Vatnsdalur from Flúr by FUNI
Text: Grímur Lárusson (1926 - 1995). Tunes: trad., arr. Bára Grímsdóttir & Chris Foster.
This is another of Grímur’s poems about his beloved Vatnsdalur. It was written on the occasion of a visit to Grímstunga for his father’s 92nd birthday in December 1981, and set to probably the best known tvísöngur stemma from Vatnsdalur. The second tune woven into this piece is a borðsálmur. It was collected in Vatnsdalur and we found it in ‘Íslensk Þjóðlög’.
Tracklist
| 2. | Vatnsdalur | 5:25 |
Lyrics
English translation
Hello my dear countryside
Evening with blue sky.
We do not see anywhere else
as lovely as this.
The whole sky is heaven-blue,
my mind at rest.
The bright moon grins
at his old friend.
One’s mind will be moved,
somnolent splendour we see.
Aurora borealis flashes,
a light dance in the blue heavens.
Now the countryside is beautiful,
Snow drifts covers the dry grass.
Clear ice glitters.
The Vatnsdalur river gleams.
Crystalline snow shines far and wide,
this is a glorious place.
I am like a child again,
deeply happy.
I will be utterly happy,
I will dream delightful dreams.
Blessed and happy, I fall asleep
in my countryside home.
Credits
Vocal and kantele, Bára Grímsdóttir
Langspil, Chris Foster
Clarinet, Lárus Halldór Grímsson
License
All rights reserved.
FUNI, an old Icelandic word meaning flame or fire, are Bára Grímsdóttir & Chris Foster. Since 2001, they have been breathing new life into great songs that have been hidden away in old recordings, old books and manuscripts for too long. They also add new songs to the tradition. Bára and Chris tour widely in Europe, as well as Iceland and Britain. They have also played in China and the USA.