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MUSIC: RUDOLPH HAGBART MØLLER (1869-1935)
LYRICS: LYDER CHRISTIAN SAGEN (1777-1850)
TRANSLATION and COMMENTARY: DR. ALF LUNDER KNUDSEN and DR. JEFFREY R. HIGHLAND
Rudolph Møller, the late Seattle Norwegian Male Chorus director and its former Director-in-Chief (1916-1934), composed this musical setting to a poem by his fellow countryman and lyricist Lyder Sagen. Møller dedicated the song to the Pacific Coast Norwegian Singers Association (PCNSA). Vikingsönner is a romantic salute to “old Norway” which, despite her old age, stands proudly on the Dovre Mountain and proclaims the greatness of her Viking sons. “God will bless our love for the sons, and old Norway, unwavering, shall stand.”
Educator and author Lyder Christian Sagen was born into a merchant family in Bergen, Norway. At an early age he started to work in a ‘general store’ owned by the J.S. Welhaven family, but by age 15 he had to depart to study at Bergen Kathedralskole in order to pass the university entrance exams [eksamen artium]. A brilliant student of 17, he passed the exams with top grades and went to Denmark together with two fellow students to study theology at the University of Copenhagen. Sagen, whose interest was in languages, earned a degree in philology and landed a position with the Christianis Institute in Copenhagen where he spent the next five years. Longing for home, Sagen returned in to Bergen in 1905 and was appointed teacher at Bergen Kathedralskole, where he taught for 43 years, serving as Principal from 1914. All along his main concerns were the Norwegian language and the ability to think independently.
Well-known for devotion to civic callings, Sagen was cofounder of an Art School [1824], Bergen Musæum [1825], Bergen Academy of Fine Arts [1838], and he always ‘stood ready’ as the city’s “Official Occasional Poet.” Today Sagen is best known for his influence on succeeding generations as an inspiring teacher, especially for a number of gifted students, including Norwegian authors Johan Sebastian Welhaven and Jonas Lie. While none of his popular Norsk Læsebog [Norwegian Reader] editions [1808, 1820 or 1834 editions] are in print today, neither are the multitude of his “city-rhymes.”
Lyder Christian Sagen was not a “self-promoter,” but his major contributions and dedication to Bergen did not go unnoticed. Upon his retirement the City decided that it would continue “to pay his salary in perpetuity.”
Norge, vor Moder bedaget af ælde
Stander paa Dovre og taler så blid.
Herlige sønner, hvis mandom og vælde
Setter mig hen i min fagreste tid.
Lig Eders Fædrende skjægede Helte
Vogte i Landet med glødende Bryst.
Hvo sig tør spænde med eder i Belte,
Ilde skal times i blodige dyst.
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Norway, our Mother ashen by age
Stand at Dovre and talk so mildly.
Magnificent sons, whose manhood/ courage and power/might
Sends me back to my grandest era.
Like your forefather’s bearded heroes
You guarded the country with glowing chest/breast
Those who dare tighten/ show their muscles toward you
Befall ‘ill’ in a bloody fight.
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Stolt af at være en Moder til Eder
Sidder jeg trygt i mit Elskede Land.
Splitter O Kjæmper de truende Kjæder,
Spreder dem vidt fra vort fjeld og vor strand
Kom så O sønner fra Vinger og Halden,
Bjerkeben Trønder kom hid i min favn.
Og med guldharpen i Hænde vil skalden
Tegne med runer hvert Drabeligt Navn.
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Proud to be your Mother
I sit safely in my beloved land.
You giants split the threatening chains,
Scatter them wide from our mountain and our shore
So come our sons from Vinger and Halden,
Birkebein trønder come to my arms/ for a hug/my embrace
And the gold harp in his hands the skald
Will draw with runes every awesome name.
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Broder ved siden af segnende Broder
Smilende roligt i Hæderfuld Død.
Seirende skarer skal sande O Moder
at dine sønner til Hæder er fød.
Bærserkergang vores stormfærd skal ligne,
Naar vi for dig gjennom luerne gaa.
Gud skal vor sønlige kjærlihed signe,
Og gamle Norge Urokkelig, Norge urokkelig stå.
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Brother alongside brother falling
Contently calm honorably dead
Victorious bands will validate you Mother
That your sons to glory are born.
Our onslaughts will look like berserks,
When we go through the flames for you.
God will bless our manly love,
And Old Norway stands firmly, Norway unwavering stands.
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Phonics
Knorr-gè, v-ore môhdèr behdàget àv ’L’-dèh
Stànner paw dôv-rèh awe tàhler saw bleed.
hèr-leege sun-nehr, viss màndôm awe vèl-dèh
Setter may hen ee min fàh-grestè teed.
league èhders fèdrene shegg-ede Hèlltè
Voktè ee Làn-dè mèh gløhd-ène brüst.
voah say tur spenne mèh èdèr ee belt-è
Ill-è skàl team-ès ee blôdee-gè düst.
Stolt àv àt vèrè èn Môhdèr till èh-der
cid-dèr yay trükt ee mitt ’L’-skede lànn
splitter ô chem-per dee true-ènè chèder
sprèder dem vitt frà vohrt fiel awe vohr stràn
Come saw ô sun-ner frà vin-ger awe hàlden,
Bier-kè-bèn trun-déhr come heat ee min fàvn.
awe mè gull-hàr-pen ee hèn-dè vill skàl-len
Ta-nèh mèh roon-èr vèrt drà-bèh-lee nàvn.
Brôh-dèr vè seed-en àv say-nènèh brôh-dèr
Smeel-ènè rôlee ee hèdèr-full döhd.
say-ren-deh skàr-er skàhl sàn-nè ô Môdèr
Àt deeh-nè sun-nèr till hèdèr èr föhd.
Bèr-sèr-kèr-gàng vårès storm-fèrd skàl leeg-nè,
Knorr vee for day yen-nom loo-èhne gå.
Guud skàl vår sun-lee-ge chèr-leeg-hèt seeg-nè,
Awe gàmlè knorr-gè oo-rockelee, knorr-gè oo-rock-elee stå.
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