- Year of composition: Publishing agreement 27 March 1952
- Work category: Mixed choir a cappella
- Text author: Swedish folk song
- Arrangement/revision: Arranged for soprano solo and mixed choir by Hugo Alfvén 1952
- Duration: 1 min
Solo voices/choir
Soprano solo, S.A.T.B.
Examples of printed editions
Stockholm 1952, CG 4694. Gehrmans kör-bibliotek, 303
- Location autograph: Uppsala Universitetsbibliotek
- Possible call no. and autograph comment: UUB VMhs 185:10
Literature
Ternhag, Gunnar: Folkvisearrangemangen, in Hugo Alfvén - en vägvisare. Hedemora (2003) pp. 156−166.
Description of work
Långsamt G minor 4/4
Work comment
Hugo Alfvén has arranged this folk song for soprano soloist and mixed choir. This group of singers was feasible for him because at that time the Siljan Choir had a number of good voices who could sing the soloist parts. The arrangement is exceptionally simple to come from Alfvén´s hand: the soloist sings the song throughout, which incidentally is in typical "folk song minor", and the choir frames the solo song with wordless chords. It was written in 1952 by an eighty-year-old Alfvén, which can perhaps explain the simplicity.
Libretto/text
Som stjärnan uppå himmelen så klar,
hon längtar till sitt rum,
så längtar jag till dig, min lilla vän,
var timma och var stund.
Var timma är som en månad lång,
en månad som ett år;
så längtar jag till dig, min lilla vän,
fast jag dig aldrig får.
In English:
Alike the star 'pon heaven velvet blue,
She longs for the expanse,
much alike I long for you, my darling dear,
each hour, each passing day.
Each passing hour feels like a month,
each month alike a year,
much alike I long for you, my darling dear,
although you won't be mine.
Translation: Annika Vallgren