Leslie wrote:
My grandmother is dying of cancer. When I was little she used to sing a Swedish lullaby to me about a little bird and sweet milk. It goes something like this:
Tsat tun lit and forglit and paratntray…
quilint and vockor lisit…….spornot mot, ….reset…sit and milk made sovary
silk and sank till savory…daiska lilla …mot
por into por reseMy mom has asked me to track this down so we can sing it to her. She may not have long to live…days.
Please help me if you can. Does anyone know what this song is?
Much love!
Lesley
If anyone can help Leslie, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks so much!
Mama Lisa
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May 26th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I’m swedish, and I can only find two Swedish words in there, but the rest doesn’t resemble any word I can think of… sorry, but it makes no sense to me.
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
This is from an online acquaintance, so I don’t know what it says, but I hope it helps:
Sov gott, vackra delfin
Sov gott, jag vita varg
Vi har kärlek för varandra
För varandra
För alltid
Sov gott, vackra delfin
Sov gott, jag vita varg
Morgonen vaknar
Då kysser vi
Kysser vi för alltid
Sov gott, för alltid
July 20th, 2009 at 8:04 am
to Darlene, that means:
Sleep well, beautiful dolphin,
Sleep well, I white wolf
We have love for each other
for eachother
forever
Sleep well, beautiful Dolphin,
Sleep well, I white wolf
the morning awakens
then we kiss
we kiss forever
sleep well, forever
December 15th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Hi,
The song about the wolf and dolphin doesn’t sound right at all. I am from sweden and my mother sang a lot for me when I was a child. Have you found the right song yet? If not, maybe I can help.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Byssan lull maybe?
Byssan lull.
musik: Traditionell
text: Evert Taube
Byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
där kommer tre vandringsmän på vägen,
byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
där kommer tre vandringsmän på vägen.
Den ene, ack så halt,
den andre, o, så blind,
den tredje han säger alls ingenting.
Byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
på himmelen vandra tre stjärnor,
byssan lull, koka kittelen full.
på himmelen vandra tre stjärnor,
Den ene är så vit,
den andra är så röd,
den tredje är månen den gula.
Byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
där blåser tre vindar på haven,
byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
där blåser tre vindar på haven.
på Stora Ocean,
på Lilla Skagerack
och långt upp i Bottniska viken.
Byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
där segla tre skutor på vågen,
byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
där segla tre skutor på vågen.
Den första är en bark,
den andra är en brigg,
den tredje har så trasiga segel.
Byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
sjökistan har trenne figurer,
byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
sjökistan har trenne figurer.
Den första är vår tro,
den andra är vårt hopp,
den tredje är kärleken den röda.
Byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
tre äro tingen de goda,
byssan lull, koka kittelen full,
tre äro tingen de goda.
Den förste är Gud Far,
den andre är hans Son,
den tredje är god Jungfru Maria.
January 12th, 2010 at 3:54 am
Hey,
Took a wile to figure out but the rare lullaby you are looking for is:
“Där satt en liten fågel i päronaträ”
by Ruth Ljungberg
Där satt en liten fågel i päronaträ,
å sjongde så många vackra viser
Om inte mina onger e snäller å tir,
ja då får dom smaka på riset
Ack du lille fågel sjong inte så,
för mina små ongar dom ä snälla ändå,
å dom får inte smaka på riset
Fast translation:
A little bird sat in the pear-tree,
and sang so many beautiful songs
– If my children aren’t nice
then they will taste the twigs (spanking)
Oh you little bird don’t sing that song
cause my little children are so nice still (without hearing that song)
and they will not taste the twigs
/j
September 12th, 2010 at 11:38 am
It’s also possible since it was your grandma and Im guessing her parents were immigrants, that she was telling you not a lullaby or a nursery rhyme, but a prayer…
both sides of my family have swedish immigrants and both of my grandmothers would tell me this when i was young:
God som havre barn i kär
se till mig sa liten är…I don’t remember the rest of the words but it could be what your looking for.
October 15th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Jimmy, the prayer goes like this:
“Gud som haver barnen kär, se till mig som liten är.
Vart jag mig i världen vänder står min lycka i Guds händer.
Lyckan kommer, lyckan går,
Gud förbliver Fader Vår.
Amen.”
I am Swedish :)
December 29th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
I am also looking for an old lullaby that my Swedish grandmother sang to me. The words in Swedish sound something like this (through the ears of a tiny child!) phonetically:
furst comer jasper liden dreng
a stanna stillen veeden seng
o gahpuh plair o mamma shair…
August 16th, 2011 at 8:41 am
That’s “mammas visa” Dianne. You can find it here: http://www.ugglemor1.se/Dikter/jonblund.htm
October 25th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
Did anyone find a recording of this? I’d love to have it uploaded to lullabydepot.com. There are several Swedish lullabies and other children’s songs there. In fact, the genesis of the site was a Swedish song my Swedish grandfather taught to my mother.
email me at levi.barnes@gmail.com if you have troubles.
November 14th, 2011 at 3:55 am
My mother learned a Swedish lullaby from her Swedish grandmother. I was able to find the correct spelling of the first line with the online translater. Can anyone help me with the rest of the lines.
Sover sott min lilla van
Mama com er snort e yen
Papa gor po hee an brew
Shur pa Gretah nee a sku
Nee ah sku may spen ner po
So so vah sut min lila ven
The translation is approximately
Sleep sweetly my little friend
Mama is coming soon again
Papa is going on a high bridge
to buy Gretta new shoes
New shoes with buckles on
So sleep sweetly my little friend.
December 10th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Here are the rest of the lines spelled correctly Kathi (I’m also swedish!)
Sov nu sött min lilla vän
Mamma kommer snart igen
Pappa går på högan bro
Köper Greta nya skor
Nya skor med spännen på
Så sov nu sött min lilla vän
December 31st, 2011 at 4:47 am
Adam thank you so much. I have been looking everywhere for this song. Although my grandmother sang it with a different beginning it is the same lullaby.
February 13th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Now that we’re at it. My Swedish grandmother sang this not really appropriate so lullaby when i was a kid
i live in holland now, and I have never been able to hear it again
does anyone know it?
sov min bebis
min lilla negerbebis
när solen går ner och månen gar ned
jag sjunger dig en sång
å vissja vissja vissja lull
vill du månen ha att dra i
och stjärnorna att ta i
å vissja vissja vissja lull
May 15th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
I am trying to find a Swedish lullaby my
Grandmother used to sing to me.
I remember the words ” Rock in snora…
something about little ven. And then there
is a part where she would make me pretend I
was falling asleep and then she’d start
bouncing me on her knee singing faster
like ba-roomp, ba-roomp, ba-roomp.
Does this sound familiar to anyone???
Thanks!
May 30th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
Gee, that’s a hard one. Little ven is little friend, or lilla vän in Swedish. But the rest does not sound familiar at all. Those grandmas sing the darnest things, don’t they?
bengt
September 29th, 2012 at 3:36 am
Jakob found the right one; “Där satt en liten fågel i päronaträ”
by Ruth Ljungberg. See above. It matches the transcription.
October 20th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
my swedish grandma sang a lullaby to me as a little one. What I remember sounded like tussa lullaby a baben ru ru artigitar blessen bonan grotta.
November 14th, 2012 at 11:47 pm
I am also looking for a Swedish lullaby but I’m not entirely sure it is. My grandma was half Swedish and half Swiss. She said she thinks it’s Swedish but she is no longer with us to ask. It sounded something like this to my child ears:
Klappa klappa handen a smo
Tusi tusi neven a smo
Reven y reson
Reven y reson
Shoo ini scoogen
Shoo ini scoogen
Ta in ta po
Ta in ta po
then she always ended with Mama to little baby
If anyone knows what this is and can help me, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!
December 24th, 2012 at 7:59 pm
Probably a variant of a rhyme.
Your version sounds like
“Klappa, klappa händerna små,
Tussa, tussa nävarna små,
Räven i riset, räven i riset,
Skjuss in i skogen, skjuss in i skogen,
Ta inte bort, ta inte bort,
Mammas lilla bebis”
Translation:
“Clap, clap your little hands,
Shake, shake your little fists,
Fox in the brush, fox in the brush,
Back into the wood, back into the wood,
Don’t you take, don’t you take,
Mamas little baby”
May 3rd, 2013 at 2:53 pm
I’m looking for a song/hymn? my grandmother used to sing. I can only write it phonetically and hope someone can figure it out.
Jesus elyna, mit yarta sca lygus. Jesus elyna mit yarta sca voo. Han har mit lova och…and on and on.
She would sing it when I was misbehaving and it would keep us in line even though we didn’t understand what she was saying. Many thanks.
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:24 am
I am also looking for a song from a Swedish Great Grandmother. I know the words in English because she would sing it both ways. In English the words are Ride Ride the sleepy time Train. Get on board you boys and girl. Translated in Swedish it would be rida rida sömnig tid tåget. få ombord ni pojkar och flickor. Does anyone know the rest of the lyrics?
December 10th, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Hello Donna, that sounds very much like the lyrics to “Jesus allena mitt hjärta ska äga” (Jesus alone my heart shall own), a Salvation Army hymn first published in 1884. The Swedish Wikisource has a midi file with the melody: http://sv.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Jesus_allena_mitt_hjärta_skall_äga
Best regards
S
December 30th, 2013 at 10:57 am
Just in case anyone was looking for this one, this is what I used to sing to my boy when he was a baby. Learned it from my sister in law. You place your baby on your knees, hold his/her hands and you sing:
Klappa klappa händerna (2x)
Tussa tussa hundarna (2x)
Räven kommer (2x)
Ta inte bort, ta inte bort
Pappas/mammas lilla gullegris…
And at that point you tip the baby over and tickle his/her ribs. They love it.
Anyone familiar with the not very appropriate song i mentioned before? My grandma used to sing it:
sov min bebis
min lilla negerbebis
när solen går ner och månen går upp
jag sjunger dig en sång
å vissja vissja vissja lull
vill du månen ha att dra i
och stjärnorna att ta i
å vissja vissja vissja lull
January 20th, 2014 at 2:52 pm
My Mom used to sing me one that sounded like (completely phonetic here….I don’t speak any Swedish): “Rouie, rouie rappa….” Wish I could find out more about it!
February 26th, 2014 at 4:41 am
Heather, probably “Rida, rida ranka”, a rhyme which has many variations in the Nordic countries, known since at least the 19th century. Here is a video of one of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTksCHZeyAk
September 28th, 2014 at 3:03 am
My grandfather sang us a song each night I cannot type the Swedish but I remember this…in the wild wild woods I tend my flocks t
they follow me so faithful trusting they understand my words all of them my friends
November 21st, 2014 at 1:18 am
I am just starting to learn swedish, but my grandma used to sing one to us.
Klappa klappa handerna,
Choota, choota hunderna
Raven disco-gan
Mamma gol griesen.
I tried to sound out the words-almost impossible to do I know. And since Grandma Olson came by boat to Canada in 1896 it’s unlikely the song would remain the same. Some of the songs seem to be variants.
March 16th, 2015 at 9:14 pm
I am trying to find a lullaby abut a crow flying away. I know the song about the hunter who did all sortsof things with a crow that ends with building a boat. also my dad used to sing in Swedish
I see the moon and the moon sees me
I love the moon and the moon loves me
That’s all we sang in English. Does anyone know what either might be?
March 16th, 2015 at 9:29 pm
Craig, Would you know any of the Swedish lyrics? Even if they phonetic? -Lisa
March 28th, 2015 at 2:28 am
Man seems like everyone is looking for that Swedish lullaby there grandmothers sang. This is not obviously spelled correctly but this is how it sounds:
Tre gori gah ingavara qus co lindin barnenscholar hem a helo ingavesta barning se ding Chen da nesta.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:48 am
Alex, I think that the song you are looking for is the first verse of a swedish hymn with lyrics written by Lina Sandell around 1850.
This hymn is often sung when a baby is being baptised. :-)
Tryggare kan ingen vara
än Guds lilla barnaskara
Stjärnan ej på himlafästet
fågeln ej i kända nästet
Translated it goes something like this:
“No one can be as safe
as the children of God
Not the star in the sky
nor the bird in its nest”
The following verses goes like this:
2. Herren sina trogna vårdar
uti Sions helga gårdar
över dem han sig förbarmar
bär dem uppå fadersarmar
(the Lord takes care of his followers
in the garden of Sion
to them he is mercyful
carries them like a father)
3. Ingen nöd och ingen lycka
skall utur hans hand dem rycka
Han, vår vän för andra vänner,
sina barns bekymmer känner.
(Not distress nor success
could take them from his hand
He, our friend before other friends
knows the needs of his children)
4. Gläd dig då du lilla skara
Jakobs Gud skall dig bevara
För hans vilja måste alla
fiender till jorden falla
(Therefore rejoice, you little group
The Lord of Jacob shall keep you
By his will all his enemies must fall)
4. Vad han tar och vad han giver,
samme Fader han dock bliver
och hans mål är blott det ena:
barnets sanna väl allena.
(Regardles of what he gives or takes
he remains the same Father
and his only goal is
true goodness for the child)
September 1st, 2015 at 12:02 pm
Craig Johnson, maybe you are looking for “Kråka satt i lunden”:
Sov min lille, sov
Vak opp i kungens hov
Stjärnorna på himlen blå
äro silverlammen små
Månen de till herde fått
Nu ska barnet sova gott
Sov, min lille, sov
Vakna opp i kungens hov
Kråka satt i lunden
med gullblad i munnen
Vart skall du flyga?
Till Gullåsen
Där väx löken,
där gal göken
Där sjunga svalorna sju
Gott år i år
Myttje bätter åt åren
(the last words are written in a dialect, in “proper swedish” you would write the words “Mycket bättre med åren”)
English translation:
Sleep, my little one, sleep
Wake up in the King’s court
The stars in the blue sky
are little lambs of silver
The moon is their shepherd,
Now, the child will sleep well
Sleep, my little one, sleep
Wake up in the King’s court
A crow sat in the meadow
with a golden leaf in it’s mouth
To where are you flying?
To the golden ridge!
There, onions are growing
There, the cuckoo crows
There, seven svallows are singing
May this year be a good one,
and the coming years even better
September 1st, 2015 at 1:09 pm
Pat, could this be the one you are looking for?
Klappa, klappa händerna!
Tussa tussa hundarna!
Räven kommer, räven kommer!
Ta inte bort, ta inte bort,
mammas gull’gris!
(Clap your hands!
send out the dogs!
the fox is coming, the fox is coming!
Don´t take away, don’t take away
moms sweetie-pie)
…if one makes a direct translation of gull’gris or “gullegris” into english it means “cute piglet” :-)
February 26th, 2017 at 12:25 pm
I’m also looking for a song that my nanny used to sing to me. I don’t know Swedish at all but phonetically it goes like this. Also please keep in mind it was over 30 years ago she told me this.
A la mona chef se la binga bonga becka
A la mona chef se la binga bonga bea
Hey skiderie skuda rumpan stumpan
Hey skiderie skuda rumpan lai
August 6th, 2017 at 3:13 pm
Jodi, I don’t know what the song is called, but I do know it. It’s a hand-clapping game.
Alla balla tjafs uti binga bånga beja
Alla balla tjafs uti binga bånga bej
Hej skutteri skutterumpen stumpen
Hej skutteri skutterullan lej
August 6th, 2017 at 4:02 pm
Thanks for responding Eric! Can you please provide an English translation?
March 6th, 2018 at 10:05 pm
Anyone familiar with this:
Can she sew curtains, and can sh e sew sheets? Hush a bye baby and la la lai lu….? …. e o we oh what will i do wi ye thats th e li that i li wi thee, as a child i thought it was …. what will I do with thee, thats the life that i live with thee …
Mom heard from her mom, who was orphaned at 5, her mom was born in sweden.
March 7th, 2018 at 3:17 pm
Hi Ruth,
I believe that’s the Scottish lullaby called “Can Ye Sew Cushions”….
O can ye sew cushions,
Or can ye sew sheets?
Then it goes on in the chorus…
Hee-o, wee-o, what would I do wi’ you?
You can find the full lyrics on Mama Lisa’s World here: Can Ye Sew Cushions
Does that look like the song?
-Mama Lisa
March 22nd, 2018 at 12:52 am
Wow, a continuous post of nearly 10 years! So my mother (now deceased) used to sing a lullaby in Swedish, of which I only remember the tune and the first line: Mama’s baby går sova nu, Mama’s baby går sova. Does it sound familiar to anyone? Maybe it wasn’t a complete lullaby, maybe just a soothing phrase she repetitiously sang. She must have learned it from her Swedish mother.
May 19th, 2018 at 6:53 am
Finally found my song. At least the Danish version, on a recording dated 1937: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3kAIvFxSp0
So, it appears my Swedish mormor, who died in 1977, sang a Swedish version of the American Ma Curly Headed baby, with the following not so appropriarte lyrics:
sov min bebis
min lilla negerbebis
när solen går ner och månen gar ned
jag sjunger dig en sång
å vissja vissja vissja lull
vill du månen ha att dra i
och stjärnorna att ta i
å vissja vissja vissja lull
So much for traditional Nordic culture…
November 17th, 2018 at 11:22 pm
Hey there! Swedish person here!
Found this thread by random. Very interesting how many songs there are that I’ve never heard of even though I’m enthusiastic about Swedish folk music.
Found the sheet music for “Där satt en liten fågel” in case anyone’s interested.
December 24th, 2019 at 7:50 am
Ten years after my first posting, finally found the Swedish recording of Ma curly headed baby. Still inappropriate. But hey, mormor sang it and it always moved me…
Listen to it here, a Swedish recording from 1939. My grandma was 40.
SOS – Min kruslockiga Baby – YouTube
February 2nd, 2020 at 4:14 pm
Does someone know the words to a Very Old Swedish Folksong Hem Ljuva Hem? +- From the 1930 > 40 era. Not the Modern 2000 version by Uggla.
February 27th, 2020 at 1:49 am
I am also looking for a Swedish/Finnish lullaby that my great grandmother used to sing. Goes something like this:
E saw mukko oopenedi yesah
E saw mukko oopenedi yesah
E Loy nen!!
April 29th, 2020 at 6:57 pm
Hanna,
“sammakko altaassa” is Finnish for “frog in a pool”
Hope this helps.
February 28th, 2021 at 4:56 am
Hi, I am working on an art project for someone who is Swedish and holds Swedish traditions and remembrances very dear. I want to include the words “May your heart be filled with light and love” in the picture but I want to write it in Swedish as well. Could someone who natively speaks Swedish translate this for me? I would be very grateful:) Many thanks!
December 23rd, 2022 at 5:05 am
We are seeking a Swedish song that has a bird singing like “kive vive vit, ka vit” The only swedish words we recognize are glad and fogel.
April 5th, 2023 at 6:12 am
Theresa E,
I believe your song is called Serenad för en durstämd gitarr. Also known as Det sjunger en fågel i gläntan. The lyrics are s follows:
Det sjunger en fågel i gläntan (Serenad för durstämd gitarr)
Det sjunger en fågel i gläntan,
kvi-vitt, han är sorgfri och glad
och säkert det fägnar väl jäntan
att höra en sån serenad.
Om kärleken, ja, kärleken
som ord ej kan beskriva
och troheten, den troheten
som aldrig kan ta slut.
Det sjunger en fågel i gläntan
en kort men en lycklig minut.