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Að minni s​á​lu amar - My soul is beset by woes

from FUNI by FUNI

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Featuring 18 tracks of Icelandic traditional songs and hymns. It comes in a beautifully designed 3 fold digipak with a 36 page illustrated booklet containing notes about the songs and full lyrics in both Icelandic and English.

    Includes unlimited streaming of FUNI via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Buy the Full Digital Album

about

In 1997 I was asked breathe new life into some songs from the National Folk Archive, which is housed in the National Library. I found this beautiful song in a manuscript written in 1735 by Eiríkur Þorsteinsson in Skálholt. The song is called “About the Most Holy Tree of Life, Jesus Christ”. The author is anonymous.

lyrics

English lyrics follow the Icelandic ones.

Að minni sálu amar
svo ógurlega margt
úti er gleði og gaman
gefist ei bótin snart.
Sjálf ber hún með sér hungrið hart
skortir sitt brúðarskart
og skin Guðs náðar bjart.

Hvert skal ég hælis leita
henni svo verði frítt
þó heimur vilji veita
vegsemd og skjólið sitt,
ekki á slíkt við meinið mitt.
Það er fals fagur litt
fellur í dauðans pytt.

Eg veit af tré því einu
sem eðla vex úr rót,
fagurt með fjórslags greinum
og fullt af heilsubót,
breiðir ávöxt og blöðin mót
af því með andleg hót
minn örva ég sálarfót.

Sést á þess stefni sama
setrus og vínviðsgrein,
pálmi sem illu amar
og ólívukvistinn hrein.
Þeirra aldini mýkir mein,
Þar liggur að þjóðbraut ein
þröng mjög en holl og hrein.

Tré þetta tólfháttuðum
tærir ávexti af sér,
senn með hvorum mánuði,
mikil sú frjóvgun er.
Sérhvert laufblaðið sem það ber
heilsubót heiðnum lér,
heilög ritning það tér.

English

My soul is beset by woes
awful and untold,
fun and joy are forgone
if no remedy is found.
Sore pangs of hunger it bears,
lacking its bridal prize
and God's bright shining grace.

Where is refuge to be sought
that it shall be set free
though the world confer
its honours and sanctuary,
such will not soothe my hurt.
That is frippery painted bright
and will fall into death's pit.

I know of a single tree
rooted in nobility,
fair with its fourfold branches
and wholesome to the full,
spreading fruit and leaves
for with the spirit's sign
I stir my soul to move.

On its trunk behold
branches of citrus and vines,
palm that comforts ills
and pure olive boughs.
All harm their fruits will soothe
towards it leads the path
so narrow but full of health.

This twelve fold tree
sheds its fruit,
fast in every month,
great is its fertility.
Every leaf that it bears
heals the heathen's cares,
holy scripture swears.

credits

from FUNI, released June 1, 2004
Bára Grímsdóttir - vocal
Chris Foster - guitar

license

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tags

about

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FUNI Reykjavik, Iceland

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. ... more

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