Lyr Req: Rose Song (Steve Byrne)

Subject: Lyr Req: Steve Byrne - Rose Song
From: Alan.Ackerman
Date: 03 May 13 - 12:32 AM

I just heard this song on Travelling Folk. I couldn't understand the strong Scottish accent, so I searched Google for lyrics, but no luck.

His web site says:

"I began recording at the beginning of April 2005 on a track called Rose Song, which is an old traditional Norwegian song I learned from a great singer called Jon Anders Halvorsen and I translated it into Angus dialect."

The web site says it is on his "Songs from Home" CD.

Anyone have the lyrics?

Links:

Web Site: http://www.stevebyrne.co.uk/pagex.asp?bioid=1785

Travelling Folk on BBC Radio Scotland: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s4pg8

(This particular program will be on for 7 more days. That's May 2-9, 2013, I think.)

Subject: Lyr Add: ROSE SONG (S Byrne) +EN ROSE JEG HAR SETT
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 03 May 13 - 06:51 AM

Hi Alan,

Here are the words from the horse's mooth so to speak! Thanks for your interest. The song has also been recorded by Lucy Pringle & Chris Wright as well as myself. The Norwegian version you can find on 'Nattsang' by Tore Bruvoll and Jon Anders Halvorsen, on the Heilo label.

I had the privilege of performing a dual Scots/Norwegian version with the lads in 2004 at Telemarkfestivalen in Bø, Norway, near to the village of Folkestad, where the song originates. I know it as 'En rose jeg har sett', [A rose I have seen], though sometimes it's called 'Folkestadvisa', visa approximately meaning 'song'.


"A rose that I hae seen, oot in a simmer's gairden
The bonniest o them aa, that e'er the Lord gied life tae
The mair Ah watched it grow, the fairer it became
An maist o aa fur me, fa seldom roses sees

There was a wee bit time that I had leave tae gang in
Atween the trees and flooers aa gloriously bloomin
But the gairden soon wis closed, they had forbidden me
They widna low me in, ma fairest rose tae see   

There war five years had passed, an I never kent anither
Or thocht that ye an me micht fade oot aa thegither
Sae oft tae ye ah trekked, though lang ma way did prove
But ane passed nearer by, an he tends the gairden noo

Ah wish fur ye ma freen so many peaceful nichts
As the linden bears its leaf, and the rowan bears its berry
Like the bird oot on the wing, the sand alow the wave
The star oot o'er the strath, in heaven's peaceful ha'"


Norwegian original:
"En rose jeg har sett uti en blomsterhave
den aller finaste som Herren monne skabe
Til meir den vokst opp, ja skjønnere den blev
og aller mest for meg, som skjeldan rosur ser

Det var ei lita tid då eg fekk lov å gange
imellom tre og frukt og blom med herleg ange
Men så blei hagen stengd, eg fekk kje koma inn
Det blei forbode meg, å sjå dei blomekinn

Det var ei femårs tid, eg inkje anna visste
hell' at det skulle bli, med deg og meg til visse
Eg ofte te deg gjekk, og lang var vegen min
men ein som nærer var, han slapp i hagen inn

Eg ynskjer deg min ven så mange rolege mettar
som linden bærer løv, og haslen bærer netar
Som fugl uti lund, som sand på havsens bunn
som stjernur uten tal, på himlens frydesal"

[from the singing of Halvor Håkanes (1958-) and Aslak Brekke (1901-1978)]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rose Song (Steve Byrne)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Aug 23 - 09:49 AM

Such a great song!