Swedish: I den stora tysta natt, Står jag här vid skeppets ratt, Under himlens stjärnehär, Man på post mig satt. Efter läng och strävsam dag, Hör jag fjärran vingeslag, Svalors flock, som åter går, Mot nord, mot ljus, mot vår.
Chorus: Hälsa dem därhemma, hälsa far och mor, Hälsa gröna hagen, hälsa lille bror, Om jag hade vingar, flöge jag med dig, Svala, flyg mot hemmet, hälsa ifrån mig. Lilla svala, fastän svag, Dag och natt, och natt och dag, Förer dig til målet fram Snabba vingeslag.
Svala, tänk också på mig, Gärna flöge jag med dig, Hemma står väl ängen grön, O, svala, hör min bön. English: Stars above Blandade frågor shining bright, Gleaming on the waves tonight, While on the ship I sail from home; I remember, though I roam!
High above I see them fly, Swallows flitting through the sky, Heading for the land I love — The land from which I rove. Chorus: Greet my family at home; Greet my father there, And my dear old mother, My love with golden hair. Little swallow, fly for me, Fly back home across the sea, Take my message back to them I had to leave at home.
Thank you so much for your recordings. They have a beautiful piano there in the museum and I think it would be such a perfect activity to play and teach this song to help children understand immigration. As a second grade teacher, I use music to help children connect emotionally to big topics.
What a beautiful song! They will never look at a swallow again as anything other than a messenger of greeting and hope and love. My mother use to play this song on the piano to me as a child. I have been looking all over for it! Granddad came over from Sweden in at the age of His passage was on the HMS Transylvania.
I still have his boarding pass and a picture of him taken right before he left Sweden for America. Brings tear to my eye, thinking of my Grandparents who left Sweden in to never return for a visit. More to my knowledge any descendants have.
Beautiful melody and voice. Sad words, but sweet. For other versions, read through the previous comments; the question has already been answered. Learned this song when I was young from my grandmother, but never knew the meaning. Wonderful and meaningful.
My mother had breast cancer before her 50th birthday. On her 50th my dad gave her a party in his bar.