Norwegian: Til Ungdommen
av Nordahl Grieg
Kringsatt av fiender,
gå inn i din tid!
Under en blodig storm -
vi deg til strid!
Kanskje du spør i angst,
udekket, åpen:
hva skal jeg kjempe med
hva er mitt våpen?
Her er ditt vern mot vold,
her er ditt sverd:
troen på livet vårt,
menneskets verd.
For all vår fremtids skyld,
søk det og dyrk det,
dø om du må - men:
øk det og styrk det!
Stilt går granatenes
glidende bånd
Stans deres drift mot død
stans dem med ånd!
Krig er forakt for liv.
Fred er å skape.
Kast dine krefter inn:
døden skal tape!
Elsk og berik med drøm
alt stort som var!
Gå mot det ukjente
fravrist det svar.
Ubygde kraftverker,
ukjente stjerner.
Skap dem, med skånet livs
dristige hjerner!
Edelt er mennesket,
jorden er rik!
Finnes her nød og sult
skyldes det svik.
Knus det! I livets navn
skal urett falle.
Solskinn og brød og ånd
eies av alle.
Da synker våpnene
maktesløs ned!
Skaper vi menneskeverd
skaper vi fred.
Den som med høyre arm
bærer en byrde,
dyr og umistelig,
kan ikke myrde.
Dette er løftet vårt
fra bror til bror:
vi vil bli gode mot
menskenes jord.
Vi vil ta vare på
skjønnheten, varmen
som om vi bar et barn
varsomt på armen! | | English translation
Face the Foe
By Rod Sinclair (2004) Faced by your enemies
On every hand
Battle is menacing,
Now make your stand
Fearful your question,
Defenceless, open
What shall I fight with?
What is my weapon?
Here is your battle plan,
Here is your shield
Faith in this life of ours,
The common weal
For all our children’s sake,
Save it, defend it,
Pay any price you must,
They shall not end it
Neat stacks of cannon shells,
Row upon row
Death to the life you love,
All that you know
War is contempt for life,
Peace is creation
Death’s march is halted
By determination
We all deserve the world,
Harvest and seed
Hunger and poverty
Are born of greed
Don’t turn your face away
From needs of others
Reach out a helping hand
To all your brothers
Here is our solemn vow,
From land to land
We will protect our world
From tyrants’ hand
Defend the beautiful,
Gentle and innocent
Like any mother would
Care for her infant. | | English literal translation
By Morten Årstad (2011)
Surrounded by enemies,
go into your time!
Within a bloody storm -
devote yourself to fight!
Maybe you ask in fear,
uncovered, open:
with what shall I fight
what is my weapon?
Here is your defense against violence
here is your sword:
the belief in our life,
the worth of mankind.
For all our future's sake,
seek it and cultivate it,
die if you must - but:
increase it and strengthen it!
Silently rolls the grenades'
conveyor belts
Stop their drift towards death
Stop them with spirit!
War is contempt for life.
Peace is to create.
Throw your strength into it:
Death shall lose!
Love and enrich with dreams
all that was great!
Go towards the unknown
wring answers out of it.
Unbuilt powerplants,
unknown stars.
Create them, with spared lives'
bold minds!
Noble is mankind,
the earth is rich!
If there is need and hunger
it is by deceit.
Crush it! In the name of life
injustice shall fall.
Sunshine and bread and mind
belongs to all.
Then the weapons sink
powerless to the ground!
By creating human worth
we create peace.
Those who with their right arm
carry a burden,
precious and inalienable,
cannot murder.
This is our promise
from brother to brother:
We will be good to
humanity's earth.
We will take care of
the beauty, the warmth
as if we carried a child
carefully in our arms! |
