My translation of Ulver - Bergtatt

[Harp Heaven]

Okay, here`s my go at it. I did not have a Norwegian - English dictionary at my side, so all words et.c. was taken off the top of my head. If I get access to one in the imminent future, I`ll do some words I were unsure of. Enjoy...

1. Chapter I: Lost in the Forest of Trolls

They were expecting the return of the wench
She was lost in the dark forest
Carpets of snow had folded themselves
On the path home - her only friend

If she had only been able to
Follow the path of the stars
She would no longer be lost
Among these dark pines

The dark arms of the forest embraced the stranger
Made her remember in the saddest confines of her mind
That in the hall of the mountain king they thirst for the blood of christians


[The Subterranean]

"It closes in silently: A sorrowclad girl
sits therein with hands folded
She sends a prayer to the divine kingdom"

Over her head
It drips from a branch
Drop by drop like the blood
From the body of Jesus christ

[The Girl]

"Oh, alone in an eerie forest
I feel tonight
That noone thinks of me"

2. Chapter II: The Sun Sets Behind the Hills

Slowly she turns her head halfway
Listening distantly to words being spoken
Some place underground, about the plight of the heart

[The Girl]
"The sun sets behind the hills
The shadows grow so long
Nightfall comes soon
Taking me prisoner"

The tears followed her longing
A longing for her own
She wanted so dearly to have them in her embrace
The sorrow set root in unspeakable torment

She cries
She fades
She looks not at the nightly path

She falls asleep on a bed of moss

And everything falls silent
And covers a tenebrous darkness
The path of her dreams


3. Chapter III: She Becomes Aware of the Grey Gaze

She is being beheld from afar
Eyes, many grey gazes
As the moon glides silently

[The Girl]

"I notice cold eyes
What do I perceive - I must be quick
Before sorcery takes me with force"

Eyes still behold her
Looking curiously at her from a distance

Norwegian night is freezing cold
When sound like howling wolverine starts
Thunder rolls
(angst blossoms)

The world is the snow
- Silent

The alleys she breathes
Her heart throbs
The blood freezes in her veins

[The Subterranean]

"The wellspring of Sorrow rests
on the tornclad trees
She is so beautiful
Her dream fastens the hold of the sun"

On these white cheeks
On this mouth that smile has left
The tears flow in rivers
When the world is at rest

4. Chapter IV: A Voice Tempts
She awakes on shadowy paths
In the dark green chamber of the woods
Then, a voice whispers anew
Among the canopy

[The Voice]

"Come, if you want! Come to the dark!
My black eye shall win you!
My soft hair shall bind you!"
(These tempting, alluring words...)

[The Girl]

"Oh sweet voice, why do you wake
my secret pain now
in these silent woods?"

[The Voice]

"Wench, what do you expect to gain here?
Follow me down to the valley
How do you stop contemplating
Our happiness, our peace at home?"

[The Girl]
"I do not understand - I feel so strange...
Tell me...must I - must I?"

5. Chapter V: Mountaintaken - Into the Mountainchambers
The girl prayed for herself
It could do nothing but help
And with that, another girl they took
Do with her what they wanted
And not what they should

There, where she saw the house of shadows
So cold and perpetually blue

The mountain took her
To its hard granitecheeks
Once again, blackest night ruled
And now she is gone...

She cries out with her last breath
An elegy we will never forget
-a petrified body
...the Moon is gone
the stars are dim too

Ho! It rains and it blows
Because far north in the mountains
Deep under the surface
It plays...

 

[spaffe]

great work! i love this album but even tho i'm from sweden i find some of the lyrics pretty hard to interpret which has bothered me. thanks

 

[Erik]

Good work and all, but why would you want to do this when there is an official translation?

U L V E R
B E R G T A T T - E T E E V E N T Y R I 5 C A P I T L E R
S P E L L B O U N D - A F O L K T A L E I N 5 P A R T S

C A P I T E L I - I T R O L D S K O G F A R E N V I L D
P A R T I - L E D A S T R A Y I N T H E F O R E S T D A R K E

They awaited the Maiden's return
Astray She was in the Forest darke
-Her onlie Friende
The homeward Path - Hidden by spreading Snow

O could She but
Follow the starrie Trails
She would not be lost
Amongst these Spruces darke

Wooden arms embraced the foreign Guest
Sad was their Song to her
The Halls of the Mountaine Kinge
Clamoure for Christian Bloode

The Netherworlde:
"Near at hande; a Maid in grieffe
Handes joyn'd in Prayer
A Litanie rises to the Heaven above"

From Sprigges above
Upon her Head
Drop by drop as Bloode
From the Bodie of Christe

The Maiden:
"Alas! Alone In Foreste deep
Tonight, I feel and fear
No one remembers Me"

C A P I T E L I I - S O E L E N G A A E R B A G A A S E N E E D
P A R T I I - B E T W I X T C R A G G E S A D E S C E N D I N G S U N N E

Slowly, slowly She turns her Head
Listening to distant words
Spoken from somewhere Below, O'th'Heart's woe

The Maiden:
"Betwixt the cragges a descending Sunne
The shadows grow O so long
Soon the Night will come
To binde and imprison Me"

Downe her cheek a Teardrop fell
of longinge for those back Home
How She wished to hold&be held
And out of Sorrow rose Her nameless Payne

Shrunken in weepinge
Lost in the Darke
On these Midnighte paths

Asleep She falls on a bed of Moss
Silence falls upon the Trees
Then, o'er the paths of her dreams,
A dense Veil falls

Now art Thou by many remembered!

C A P I T E L I I I - G R A A B L I C K B L E V H U N V A E R
P A R T I I I - S H E S E N S E S E Y N E O F G R E Y

From afar She is watch'd
By eyne that play in grey
While above the Moone, silent, Glides

The Maiden:
"Cold eyne I sense
What Creatures are near?
Fast, far away from here I must flee
Or by force their Magick will steal me away"

Eyne hold her still
Caress Her from afar

Norwegian Nighte turns colde
When howling Wolves do sing
Thunder rolling (Fear rides in the air)

A snowcladde Worlde
-In silence
Alone She is, and astray
Throbbing fast, her Hearte
Her Bloode turning to Ice

The Netherworlde:
Here lieth Sorrow's Source
Between the thornecladde Trees
So faire a virtuous Maide
Her dreams invite the Dawn

On these Damask'd cheeks
On her Mouth bereft of Smile
A torrent of Tears runs free
While the Worlde sleeps

C A P I T E L I V - E E N S T E M M E L O C K E R
P A R T I V - A V O I C E B E C K O N S H E R

Awaking on shadowie pathes
In the deep green Glade
When a whispering Voice She hears
From deep inside the Woodland

The Voice:
"Come, if Thou wilt
In Darkness come
My Eye shall win Thee
My Hair shall bind Thee"
(Wordes tender and tempting...)

The Maiden:
"O sweet Voice, why
Dost Thou bring back my Payne
To this silent forest Glade?"

The Voice:
"Maide, what canst Thou wish to win?
Come follow Me into my Home
Bring to thy minde our Joy,
Our Harmonie, our Bliss"

The Maiden:
"I can not comprehend - I feel so strange...
Please speak... Must I, must I?"

C A P I T E L V - B E R G T A T T - I N D I F J E L D K A M R E N E
P A R T V - S P E L L B O U N D - I N T O T H E M O U N T A I N S

The Maide begg'd for release
Her Plea to no avail
Again a Maiden vanished
They used her as they pleas'd
And did not use her kindlie

To the Hall of Shadows
So cold the Mountain's blue

The Mountaine bade her welcome
Embraced her harshlie and hard
Again the worlde was Night
And She forever lost

Her dying breath a scream
A long gone Era, not forgotten
- A bodie once mortal, now Stone

The Moone faded, gone!
And dim be the Stars

Cry! Rain and Storm!
Far north in the Mountain wildes
Below crest and cragge
They play

 

[Harp Heaven]

Oh damn, I didn`t know there was one. Thanks for alerting me to it`s presence...

 

[HarmonyDies....]

Thanks alot. Both of you.