# Swedish: livsdag vänder



## Santiago Jorge

I don't know Swedish very well, but I am trying to understand this lyric from a Valkyria song called, "Skogshymn." Would you please help me?
 
Original:
"Det flämtar ett sken från molnen som brinna skyhöga kronor och doftande mull, sa varsamt och fåmäld en livsdag vänder."
 
My bad translation:
"A ray of light flickered from a burning cloud high in the sky overhead and fragrant earth, said gently and with few words a viable turn."


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## Södertjej

Are you sure it's sa varsamt, not *så* varsamt? Because if it's sa we don't know who's talking!


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## Santiago Jorge

Oops! You are right. It is "så varsamt."

So, what changes do I need on my loose translation to English?


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## Sweetpanda

Santiago Jorge said:


> "Det flämtar ett sken från molnen som brinna skyhöga kronor och doftande mull, sa varsamt och fåmäld en livsdag vänder."
> 
> My bad translation:
> "A ray of light flickered from a burning cloud high in the sky overhead and fragrant earth, said gently and with few words a viable turn."



Sorry to be so critical, but are you sure you've copied the sentence correctly? The part with "brinna" doesn't make sense to me, because "brinna" is an infinitive and with the preceding "som" it appears grammatically incorrect. If it is meant to be "brinner" instead it makes a bit more sense but I still don't understand "som brinner skyhöga kronor" - it would have to be "som brinner *som *skyhöga kronor", in which case it is some kind of far-fetched metaphor likening the light ("sken") to "skyhöga kronor". Either way, I'd doublecheck the original. Sorry I can't be of any more help!


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## Santiago Jorge

No offense taken. Indeed, I appreciate your input.

I double checked and I copied it correctly.

Maybe that is part of the problem: the original is written very poorly.


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## Wilma_Sweden

Sweetpanda said:


> Sorry to be so critical, but are you sure you've copied the sentence correctly? The part with "brinna" doesn't make sense to me, because "brinna" is an infinitive and with the preceding "som" it appears grammatically incorrect. If it is meant to be "brinner" instead it makes a bit more sense but I still don't understand "som brinner skyhöga kronor" - it would have to be "som brinner *som *skyhöga kronor", in which case it is some kind of far-fetched metaphor likening the light ("sken") to "skyhöga kronor". Either way, I'd doublecheck the original. Sorry I can't be of any more help!


The 'poet' is using the old plural verb form which looks like infinitive but is in fact present tense. I used quotation marks intentionally because I think whoever wrote those lyrics (the CD was published in 2004) has tried to copy some sort of old 19th century Romantic nationalist style. Most poetry is fiendishly difficult to translate to other languages, regardless of the literary talents of the poet... 

All the same, I'll give my own interpretation:
A soft light glows from burning clouds; treetops like crowns overhead and fragrant earth so  gently and quietly turn dawn into new day.
​Complete lyrics http://www.justsomelyrics.com/1194153/Valkyria-Skogshymn-Lyrics

/Wilma


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## Södertjej

Wilma_Sweden said:


> A soft light glows from burning clouds; treetops like crowns overhead and fragrant earth so gently and quietly turn dawn into new day.


I see there's been some interesting responses. 

I'm not any good at old Swedish so I don't mean to correct you, I do see your point, but considering where the comma is, could it possibly be the light from the clouds "burns" the treetops and the earth? I suppose the meaning is everything looks glowing red.

Skenet som flämtar från molnen brinner de skyhöga kronorna

What do you think? And could it possibly be sunset or only sunrise?


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## Wilma_Sweden

Södertjej said:


> considering where the comma is, could it possibly be the light from the clouds "burns" the treetops and the earth? I suppose the meaning is everything looks glowing red.


The verb, brinna, is intransitive, and the way the lines are distributed on the lyrics page, I found it less imaginable to have the trees some object of fiery light... To me, at sunset or dawn, treetops appear like dark silhouettes, and it's usually the clouds and the sky that catch fire.


> And could it possibly be sunset or only sunrise?


En livsdag  vänder, I imagine as the day turning over a new leaf, i.e. morning. However, having looked again at the beginning of that verse, the treetrunks are darkening, so that would indicate sunset, in fact. The end would be something like _"... so gently and quietly close the day."_ I'll copy the whole verse as I found it for our own perusal.


> Det mörknar om stammar
> Spindlar tvinnar ödestråd (för hungrandets skull)
> Det flämtar ett sken
> från molnen som brinna
> skyhöga kronor och doftande mull
> så varsamt och fåmäld
> en livsdag vänder.


 
/Wilma


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## Santiago Jorge

Thanks everybody for your help!


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## Södertjej

Wilma, you're absolutely right, it's brinna, not bränna. Silly me! My sentence should be "Skenet som flämtar från molnen bränner de skyhöga kronorna" to make sense (meaning an intense red light on the trees which is not completely impossible depending on the place and hour of the day)

Thanks for explaining.


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