Song from Utanmyra

[kjn]

I haven't written much lately, and those songs I did write were a bit varied in quality or were quite narrow in their topics. But here is an English translation of a Swedish folk song and jazz standard: Visa från Utanmyra (notation), with modern lyrics by Björn Lindroth, written in 1963 and most famously recorded by Monica Zetterlund (Youtube).

Content warning: the song is about rape and rape culture.


Only one time I saw that man
And my gaze was drawn towards him
He could hold the sky in his span
Brave and able, of victory certain
He look'd at me and he smil'd
He saw my rose and smil'd
Then he walk'd away from me
But he walk'd away from me

Only one time I saw that man
And my gaze was drawn towards him
Like the sun he held in his hand
And my life he chang'd in an hour
He touch'd on me and he smil'd
He touch'd my rose and smil'd
Then he walk'd away from me
But he walk'd away from me

Only one time I saw that man
And my gaze was drawn towards him
Such a man that when he began
His hand brought my life to completion
He broke my wall and he smil'd
He broke my rose and smil'd
Then he walk'd away from me
But he walk'd away from me

Right now my translation has focused on faithfulness to the original, and I'd be happy to receive comments, both on singability and the appropriateness of some of the lyrics.

The tune itself is known from the 18th century, as Olof von Dalin wrote a set of lyrics to the tune then. That one is wholly unrelated to Lindroth's text.