Lovely winsome Anna - Lille Vakre Anna
- 2 years ago
"Just for the fun of it"
Have revised the first line to alliterate more like the original Swedish and to make it slightly less platitudinous, too) and made slight changes and adjustments to the lyrics, so they can be read slightly ahead of when you hear the same bit sung. This makes it easier to follow them.
This song from has an uplifting melody and hopeful text, but a rather sad tale to it: The poor guy wrote for his cousin whom he was deeply in love with, but sad to say she was furious when she found out it was written to her. It broke his heart and health at the time, though her identity was withheld until after her death forty years later.
It is well-known in Scandinavia, and there are many versions of it in Swedish or in Norwegian. but it has never, to my knowledge, been translated to English, although there is a version that starts with it but ends up completely differently.
I include my text below, although there are three verses that I have not translated as yet, nor do they seem to be included in the versions I've heard.
Lovely winsome Anna if you will
Say you'll be my bride, my life-long thrill.
Keen am I and ready,
True of heart and steady;
Take my heart and all my dreams fulfil.
Dost remember how we oft-times play’d
Mums and dads and frolicked all the day?
In the sandpit huddled
Play’d with mud and cuddled
Life was light and lovely every day.
All too soon those happy hours were fled
Time for toil and daily chores instead
You were washing, weaving,
I the hay was heaving
Seldom to your threshold duty led.
Only when midsummer flowers pranced
Or at Yuletide we stood up and danced
Could we make advances
Exchange blushing glances
Secret love our happy hearts enhanced
Rosy cheeks and blue enchanting eyes
Lilly hand and foot of dainty size
Waist so neat and slender
Arms so warm and tender
Bodice full of promise and surprise.
Little Anna, soon our day is o’er
Life has only one for us in store
Like a river flowing
Dreams to dawning going
Hasten we to God’s eternal shore
Surely Anna, when God fashioned thee
He had kindly thoughts as well for me
Say to my proposal
“I’m at your disposal,
Yes!” and such a joyful pair we’ll be
In a humble dwelling shall we bide
Peaceful, with our children at our side
God and Country truly
Love and honour duly
Harmony and love shall be our guide.
Then in heaven’s home at last we’ll end
Mother, Father, family meet again,
Praise to God a-ringing
Youth anew a-springing
“Love is life-adventure’s truest friend.”
Bengt Henrik Alstermark (1800-1840)
Have revised the first line to alliterate more like the original Swedish and to make it slightly less platitudinous, too) and made slight changes and adjustments to the lyrics, so they can be read slightly ahead of when you hear the same bit sung. This makes it easier to follow them.
This song from has an uplifting melody and hopeful text, but a rather sad tale to it: The poor guy wrote for his cousin whom he was deeply in love with, but sad to say she was furious when she found out it was written to her. It broke his heart and health at the time, though her identity was withheld until after her death forty years later.
It is well-known in Scandinavia, and there are many versions of it in Swedish or in Norwegian. but it has never, to my knowledge, been translated to English, although there is a version that starts with it but ends up completely differently.
I include my text below, although there are three verses that I have not translated as yet, nor do they seem to be included in the versions I've heard.
Lovely winsome Anna if you will
Say you'll be my bride, my life-long thrill.
Keen am I and ready,
True of heart and steady;
Take my heart and all my dreams fulfil.
Dost remember how we oft-times play’d
Mums and dads and frolicked all the day?
In the sandpit huddled
Play’d with mud and cuddled
Life was light and lovely every day.
All too soon those happy hours were fled
Time for toil and daily chores instead
You were washing, weaving,
I the hay was heaving
Seldom to your threshold duty led.
Only when midsummer flowers pranced
Or at Yuletide we stood up and danced
Could we make advances
Exchange blushing glances
Secret love our happy hearts enhanced
Rosy cheeks and blue enchanting eyes
Lilly hand and foot of dainty size
Waist so neat and slender
Arms so warm and tender
Bodice full of promise and surprise.
Little Anna, soon our day is o’er
Life has only one for us in store
Like a river flowing
Dreams to dawning going
Hasten we to God’s eternal shore
Surely Anna, when God fashioned thee
He had kindly thoughts as well for me
Say to my proposal
“I’m at your disposal,
Yes!” and such a joyful pair we’ll be
In a humble dwelling shall we bide
Peaceful, with our children at our side
God and Country truly
Love and honour duly
Harmony and love shall be our guide.
Then in heaven’s home at last we’ll end
Mother, Father, family meet again,
Praise to God a-ringing
Youth anew a-springing
“Love is life-adventure’s truest friend.”
Bengt Henrik Alstermark (1800-1840)