Visur Vatnsenda-rosu

Here 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

Björk 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.

When 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.

This 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?

This 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.

Wow...the story of Rosa is sad and beautiful.

Augun 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

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

This 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.