Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)

Subject: Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 May 16 - 01:29 AM

Can anybody tell me more about this song? It's in Girl Scout and school songbooks.

"PER SPELMANN" (Per the Musician) is the story of a musician who trades his only cow to get
back his good, old violin. He plays that instrument until the fiddle laughs, the boys dance, and the
girls cry!

/:Per spelmann, han hadde ei einaste ku, :/ /:Han bytta bort kua, fekk fela igjen,:/ “Du gamle go'e fiolin, du fiolin, Du fela mi!” /:Per spelmann, han spelta, Aa fela hu laat!:/ /:Saa gutterne dansa', Aa jenterne graat.:/ “Du gamle go'e fiolin, du fiolin, Du fela mi!” /: Aa um eg vert gammal Som mose paa tre, :/ /: Saa aldrig eg bytta burt Fela i fe. :/ “Du gamle go'e fiolin, du fiolin, Du fela mi!”

/:Per, the musician, had only one cow,:/ /:He traded the cow, got his fiddle back,:/ "You old, good violin, you violin, You fiddle mine!” /: Per, the musician, he played, And the fiddle, she laughed! :/ /: 'Til the boys were dancing, And the girls cried. :/ "You old, good violin, you violin, You fiddle mine!” /: And if I become old As moss on a tree, :/ /:Then never would I trade away Fiddle again. :/ "You old, good violin, you violin, You fiddle mine!”

http://www.norwegianmelodies.com/translations.htm

Subject: ADD Version: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 May 16 - 01:07 AM

Here's the version from Our Chalet II, a songbook by the Girl Scouts and Girl Guides. It's quite different from the version above.

PER SPELMANN

Per spelmann han hadde ei einaste ku,
Per spelmann han hadde ei einaste ku,
Han bytta bort kua, fekk fela igjen,
Han bytta bort kua, fekk fela igjen,

CHORUS
"Du gamle, gode fiolin, du fiolin,
Du fela mi!"

Per spelmann han spela, og fela ho let, (twice)
sa gutane dansa og jentone gret. (twice)
CHORUS

Og om eg vert gamal som stein under bru (twice)
so aldri eg byter bort fela for ku! (twice)
CHORUS

Og om eg vert gamal som skorpe pa graut, (twice)
so aldri eg byter bort fela for naut! (twice)
CHORUS

YouTube has lots of recordings of this song. Here's one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRpWAAUWQ6g

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spellmann (Norwegian)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 May 16 - 01:18 AM

And another:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUsD1IHHXhg

"PER SPELMANN" (Per the Musician) is the story of a musician who trades his only cow to get back his good, old violin. He plays that instrument until the fiddle laughs, the boys dance, and the girls cry!

Lyrics (same as above, but maybe more readable):

Per spelmann, han hadde ei einaste ku,
Han bytta bort kua, fekk fela igjen,
"Du gamle go'e fiolin, du fiolin,
Du fela mi!"

Per spelmann, han spelta,
Aa fela hu laat!
Saa gutterne dansa',
Aa jenterne graat.
"Du gamle go'e fiolin, du fiolin,
Du fela mi!"

Aa um eg vert gammal
Som mose paa tre,
Saa aldrig eg bytta burt
Fela i fe.
"Du gamle go'e fiolin, du fiolin,
Du fela mi!"

English translation:

Per, the musician, had only one cow,
He traded the cow, got his fiddle back,
"You old, good violin, you violin,
You fiddle mine!"

Per, the musician, he played,
And the fiddle, she laughed!
'Til the boys were dancing,
And the girls cried.
"You old, good violin, you violin,
You fiddle mine!"

And if I become old
As moss on a tree,
Then never would I trade away
Fiddle again.
"You old, good violin, you violin,
You fiddle mine!"

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spellmann (Norwegian)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 May 16 - 01:21 AM

...and as a dance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIF1f5gaREg

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 02 May 16 - 06:58 AM

!!!
I learned this on the 'Devonia' school cruise to Iceland and Norway in 1964 (?) along with eth Norwegian national anthem -- both of which I can still sing from memory with no idea of what the words mean in the nathional anthem- - I vaguely remember the story about the fiddle and the cow- - kinda similar to Scots language anyway/watching all those Scandinavian noir detective programmes so can work it out.
We had cultural/geological/historical lectures on board during the cruise (and the newly released Beatles movie - was it 'Help'?! Saw it every night for a week - -- )
Our trip was not long after the eruption on Surtsey (?) the new volcanic island off Iceland.

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: GUEST
Date: 03 May 16 - 07:24 AM

Per Spelmann / Peder Olsen Kringlehaugen is a very famous figure in Norwegian fiddle music about whom there are many stories; many involving drink, ladies and at least one pawning of an instrument.

It's up for debate as to whether he is the eponymous character, adopted the nickname because of the song or it's a happy co-incidence. The internet is not a place to let the truth get in the way of a good story - so beware .. here's a page that touches on the topic :
http://hogfiddle.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/there-really-was-per-spelmann.html

Whilst Per has 'Godfather' status - I've often heard it said that this is to the detriment of other equally (or more) accomplished and yet less well known musicians. Apocryphilia & Comedy songs are part of that narrative as well!

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: GUEST,Paul F. Anderson
Date: 03 Aug 18 - 03:13 PM

Tom Fiddler
“Per Spelmann”

|: Tom Fiddler he had just one cow, so they say, :|
|: He bartered his cow for a fiddle one day. :|
|: "O good old, sweet old violin, old violin, o fiddle mine!" :|

|: Tom Fiddler he fiddled, he was so adept, :|
|: The lads fell a-dancing, the lasses all wept. :|
|: "O good old, sweet old violin, old violin, o fiddle mine!" :|

|: "And though I grow old like the moss on the bough, :|
|: I'll never swap my violin for a cow." :|
|: "O good old, sweet old violin, old violin, o fiddle mine!" :|

Norwegian folksong
English lyrics: Christopher Norman (pen name of Norwegian translator Ragnar Christophersen)

The above lyrics were published in the 1950 anthology: "Norway Sings".
Norway Sings: a collection of Norwegian folk music, (Oslo: Norsk
musikforlag, 1950).

Pelle Joner recorded “Per Spelmann” for his 1958 LP on the Smithsonian label. His liner notes included “Tom Fiddler” but did not credit the translator.

DOWNLOAD LINER NOTES WITH “TOM FIDDLER”
https://folkways.si.edu/pelle-joner/norwegian-folk-songs/world/music/album/smithsonian

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: leeneia
Date: 03 Aug 18 - 10:39 PM

Thanks for the links, everyone. I particularly liked the song with the Norwegian violin. I forget what you call it.

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: Murpholly
Date: 04 Aug 18 - 04:34 AM

I learnt a versian of Per Spelman years ago in Singing Together.

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: Senoufou
Date: 04 Aug 18 - 04:54 AM

Yes, Murpholly, I remember teaching this to my class with Singing Together.
The words went 'He wanted a fiddle but didn't know how'.
My twelve year-olds surreptitiously sang, 'He wanted to piddle but didn't know how'.
They fondly imagined I didn't hear them.

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: Felipa
Date: 02 May 21 - 04:29 PM

I've been sampling recordings of Per Spelmann tonight, so I checked to see if the song is already on "the Cat".So it's as good a time as any to refresh this discussion thread.

I was doing a search to see if I could find any online Learn a Norwegian song workshops. I found out about one current series of Swedish song workshops, but nothing for Norwegian songs. There was one as part of this weekend's "Scandimoot", an annual Scandinavian music workshop weekend based in Yorkshire.

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 04 May 21 - 01:58 PM

Hardanger fiddle, maybe Leeneia, which has "sympathetic strings" which ring along with the ones being bowed. Usually beautifully decorated with mother-of=pearl inlay.

Subject: Lyr Add: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 04 May 21 - 05:14 PM

Seeing this discussion, and mention of Singing Together, I thought I should add the version as taught in British schools:

___________________________-

PER SPELMANN
Norwegian folk song

1, Per Spelmann the fiddler was hungry and cold;
He wanted a cow so his fiddle he sold.
He very soon found than no milk would she give;
“No milk and no food, oh how shall I live?”
        “Oh-lee, oh-lay, my violin, my violin,
        my fiddle can play!”

2, Per Spelmann the fiddler he looked at hi cow;
“My fiddle was worth ten of you, that I vow.”
His cow he took down to the market next day;
He bought back his fiddle and started to play.
        “Oh-lee, oh-lay, my violin, my violin,
        my fiddle can play!”

3, Per Spelmann he played till the rafters they rang, (twice)
The boys they all danced and the girls they all sang. (twice)
        “Oh-lee, oh-lay, my violin, my violin,
        my fiddle can play!”

4, ‘But if I grow old as the moss on the tree, (twice)
My fiddle shall never be parted from me. (twice)
        “Oh-lee, oh-lay, my violin, my violin,
        my fiddle can play!”

X: 1
T:Per Spelmann
M:6/8
L:1/8
S: Rhythm & Melody Summer 1952
Z: NP 04 May 2021
K:Eb
B| BFA GEe| dec B2 B| BFA GEe| dec B2 B| B3/c/d eBG| G3/A/F E2 B| B3/c/d e(BG)| G3/A/F E2 B|e2 B G2 F| E/E/EG E/E/EG| FFD E2||
w: Per Spel-mann the fid-dler was hun-gry and cold; He want-ed a cow so his fid-dle he sold. He ve-ry soon found than no milk would she give; “No milk and no food, oh_ how shall I live?” “Oh-lee, oh-lay, my vi-o-lin, my vi-o-lin, my fid-dle can play!”

This is taken from the Radio programme "Rhythm and Music" for the Summer Term 1952. No attribution is given for the English lyrics,
NP

Subject: RE: Origins: Per Spelmann (Norwegian)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 05 May 21 - 07:41 AM

Re-reading the thread, the version I quoted above from Rhythm & Melody (Summer '52 or Spring '57) doesn't match Eliza's memory.
Perhaps there was a different version in Singing Together?
Yes. different translation (with attribution). Different key for the tune, and a brief melodic intro. So:

_________________

PER SPELMAN
Norwegian folk song: English words Beatrice Krone

1, Per Spelman was lucky to have one good cow,
He wanted to fiddle but did not know how;
So he traded his cow for a good violin,
His neighbours all said it was really a sin,
His only cow for a violin, a violin, a violin.

2, Per Spelman played music that sounded so good,
His neighbours all wanted to trade, if he would.
He said ‘If I bargain, my troubles begin,
So I’d better stick to my old violin,
I’ll keep my good old violin, my violin, my violin.’

3, Per Spelman he played and his neighbours could see,
That if he grew old as the moss on the tree,
He’d never take money, his ire it would arouse
For he’d never trade back for a herd of fine cows!
He’d ne’er give up his violin, his violin, his violin



X: 1
T:Per Spelman
M:6/8
L:1/8
S: Singing Together Spring 1982
Z: NP 05 May 2021
K:D
A| d3A3| B3E3| A3/A/A ABc| (d3d2) A| AEG FDd| cdB A2 A| AEG FDd| cdB A2 A/A/| A3/B/c dAF| F3/G/E A2 A| A3/B/c dAF| F3/G/E A2 A|d2 A F2 D/D/| D/D/DF D/D/DF| E2CD2
w: ||||**Per Spel-man was luck-y to have one good cow, He want-ed to fid-dle but did not know how; So he trad-ed his cow for a good vi-o-lin, His neigh-bours all said it was real-ly a sin, His on-ly cow for a vi-o-lin, a vi-o-lin, a vi-o-lin.

Transcribed from Singing Together (BBC broadcasts for schools) Spring Term 1982. Attribution of the English words is given on the index page (back cover)
NP