Visur Vatnsenda-rosu

General CommentHere is the translated lyric for Vísur Vatnsenda-Rósu. I saw another translation, but this is my try at it:

Verse from Rósa of Water's End

My eyes and your eyes
Oh, those fair stones
Mine was yours and yours was mine
You know what I mean
Long has it been since I saw him
He was truly handsome
All the grace a man should have
He stood out from among them
You I mourn for most of all
Weary with a flood of tears
Oh, that we never had met
My fond friend, my dear

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General CommentBjörk recorded this traditional Icelandic tune for 'Songs From The Cold Seas’ by Hector Zazou. This song appeared on
"Chansons Des Mers Froides" - 1994 - French CD
"Songs From The Cold Seas" - 1994 - US CD
and
"Possibly Maybe" 3 of 3 - 1996 - UK CD single.

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General CommentWhen I was in Iceland in August of 1997, I found a little blurb about Rosa Guthmundsdottir on a folk music tape that had Visur Vatnsenda-Rosu on it. I wrote it down in my little book.
Enjoy,
-Stephen

Visur Vatnsenda-Rosu - Rosa Guthmundsdottir

Rosa Guthmundsdottir (1795-1855) was a very intelligent and beautiful girl "who made poetry as fast as other people talked". She was a maid at a magistrate's estate and fell madly in love with his clerk, a handsome and very promising young man. He loved her too but his fate was to make the magistrate's daughter pregnant. His life became one of wealth and happiness; her world was from then on one of poverty and despair. Yet she always loved him and these beautiful verses are a token of her bleeding heart.

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General CommentThis is the most incredibly beautiful song. It is on a cd single I picked up in a bargain bin, and is just one of the best bjork songs you can listen to. The quality of her voice is stunning. I really do not care that I have no idea what the song is about. Any one speak icelandic out there?

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General CommentThis is an old icelandic song.. it's about this girl falling in love with this Wonderfull and good looking boy.. her being heart broken wishing they had never met.

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General CommentWow...the story of Rosa is sad and beautiful.

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General CommentAugun þín og augun mín
Ó þá fögru steina
Mitt var þitt og þitt var mitt
þú veist hvað ég meina
Langt er síðan sá ég hann
Sannlega fríður var hann
Allt sem prýða má einn mann
mest af lýðum bar hann
þig ég trega manna mest
Mædda af tára flóði
Ó að við hefðum aldrei sést
elsku vinurinn góði

actually she sings the first line the other way round

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General CommentBjork's voice is so intense here, just realized I've been procrastinating listening to her albums again for some years now.

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General CommentThis is the most intensely sad song I have ever heard.
The first time I heard it; I remember the hairs prickling on the back of my neck and my eyes stung with tears.
It is only today that I have read the English translation.
Its apparently a song of grief about a man who was lost at sea ('I mourn for you above all others')
It is so, so very sad.
Its not a song that can be listened to many times.

Bjork's voice is incredibly moving and intense and suitable for this lyric.

She is alternately vulnerable and grief-stricken and gentle and fierce.
I have to say; its one of the best things she's ever done.

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