nio ar

forsta gavan hon av styvmodern fick
nio ar ska du ga med fostret ditt

kari hon fragte till herr peder sa
hur lange ska en kvinna med fostret ga

mig vacker sa lonneliga sorgen

fyrtio veckor ar det forvisst
sa gick maria med jesu krist

nar som det led till det nionde ar
da ville hon hem till sin fader ga

herr peder han sade till smasvenner sa
gaen och sadlen gangaren gra

koren sa vackert genom den by
att i ej vacken hundar och goren stort gny

koren sa vackert over den bro
att i ej vacken manniskor och goren oro

nar som hon kom till sin faders gard
ute for henne fadern mand sta

valis mig valis mig vad jag nu ser
nu ser jag min dotter hemkomma till mig

kara min fader i glads ej at mig
det ar ej stor gladje som folja med mig

harifran for jag da jag var ung
nu kommer jag igen nu ar jag sa tung

harifran for jag da jag var mo
nu kommer jag igen nu ska jag och do


nine years

the very first gift that her stepmother gave:
"nine years you shall bear your unborn babe."

kari has gone to lord peder´s room:
"how long must a woman bear a child in her womb?"

- in secret my sorrows wake me -

"forty weeks with child she must go
- so long bore mary our lord long ago."

when nine long years had almost passed,
she longed to return to her father at last.

herr peder has called for his good grey steed
and bidden his young men ride with speed:

"pass very gently o´er the bridge as you ride,
in case men be roused from their beds in the night."

"pass very gently through the village streets,
in case barking dogs waken men from their sleep.

when that she came to her father´s home,
before her stood her father alone.

"glad is my heart at this that i see,
i see that my daughter has come home to me."

"father dear, this is no time for glee,
rejoicing is not what i bring with me.

"once i departed, a brisk young maid,
and now i am returning, as heavy sa lead

"when i departed a maiden was i -
and now i am returning, now i must die."

translation by alistar cochrane