When the Multe Music crew was in Norway, we received an invitation to go to a concert by the Swedish group, Triakel, at the wonderful cultural heritage farm in Sør-Fron, Rudi Gard. Alas, it wasn't to be…
Triakel is a group well worth experiencing live. The name has a couple of meanings. There are three members of the group (trio) and "triakel" is a sweet, but very dark Swedish liqueur.
The group is:
- Emma Härdelin – vocals
- Kjell-Erik Eriksson – fiddle
- Janne Strömstedt – harmonium
All three are well-established in the forefront of Swedish folk music. Emma and Kjell-Erik are also active in the groups Garmarna and Hoven Droven.
In this video, Emma sings a sad song of love destroyed. I learned a Norwegian version of this tune many years ago. In Norwegian, the lyrics are:
Jeg går i tusind tanker,
jeg elsker den, jeg ej kan få.
Mens han i glæden vanker,
jeg ene sørge må.
Stor sorg er det, jeg dig ej fik,
som jeg nu har så kær.
Så mange falske mennesker
årsagen dertil er.Se blomsterne de skønne,
hvor dejlig de på marken stå.
Jeg sørger mig til døde
for den, jeg ej kan få.
Ja, om jeg nu i døden går,
da bliver sorgen din.
Ret aldrig udi verden
går du ud af mit sind.Langt heller vil jeg vandre
den lange vej med stort besvær,
end som jeg ville leve
blandt falske mennesker.
Til øde mark jeg rejse vil,
og der mit telt opslå.
For hvert et ord jeg taler,
af skoven svar jeg får.
A YouTube reader posted the following English poetic, but not literal, translation:
A thousand thoughts oppress me
For love of one who cant be mine.
As through the world I ramble,
All I can do is pine.
All I can feel is the pain I bear
And its all for you, my dear.
Mankind's false heart betrayed me
And left me in despair.
If I had never seen you,
Your hands, your face, your clear blue eyes,
If I had never been there
The first time you walked by,
I might have spent my days in joy.
I might be content and free.
The day will never dawn now
When sorrow leaves me be.
The pretty flowers of summer
I see them everywhere I go,
But death is all I long for,
Since your love Ill never know.
And if my fates to die for you,
To you Ill leave my pain,
For never while Im living
Will I be free again.
It's one of those wonderful, wrenching, melancholy songs that people from the North do so well. And the sparse accompaniment makes the performance even more beautiful.
