[Music] The Blossom Time Is Coming
I love the warm pastels of the Swedish hymn Den blomstertid nu kommer. It's the soft, late Scandinavian summer light that touches green fields in fourths, not firm Germanic fifths. If that's gibberish to you, listen to a recording of the song here to hear what I mean.
I sang this summertime hymn years ago in the beautiful original language, but I recently wanted to sing it at church with a group that would be more comfortable with English words. So, my husband put the music into a program (we took it up a step to match our particular voice ranges), and I edited the text into an English translation that kept the rhyme and feel of the original. You can download our version here.
Caveat: The closest I have ever gotten to speaking Swedish was the online Danish classes I took a few years ago, so my translation is not based on any true understanding of Swedish. Forgive me, Swedes.
That said, I enjoyed this project more than I expected and am only sorry that it'll be at least another year until I sing this with people again; the hymn is traditionally sung at the beginning of summer.
Here is my arrangement of the text:
with lust and beauty june
The summer sweet is nearing
when grass and flowers a-bloom
With gentle eager warm kiss
to all that has been dorm
The sun's rays are approaching
and all will be reborn
and noble fields of grain
The rich and herbal willows
and green trees of the lane
All these they will remind us
of the riches of your kindness
That we may know once more grace
that's ours to be all year
and water our land
Give all your people food, God
bless the ocean and the sand
Please bless our labor today, God
and also our evening rest
Let our spring of love flow ever
from your deep loving breast