Fejd - Storm [full album | solved]

Thread: Fejd - Storm [full album | solved]

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  1. Albruna's Avatar

    Albruna said:

    Default Fejd - Storm [full album | solved]

    This is a legendary neo-medieval/folk rock album from Sweden that has cult status to many (you can listen to it here if you just happened upon this thread by coincidence), but it's difficult to translate, especially for a non-native speaker like me - which might be why no one seems to have attempted this yet, apart from some single songs (or maybe the sites where this was attempted are just down). I love how much substance the lyrics have and the beauty of the mental images they paint, so I tried my best to create a decent English version, but I'm not 100% sure about many lines. The original is best of course but I hope this will be of use to an interested international audience.

    This page is archived at The Web Archive.

    Last edited by Albruna; 04-21-2021 at 02:05 PM.
     
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    1. Offerök // Sacrificial Smoke1

    Nio dagar blotet varar, låtom oss nu glädjas
    vilda danser i fröjd och gamman i gudahovets hall
    Nio dagar blotet varar, låtom oss nu glädjas
    vilda danser i fröjd och gamman
    offerröken stiger mot skyn


    Nine days lasts the blot2, let us now rejoice
    Wild dances of joy and mirth in the hall of the gods' temple
    Nine days lasts the blot, let us now rejoice
    Wild dances of joy and mirth
    The sacrificial smoke rises to the sky


    Mjödet flödar ädla drycken, må den aldrig sina
    Hornen fulla höjas nu till fränder
    Eldar brinner kittlar sjuda, sovlet står på borden
    manneligen dricka allas välgång


    The mead flows, the noble drink, may it never dry up
    The full horn is raised to kin
    Fires burn, cauldrons simmer, food3 stands on the table
    A stout drink for everyone's well-being


    Nio dagar blotet varar…

    Nine days lasts the blot...

    Asar vördas, runor ristas, skalden smider orden
    forna kämpar hyllas i vår saga
    Brageskålar gillet hedrar, mäktigt ljuder sången
    ättebanden stärkas och beseglas


    Aesir are revered, runes are carved, the skald forges words
    Ancient fighters are revered in our saga
    The Brage-beaker4 honours the feast, powerfully resounds the song
    Family bonds are strengthened and sealed


    Nio dagar blotet varar…

    Nine days lasts the blot...

    Blotspån täljas skarpa eggen, tyda dem i blodet
    spörja gudarna om rika gåvor
    blotet stundar fred och äring, fruktbarhetens moder
    de nio åren helgade för landet


    Blot-chips5 are carved with sharp edges, read them in the blood
    Ask the gods for rich gifts
    The blot draws near, peace and harvest, fertility's mother
    For nine years the land is sanctified


    Nio dagar blotet varar…

    Nine days lasts the blot...


    1 - This song describes the rites at the Temple at Uppsala, as described by the medieval scholar Adam von Bremen in his Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum.
    Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20160804...ews.php?nr=676
    2 - Norse sacrificial rite
    3 - To be precise, ”sovel” is any meat, including fish, that is given as an addition to bread or potatoes
    4 - A kind of big mead-bowl that is passed around, whoever has it can make an oath. Mentioned in Heimskringla Saga.
    5 - Little pieces of wood that can be cast into a bowl of blood for prophesying purposes.
     
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    2. Svanesång // Swansong

    I eldens sken kan jag skönja dig
    en skugga utav lågors lek
    ej mer skall jag få möta din blick och få krama din fasta hand
    upp mot skyn böljar röken fram i ett hav utan land
    i bålets glöd fräser runor fram, tyd dem om du kan


    In the fire's light I can see you
    A shadow in the play of flames
    No more shall I get to meet your glance and squeeze your firm hand
    Up to the sky the smoke waves forth in an endless ocean
    In the glow of the fire runes hiss, read them if you can


    Runt i ring jag dansar omkring, jag hetsar blodet varmt
    trumman min dånar vilt och skönt, hettan slår sig lös
    galdrar svuros vid ättens band, en baneman jag fann
    rygg mot rygg över fjärran hav, en högrest tall du var


    Around in a circle I dance, I force heat into my blood
    My drum thunders wildly and beautifully, the heat breaks forth
    Spells6 were sworn on family bonds, a murderer did I find
    Back to back over far-away seas, a tall pine you were


    Vet du nu eller ej

    Know you now or not

    Vid urbergets rot mullrar jordens sång
    ett varsel så mäktigt av tidens gång
    vid moderns barm vi styrkte varann, ur källornas brunn vi drack
    spörj mig nu där jag allena stå på klipphäll svart över smärtans sår
    hör min stämma så hes och spröd av sorgens spjut jag sköts


    By the root of the primeval mountain the Earth's song is growling
    A powerful omen of the march of time
    At mother's breast we strengthened one another, we drank from the fountains' well
    Ask me now that I stand alone on a black cliff over the wound of pain
    Hear my voice so hoarse and brittle, pierced by sorrow's spear am I


    Nu av tråd danas ödets varp, en skimrande väv av livets allt
    upp på en skinande sköld vi bars vi två utav far
    kroppen skälver av vanmakts rus, svetten flödar med helgad sejd
    en resa långt uti dunkelt fång, bakom mörker ser jag ljus


    Now fate's warp7 is forming from threads, a shimmering weave of all life
    On a shining shield we were borne, we two, by our father
    My body shivers helplessly from intoxication, sweat flows with holy sejd8
    A long journey in the dark, behind the darkness I see light


    Vet du nu eller ej

    Know you now or not

    Blottat sinne över väglöst land
    en herrelös vind bortom dödas hägn
    i köldens spår isas varje tå, i de världar jag skola gå
    kom alla krafter från söder och norr, vilda sejddjur visa er nu
    för i denna härd skall ett svärd bli smitt, härdat i mitt blod


    Exposed senses over pathless land
    A masterless wind beyond the dead's enclosure
    In the cold's track each toe freezes, in the worlds I shall go to
    Come, all powers from south and north, wild sejd-beasts, show yourselves
    For in this fire a sword shall be forged, hardened in my blood


    Över land, över hav
    jag skall finna en baneman
    över land, över hav
    jag flyger i örnehamn


    Over land, over sea
    I shall find a murderer
    Over land, over sea
    I fly in eagle-shape



    6 - Wikipedia states: Galdr (plural galdrar) is one Old Norse word for "spell, incantation"; these were usually performed in combination with certain rites. It was mastered by both women and men. Some scholars have assumed they chanted it in falsetto (gala).
    7 - This refers to the warp on a weaving loom – the threads that are fastened to the loom itself and through which the weaver weaves the ”active” threads. In Norse mythology, the lives of all creatures are likened to threads that are spun, measured and cut by giant-goddesses known as Norns.
    8 - Wikipedia states: In Old Norse, seiðr […] was a type of magic practiced in Norse society during the Late Scandinavian Iron Age. The practice of seiðr is believed to be a form of magic relating to both the telling and shaping of the future. […] Various scholars have debated the nature of seiðr, some arguing that it was shamanic in context, involving visionary journeys by its practitioners.
     
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    3. Älvorna dansar // The fae9 dance

    Bedårande skönhet i älvornas dans
    Skimrande väsen av ljus
    Tårar av silver i daggkåpans famn
    Skymning varsamt föll


    Enchanting beauty in the dance of the fae
    Shimmering beings of light
    Tears of silver in the embrace of lady's mantle10
    Dusk fell gently


    En moder av åldern så gammal och tärd
    Söker de spåren nu än
    Hon följer de stigar i grönmossans bäddar
    Ett bolster utan liv


    An aged mother, so old and gaunt
    Now still seeks those traces
    She follows the paths in the green moss' beds
    A featherbed without life


    Se dem då, följ dem nu i natt


    See them then, follow them now tonight

    Älvor dansar vilt på måndränkta ängar
    Silvertäckt är mark i trolldomens skrud
    En fägring utav ljus som hänför och lockar
    Toner av en sång med vädjande ord


    The fae dance wildly over moon-drenched meadows
    Silver-mantled is the land in the robes of enchantment
    A beauty out of light which seduces and beckons
    Notes of a song with pleading words


    Irrande själar de svävar som dis
    Välvda i älvringens lek
    Den sorgbundna modern hon faller på knä av nåd
    Skogens barn är här


    Straying souls, they float like mist
    Arched in the fairy ring's game
    The sorrowful mother, she falls to mercy's knee11
    The forest's children are here


    Se dem då, följ dem nu i natt

    See them then, follow them now tonight

    Älvor dansar vilt…

    The fae dance wildly...


    9 - An älva is something between an elf and a fairy. Since they are usually mentioned as a collective, I consider ”the fae” the closest English equivalent. You can imagine älvor like this:
    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...3%A9r_1850.jpg
    10 - Meaning the plant Lady’s Mantle, Alchemilla vulgaris
    11 - Literally ”she falls to a knee of mercy” - one could probably interpret this line differently (”mercy makes her fall to her knees”?)
     
  5. Albruna's Avatar

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    4. Vid Jore å // By the Jore creek12

    Rinn du Jore som tiden har flytt
    om våren rusar så strid
    vita blommor de smyckar din strand
    fridfullt flyter mot forsens brus


    Flow, you Jore, as time has flown
    When spring rushes swiftly
    White flowers adorn your banks
    Peacefully flowing toward the rapids' noise


    Mörka höljor, svarta djup
    vad där döljas, barnatro vid Jore å


    Dark pools13, black depths
    What is hidden there, child-faith in the Jore creek


    Öring vakar i strömmens ljuva lek
    under alens gröna löv
    skygga skuggor mot järnröd sand
    kvarnsten minner din ström av kraft


    Trout are watchful in the stream's lovely game
    Under the alder's green leaves
    Fleeting shadows against the iron-red sand
    The millstone remembers your stream's power


    Mörka höljor…


    Dark pools...

    Björkar vajar i morgonens ljumma bris
    dagen gryr och återföds
    sida vid sida vi vandrar välkänd stig
    ned i dalen mot barndoms å


    Birches sway in the morning's warm breeze
    The day dawns and is reborn
    Side by side we walk the well-known path
    Down in the valley toward childhood's creek


    Mörka höljor…

    Dark pools...


    12 - "Vid Jore Å is a song about a river close to where Patrik & Niklas grew up and the impact it had on their childhood until today, with the dark woods, old ruins and running water."
    Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20160804...ews.php?nr=676
    13 - A hölja is specificially a pool or especially deep spot within a river
    Last edited by Albruna; 12-06-2020 at 02:07 PM.
     
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    6. Storm // Storm

    Gynnsamma vindar för mig ut i gryningen
    bort över havet far jag nu,
    då jag ser skogsbeklädda åsar inåt land
    där väntar du mig än, kära vän


    Favourable winds lead me out at dawn
    Away across the sea I go now,
    I see the forest-clad ridges inland
    There you wait for me still, dear friend


    Havets ljus ömsom tindrar kallt
    så som bränningens vilda språng
    följer den våg som skall fjärma mig bort från dig
    i nordanskog där lämna jag min börd
    tills visdomens skördar står
    himmel och hav åter falla mot envars grav


    The ocean's light sometimes twinkles coldly
    just like the wild leaps of the surf
    I follow the wave that will lead me far away from you
    In the northern forest, there I leave my ancestral roots
    until the harvests of wisdom stand
    Sky and sea fall again into everyone's grave


    Stormen den dånar och vindens klagan tjöt
    vågorna sköljer mot kallfruset hjärta
    jag frös, frös…


    The storm, it roars, and the wind's wailing howls
    Waves wash against the cold frozen heart
    I froze, froze...


    Marelds sken speglar livets färd
    som nu vaggar i fjordens famn
    känslornas svall grips av längtan till fjärran land
    träder in i tordöns mörka rum
    i14 ett rike av bister köld
    förtappelsens stund att besvärja en urkrafts gud


    The mareel's15 shine mirrors the journey of life
    which now rocks in the fjord's embrace
    A swell of emotions gripped by longing for a distant land
    I step into thunder's dark room
    into a kingdom of bitter cold
    Ruin's hour to invoke a god of primeval might


    Stormen den dånar…

    The storm, it roars...

    Storm, storm i mitt hjärtas brunn
    stormen är vindens strid
    strid över havets vidd
    köld genom märg och ben
    frostiga andetag
    hårt piskar regnet mig


    Storm, storm in my heart's well
    The storm is the wind's battle
    Battle across the ocean's expanse
    The cold pierces marrow and bone
    Icy breathing
    Harshly the rain whips me


    Härskri hörs i stämmorna från nord
    i den skärande vindens rop
    ett rasande hav i dess boning jag tappert far
    avgrunds djup en förnimmelse av död
    med jagande käftars törst
    av urminnes hävd att få stilla sitt lystna rov


    Shouting voices I hear from north
    In the piercing wind's howl
    a raging sea in whose dwelling I bravely travel
    The abyss' depth a sensation of death
    with the thirst of hunting jaws
    Since ancient times allowed to quiet its eager prey


    Stormen den dånar…

    The storm, it roars...


    14 - Given as ”ty” in the album inlay, but I believe it should be ”i”.
    15 - Also known as the "milky seas effect", this refers to a brilliant glow in the ocean caused by bioluminescent bacteria.
     
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    7. Varg i veum // Intruder16 in the sanctuary

    Sägner i fordom förtäljer om dåd
    svärden höjdes och tingsfriden bröts
    blottar sitt sinne med dråpets begär
    härjar och skändar med ursinnes kraft


    Tales of old tell of a deed
    Swords were raised and the thing-peace17 was broken
    Revealing their intention with the desire for murder
    Raging, defiling with the strength of fury


    Håller de kära i tryggaste famn
    rädsla och fruktan var vägen de fann
    sprungen ur kärlekens heliga kved
    dömda att plågas i nidingars våld


    Holding the dear ones in safest embrace
    Fear and dread was the path they found
    Run out of love's holy womb
    Doomed to be tormented in the villains’ grip18


    Mörkret nalkas och stunden var svår
    berget det rämnar av smärta
    stungen av vrede i vargarnas tid
    ristat var ödet i sten


    Darkness draws near and the hour was hard
    The mountain breaks apart from pain
    Stung by rage in the time of the villains
    Carved in stone was fate


    Sorgen i hjärtat med flammande eldar
    jagar i blindo en osvuren vän
    skuggorna ruvar i skogarnas mörker
    facklorna tändas för driva dem hän


    Grief in the heart with flaming fires
    Blindly hunting an unsworn friend
    The shadows brood in the forests' darkness
    The torches are lit to drive them forth


    Varg i veum

    Intruder in the sanctuary

    Mörkret nalkas…

    Darkness draws near...



    16 - Generally, varg can also mean wolf in later usage, but in older usage it means a criminal, and "varg i veum" is an expression that refers to someone who breaks the peace of a sanctuary.
    17 - Wikipedia states: A thing was a governing assembly in early Germanic society, made up of the free people of the community presided over by lawspeakers.
    18 - Wikipedia states: In historical Germanic society, nīþ [...] was a term for a social stigma implying the loss of honour and the status of a villain. A person affected with the stigma is a nīðing.
     
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    8. Äril // Fireplace

    Lågor flämtar i vår äril såsom längtan den förtär
    liksom aska är då soten som elden vi alla bär
    blott det ringa är så vackert, jag giver mig till skogen hän
    likt en fura för min stolthet svärjer livet som sy för sägn


    Flames flicker in our fireplace like devouring longing
    And the ashes turn to soot like the fire we all bear
    Only the small is so beautiful, I give myself to the woods
    like a pine, for my pride pledges my life as a face for legends.


    Jag råder själv om alla tanker ty de tvivel i min själ
    Jag sörjer livet för dess fägnad om livet är mig kärt


    I advise myself of all thoughts because of the doubt in my soul19
    I mourn life for its joy if life is dear to me


    Såsom skuggspel uti natten leker ont för den som ser
    gillra fånga dödens ögon, vem skonar om ingen ber
    svaren stundar i vår levnad, jagar ödet som skall ske
    söka lyckan om den väntar, skänka tröst när sorgen led


    Like shadowplay in the night plays harm for those who look
    Catches the eyes of death, who spares when no one asks
    The answer approaches in our life, chasing the destiny that will be
    Seeking happiness if it waits, bringing comfort when grief is suffered


    Jag råder själv…

    I advise myself...

    Om vår äril nu falnar en gång
    spå mina händer i det som finns kvar
    minnen av lågor i askan den grå


    If our fireplace should now go out
    My hands will divine in that which is left
    Memories of flames in the grey ashes


    Ett järtecken varslar mig i en slocknade glöd
    I var gnista en gyllne tår som ämnar att dö


    I see a portent in a fading glow
    In each spark a golden tear destined to die


    Lågor flämtar i vår äril…

    Flames flicker in our fireplace...

    Jag råder själv om alla tanker…

    I advise myself...

    Om vår äril nu falnar en gång
    spå mina händer i det som fanns kvar
    minnen av lågor i askan den grå


    If our fireplace should now go out
    My hands will divine in that which was left
    Memories of flames in the grey ashes



    19 - The translation of this line is little more than a guess. I have no idea what it means. I also generally find this song a little mysterious, so take this translation with even more pinches of salt than the rest.
     
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    9. Skuld // Guilt

    Skrik av smärta, sårad av dess brinnande hat
    våldsam vrede, fruktar för mitt liv, skändar blod
    jag är fjättrad


    Screams of pain, wounded by its burning hatred
    Violent anger, I fear for my life, I defile blood
    I am shackled


    Färdas vid havets köld
    höjer min blick mot himmelen


    Traveling in the ocean's cold
    I raise my eyes to the sky


    Tårar svider i sargat skinn, andas tungt
    söker skälen, finna någon tröst att få nåd
    jag våndas


    Tears sting in torn skin, I breathe heavily
    Searching for the reason, to find a little comfort to get mercy
    I squirm


    Färdas vid havets köld
    höjer min blick mot himmelen


    Traveling in the ocean's cold
    I raise my eyes to the sky


    Mörker råder, tankarna flyter ödsligt
    jag skälver så ensam i salen av sten
    dunkla minnen jagar mig utan tvivel
    i fjärran de klagar för att få frid


    Darkness reigns, thoughts float in desolate ways
    I tremble alone in the hall of stone
    Dim memories chase me without doubt
    In the distance they sue for peace


    En gång trodde jag mig veta gåtor
    de fråga om skulden och sanningens svar
    bunden i den djupaste ångest
    lider för att leva med sorgen och evig skuld


    Once I thought myself to know riddles
    They ask about guilt and truth's answer
    Bound in the deepest anguish
    Suffering to live with grief and eternal guilt


    Skrik av smärta…

    Screams of pain...

    Färdas vid havets köld
    höjer min blick mot himmelen


    Traveling in the ocean's cold
    I raise my eyes to the sky
     
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    11. Bergakungen // The Mountain King

    Där stod han så resligt den bergakung från norr
    med ett trånande sinn
    En ungmö från bygden han snärjde till sin borg
    med sin trolldom


    There he stood so huge, the mountain king from the North
    with a wistful mind
    A maiden from the countryside he snared to his castle
    with his sorcery


    Och jungfrun hon rider med vinden i sitt hår
    så fager och skön som en älva
    Stjärnor de tindra på vägen hon skall fram
    i lönndom hon möter sin kära


    And the maiden, she rides, the wind in her hair
    As fair and beautiful as a fairy
    Stars shine on the path she shall take
    In secret she meets her beloved


    Hon faller i dvala med ögonen av sten
    i hans kyliga famn
    Hans galdrar är starka, i tusende år
    är hon fjättrad


    She falls into slumber with her eyes like stones
    in his cold embrace
    His magic is strong, for thousands of years
    she is shackled


    Om afton hon klär sig med gyllene behag
    ty hon fägnar sin kung
    I mörkaste kammarn hon ämnar att stå brud
    med sin bergakung


    In the evening she dresses herself with golden delight
    for she pleases her king
    In the darkest chamber she intends to stand bride
    with her mountain king
     
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    12. Morgonstjärnan // Morning Star20 21

    Blodat bräde mellan gårdar gå från hand till hand
    Odalmän de sitter i vadmal grå
    De svärjer i sitt röda blod en ed att svika ej
    Budbringaren rider i skogens värnande sköte


    A bloodied board22 goes from hand to hand between farms
    Farmers23 sit in grey homespun clothes
    They swear in their red blood an oath that is not to be broken
    The messenger rides in the forest's safeguarding lap


    Morgonstjärnan manar strid
    Morgonstjärnan, ond bråd död
    Budet sveper fram, det skall färdas långt


    The morning star urges to battle
    Morning star, sudden violent death
    The message sweeps the land, it will travel far


    Tidener är komna om upprorshärd i Värends land
    Kedjan må ej brytas i lagfäst blod
    Åldrigt är det tecken som skurits ut ur eldsvett trä
    Budkaveln löper genom nätter och dagar


    Tidings have come of a rebellion in the land of Värend
    The chain may not be broken in lawful blood
    Aged is the sign carved from fire-touched wood
    The message board travels night and day


    Till att värja rätten åter
    Bringa stridens djupa sår
    Offra livet för dess armod
    Deras frihet evigt skall bestå


    To defend the right again
    They bring battle's deep wounds
    Sacrifice their lives for their poverty
    Their freedom shall be eternal



    20 - The morning star as a weapon was a wide-spread symbol in Sweden for peasant armies - and also for their uprisings - in the 1500s and 1600s.
    21 - This song is based on the book ”Rid i natt!” by Vilhelm Moberg.
    Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20090108...juer/fejd.html
    22 - The board referred to throughout this text, the ”budkavel”, is a small piece of wood that used to be a popular way to transport messages.
    23 - Odalmän were free tenant farmers who passed a farm down through generations.
    Last edited by Albruna; 04-29-2021 at 02:21 AM.