodola pumpa,
Stodola pumpa,
Stoldala, stodola, stodola pumpa,
Stodola pum, pum, pum, pum, pum.

I hope you can help me find it for them.

A Grandmother,
Jeanette

If anyone can help Jeanette with this song, please comment below.

Thanks in advance!

Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Mama Lisa, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Children's Songs, Questions, Readers Questions | 9 Comments »

Can Anyone Help with the Lyrics to a Norwegian Christmas Song called “Christmas Bells”?

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

Ed wrote:

Lisa,

I sing in a choral club which is sponsored by Travelers Insurance, in Hartford, Connecticut. It is the oldest company sponsored choral club in the country. This Christmas we are doing a piece called Christmas Bells, which is a Norwegian Folk Carol. I am wondering if you posted the lyrics and midi of this piece someone might recognize it and provide the Norwegian words to it. I have no idea if the English words are a translation of the original or the lyricist just came up with words that matched the tune. The tune however, is quite nice and would be a very good children’s song.

Thanks

Ed

Here are the lyrics Ed sent me:

Christmas Bells

Christmas is coming and sleigh bells are jingling and
Faces are tingling in frost and in snow
Riding along with the reindeer together in
Cold frosty weather we sing as we go.

See! The lights of the home are glowing;
Warmth and welcome clear they’re showing.

Journey’s end comes soon in sight, with the sleigh bells
A jingle in the bright starry night.

Listen to the midi tune of Christmas Bells

If anyone can help with the Norwegian lyrics to this song, please comment below or email me.

Thanks!

Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Christmas, Christmas Songs, Countries & Cultures, Holiday Songs, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Music, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Children's Songs, Questions, Readers Questions, Sheet Music | 4 Comments »

Can You Help with a Norwegian Song?

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

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

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Children's Songs, Questions, Readers Questions | 11 Comments »

Free Online Language Dictionaries

Friday, December 22nd, 2006

While I have this link at hand, I’d like to recommend www.freedict.com. It’s a site devoted to free online language dictionaries. You can translate between English and the following languages:

Afrikaans
Danish
Dutch
Finnish
French
Hungarian
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Latin
Norwegian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Swahili
Swedish

I find that it can usually succeed at translating the words I need.

Feel free to recommend other language dictionaries that you like in the comments below.

-Lisa

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Posted in Argentina, Australia, Bahasa Indonesia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Countries & Cultures, Danish, Denmark, Dutch, English, Finland, Finnish, France, French, Great Britain, Holland, Hungarian, Hungary, Indonesia, Italian, Italy, Japan, Japanese, Kenya, Language Dictionaries, Languages, Languages, Latin, Learning, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Norwegian, Online Dictionaries, Portugal, Portuguese, Recommendations, Russia, Russian, Spain, Spanish, Swahili, Sweden, Swedish, USA | 1 Comment »

The Origins of Some Scandinavian Toe Naming Rhymes

Wednesday, December 13th, 2006

Julie and Beth wrote looking for the origins of two Scandinavian rhymes that are played with little kids while touching their toes. We’re wondering if anyone’s ever heard of these rhymes and perhaps knows what country they’re from and/or anything else about their origins. Here’s what Julie wrote:

I have been searching for the origin of a nursery rhyme that my friend said to her kids. The child has his/her shoes off and starting with the little toe, she names the toes:

Little Pea (little toe)
Peter Lou (next toe)
Oosey Nossey (next toe)
Toosey tossey (next toe)
And a Great Big Oppososso (big toe)

I am not sure of the spelling. However, the University of Wisconsin Children’s Library assures me that this toe rhyme has Scandinavian roots. They said: Scandinavia is known for naming toe rhymes.

Please help me, I have been searching the origin of this toe playing game for years with my friend’s blessing. My friend is Scandinavian and she doesn’t remember where she heard this toe playing game. I assume that she heard it as a child.

Julie

Beth Bookschlepper wrote in looking for the origin of a similar rhyme:

I know this as…

Little Pea,
Penny Rou,
Judy Whistle,
Mary Tossle,
And Big Tom Bumble.

I am also interested in its origins.

If anyone can help, or would like to share other similar rhymes, please comment below.

Thanks!

Lisa

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Danish, Danish Nursery Rhymes, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Icelandic, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Rhymes by Theme, Sweden, Swedish, Swedish Nursery Rhymes, Toe Naming Rhymes | 59 Comments »

Questions about Norwegian Songs/Rhymes “Comin a man” and “Panneben”

Sunday, May 7th, 2006

Jennifer wrote…

My mom’s Norwegian father taught her two little ditties and I would love to know if we have them correct and what the correct spelling is. I’m going to spell phonetically…

Comin a man
Loppin a stoppin
Ca-sis ta-baggin
ta-bick-en ta-boose (tickle, tickle)

and

Panabene (point to forehead)
Oyestene (point to eyes)
Nasatip (point to nose)
Monalip (point to lip)
Hagafip (point to chin)
(tickle under chin

Thank you! Jennifer – granddaughter of Tobias Trygsland

Please comment below if you can help Jennifer.

Thanks!

Lisa

Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World Norway Page for Norwegian songs and rhymes.

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes, Questions | 15 Comments »

Looking for the Norwegian Version of the “Rita Rita Runkin” Poem

Sunday, May 7th, 2006

I received this email today about Rita Rita Runkin…

I too am looking for the correct spelling and words for Rita Rita Runkin in Norwegian. I understand it to read this way in English…

Ride Ride the Runkin horse
To the millers house….

I don’t know the next lines except that it is about a kittapus (cat) and it goes MEOW.

Please let me know if anyone can help…

I need it for Mothers’ Day! I’d be happy to find the words after that too, of course!

R. BERG

Please comment below if you can help.

Thanks!

Lisa

P.S. Check out a previous post and comments about Rita Rita Runkin.

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Questions, Rhea Rhea Runkin | 6 Comments »

The lyrics to “Humpty Dumpty” and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in Norwegian

Tuesday, March 7th, 2006

Martine was nice enough to write me, sending the words to Humpty Dumpty in English and Norwegian for everyone who’s interested…

Humpty Dumpty
(English)

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses
And all the king’s men,
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Lille Trille
(Norwegian)

Lille Trille
satt på hylle.
Lille Trille
ramlet ned.
Ingen mann i dette land
Lille Trille bøte kan.

Later, Martine sent the lyrics to Row, Row, Row Your Boat in English and Norwegian…

Row, Row, Row Your Boat
(English)

Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily.
Life is but a dream!

Ro, ro, ro din båt
(Norwegian)

Ro, ro, ro din båt.
Ta din åre fatt.
Vuggende, vuggende, vuggende, vuggende
over Kattegatt.

Many thanks to Martine for sending the Norwegian versions of Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Humpty Dumpty.

Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World Norway Page for more Norwegian Songs and Rhymes.

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Lille Trille - Humpty Dumpty, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Children's Songs, Ro, ro, ro din båt - Row Your Boat | No Comments »

St. Knut’s Day means it’s time to Have a Party and Throw out your Christmas Tree!

Thursday, January 12th, 2006

St. Knut’s Day is a holiday celebrated in Sweden, Finland and Norway, on January 13th. The day is called Tjugondag Knut in Sweden, which means 20th day Knut. In Norway it’s called Tyvendedagen, which I believe, is 20th day.

On St. Knut’s Day, they say they “plunder” the Christmas tree. If there are edible ornaments on the tree, they eat them. If there weren’t any on the tree, sometimes they’ll put them there for the kids to take off and eat. It’s an incentive to take off all the other decorations and get rid of the tree. Then kids dance around the tree singing.

In Sweden they sing…

Tjugondag Knut dansas julen ut. (Swedish)

Knut’s 20th day (St. Knut’s Day) dances Christmas away. (English)

Sometimes it’ll be longer…

På Tjugondag Knut dansas julen ut och då plundras och kasseras granen. (Swedish)

At St. Knut’s day, dance Christmas away and then plunder and scrap the spruce tree. (English)

After which, they either throw out the tree, or chop it up and use it as fire wood.

In Norway, they say a similar rhyme…

Sante Knut og jaga jula ut. (Norwegian)

St. Knut chases Christmas away. (English)

Sometimes there are also carnivals for St. Knut’s day.

***

A little history behind the holiday…

King Canute (circa 994 – 1035) was a Viking who was also known as Knut and Knud. He was king of England, Denmark, and for a while Norway and part of Sweden.

Early on, when he took over England, he was merciless to prisoners, he cut off their noses, ears and hands. Later, he repented for what he had done. To make up for his cruelty, he joined the church and tried to create peace and justice in his land. Under his rule, there was peace for 18 years. (Although, he may have been responsible for some political murders. )

One of the laws he made, while he was king, was that the Christmas season would last 20 days, and that no one should fast during that time. Thus the holiday season would end on January 13th. That’s the day that’s come to be known as St. Knut’s Day.

***

If anyone knows any other St. Knut’s Day songs, rhymes or traditions, please comment below.

Happy St. Knut’s Day!

Lisa

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Denmark, Finland, Holiday Songs, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Nursery Rhymes, St. Knut's Day - Tjugondag Knut, St. Knut's Day Songs, Sweden, Swedish, Swedish Children's Songs, Swedish Nursery Rhymes | 5 Comments »

Question about the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian Nursery Rhyme “Ride Ride Ranke”

Saturday, December 31st, 2005

Pamela wrote me about a rhyme that I’ve been asked about many times. Here’s what she wrote…

Hello,

I am interested in finding a nursery rhyme in the Danish language which I learned as a child and have passed on to my children as well. I hope you can help me locate this rhyme. It is about an alligator or crocodile sneaking up on someone sitting on a log at the edge of a lake. I am probably not remembering the Danish words correctly, and I don’t speak Danish at all, but it sounds something like this:

A rita, rita, runkin
Demile hans hoose,
Devoon yemoon
Kot on a moose
On little wahoon
Syin on a bankin
Slick upon a slick a sow
Woof! Woof! Woof!

I have probably completely ruined the rhyme with my bad memory, but I am very interested in learning it correctly. The Woof! Woof! Woof! Part is where the alligator eats the person.

Thank you!

If anyone knows this rhyme, many people out there would be grateful for the corrrect words. Please comment below or email me with the correct version!

Thanks!

Lisa

UPDATE: I posted one Swedish version of Rida rida ranka on my Swedish Song Pages, one Danish version of Rida rida ranke, and 2 Norwegian Versions of Rida rida ranke on Mama Lisa’s World’s Norway pages.

More versions in the comments below…

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Danish, Danish Children's Songs, Danish Nursery Rhymes, Denmark, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Children's Songs, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Rhea Rhea Runkin, Sweden, Swedish, Swedish Children's Songs, Swedish Nursery Rhymes | 76 Comments »

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Archive for the 'Norwegian' Category

Contents

Posts

Can Anyone Help with a Norwegian Rhyme with the Line, “Kan du gleme gammel Norge”?

Lyrics to the Norwegian Birthday Song with an English Translation and YouTube Videos

Can Someone Help with a Norwegian Lullaby?

Can Someone Help with a Norwegian Song about a Horse with the Line, “Stodola Pumpa”?

Can Anyone Help with the Lyrics to a Norwegian Christmas Song called “Christmas Bells”?

Can You Help with a Norwegian Song?

Free Online Language Dictionaries

The Origins of Some Scandinavian Toe Naming Rhymes

Questions about Norwegian Songs/Rhymes “Comin a man” and “Panneben”

Looking for the Norwegian Version of the “Rita Rita Runkin” Poem

The lyrics to “Humpty Dumpty” and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in Norwegian

St. Knut’s Day means it’s time to Have a Party and Throw out your Christmas Tree!

Question about the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian Nursery Rhyme “Ride Ride Ranke”