Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1895
Sov du lilla vide ung
Buy Sov du lilla vide ung now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'Sov du lilla videung' (English: "Sleep, you little willow young"), otherwise known as 'Videvisan' ("Willow song") or 'Solskenets visan' ("Sunshine's song") is a poem by the author Zachris Topelius which was first published in the ninth issue of the children's magazine 'Trollslndan' ("Dragonfly") on February 27, 1869.Zacharias Topelius, "Vinterlek" in 'Trollslndan' (Helsinki: Theodor Sederholms boktryckeri, 1869) (9): pp. 6569.
Topelius is considered to be the first author of Swedish-language literature specifically intended for children. From the 1840s till his death he wrote some 230 poems, songs, stories and fairy tales. He was also the first in Scandinavia to write plays for children. He appeared widely, including in 'Trollslndan', with columns under the heading 'Vinterlek' ("Winter play"). He intended the pieces he wrote to become a part of children's play, not to be used as theatrical performances.[http://www.topelius.fi/index.php?docid=26 'Barnlitteratur' ("Children's literature")], 'Zacharias Topelius Skrifter', Svenska litteratursllskapet i Finland. Accessed 12 October 2012.
'Sov du lilla videung' was part of just such a small children's play entitled 'Stormen och Solskenet' ("The storm and the sunshine"). The introduction describes the main role of the "Sunshine" character:
The most famous musical setting for the poem is by the Swedish composer Alice Tegnr (1864–1943).
Topelius's text
'Stormen och Solskenet' has three roles, all intended to be played by children. The game begins with set design guidelines: "The playroom represents a country road going through a forest. It is early spring; the snow is melting, and birds are singing." A bit further into the text Sunshine says: "Could I bring the willow bush to life? I want to try." 'She takes a branch of willow bush, rocks it on her knee and sings:'
:'Sof, du lilla videung; n s r det vinter.'
:'n s sofva bjrk och ljung, ros och hyacinther.'
::'n s r det lngt till vr,'
::'Innan rnn i blomma str.'
:'Sof, du lilla videung, n s r det vinter.'
:("Sleep, you little willow young; still it is the winter.
:So sleep yet, birch and roses, hyacinths and heather.
::For it's long until the spring,
::Ere the rowans flowers bring.
:Sleep, you little willow young, for it's still the winter.")
Sunshine continues: "When I gaze at you, the sap begins to rise out into your fine bark, you get warm around your frozen heart, and feel something in the air, which tells you the spring is coming. Yes, so is it '(sings:)'
:'Solskensga ser p dig; solskens famn dig vaggar.'
:'Snart blir grnt p skogens stig, snart hvar blomma flaggar.'
::'n en liten solskensbn:'
::'Vide liten blir s grn.'
:'Solskensga ser p dig; solskens famn dig vaggar.'
:("Eye of Sunshine gaze at you; in Sunshine's lap you rock.
:Soon will green the forest path, raising every bloom aloft.
::Yet a little Sunshine-plea:
::Willow little, be so green.
:Eye of Sunshine gaze at you; in Sunshine's lap you rock.")
In 1871 Topelius's fourth issue of 'Lsning fr barn' ("Reading for children") appeared. 'Stormen och Solskenet' was published once more but with some minor changes to the lyrics.Zacharias Topelius, 'Lsning fr barn. 4, Lekar, visor och sagor'. Helsinki: Edlund. pp. 6166, 1871. Libris 3272989
Musical settings
* Alice Tegnr's musical setting for the song was published in 1895 in the third booklet of the 'Sjung med oss, Mamma!' ("Sing with us, Mama!") series, under the title 'Videvisan' ("Willow song")Alice Tegnr, 'Sjung med oss, Mamma! 3, 18 smvisor.' Stockholm: Skoglund, 1895 Libris 10467632 Tegnr adjusted the text slightly to fit her melody and modernized the spelling.Alice Tegnr, songtext at Videvisan, 30 July 2011, Swedish-language Wikisource. Accessed 12 October 2012. Tegnr's songs were reprinted in 1943 in the 'Nu ska vi sjunga' ("Now we shall sing") anthology under the title 'Visor om djur och blommor' ("Songs about animals and flowers").Annie Petersson, ed. 'Nu ska vi sjunga: sngbok fr de frsta skolren'. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1943. Libris=2658017
* In 1900 the Danish-Swedish composer Preben Nodermann (1867–1930) published a melody (with minor modifications of Topelius's text) titled 'Solskenets visa' ("Sunshine's song") in 'Sex visor fr barn' ("Six songs for children").Zacharias Topelius and Preben Nodermann, 'Sex visor fr barn.' Lund: Gleerupska University bookstore, 1900. Libris=3263922 Danish and Norwegian versions of the song, entitled 'Solskinnsvise', have become well known and have been published in Norway both as sheet music and as recordings.'Solskinnsvise'. Bibsys.no. Accessed 22 May 2011.
* The Swedish composer Ivar Hallstrm also wrote a melody to Topelius's text entitled 'Solskenets visa', which was published in a 1931 songbook of the Gothenburg public school system.'Sngbok', Gteborg: Gteborgs folkskolor. p. 55, 1931. Libris=11235682 Hallstrm's song text differs from both the Topelius original and the Tegnr version.
Score examples with audio
Recordings
.[http://www.78record.de/museum/f-h.htm Gnom], along with several German 78-rpm labels, is shown at Michael Schmiedecke's virtual gramophone museum", 2005. Accessed 12 October 2012.
An early recording of the Tegnr version was made by Inga Berentz in Stockholm in 1909.'[http://smdb.kb.se/catalog/id/002034672 1. Julvisa (Nu s kommer julen, nu r julen hr); 2. Olle i skogen; Videvisan]', Sung by operetta singer Inga Berentz, Stockholm, Swedish media database. Accessed 10 June 2011. In May 1925 Polyphon recorded the song's performance by soprano Margareta Schnstrm; it was published on the company's 78-rpm Gnom brand with the catalogue number K 139.'[http://smdb.kb.se/catalog/id/002055631 Sov du lilla vide ung; Gud, som haver barnen kr]', sung by actress Margareta Schnstrm, soprano. Stockholm: Skandinaviska Polyphon. May 1925. Accessed 9 August 2011. Maria Llerena has also sung it in Spanish as 'Duerme mi Nenita' on her 1988 album 'Chiquitico mio'.'[http://smdb.kb.se/catalog/id/001481880 Chiquitico mio]'. Swedish media database. Accessed 13 June 2011. In addition, there are over 100 recordings listed in the Swedish media database.'[http://smdb.kb.se/catalog/search?q=videvisan Videvisan]'. Swedish media database. Accessed 10 June 2011.'[http://smdb.kb.se/catalog/search?q=%22Sov+du+lilla+vide+ung%22 Sov du lilla vide ung]'. Swedish media database. Accessed 10 June 2011.
References
Category:Swedish children's songs
Category:1895 songs
Category:Holiday songs
Category:Lullabies
Category:Songs about flowers
Buy Sov du lilla vide ung now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1895