Å Jänta å Ja / My baby n me

Midsummer Dance (Midsommardans), 1897 painting by Anders Zorn 

[Image source: Wikipedia . This is the version in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm.]

Å jänta å ja

Traditional Värmland polska with words by Fredrik August Dahlgren (1816-95). Still popular as a round dance at midsummer or Christmas. Often only the first verse is used, repeated as necessary. 

Å jänta å ja, å jänta å ja,
Allt uppå landavägen, å ja,
Å jänta å ja, å jänta å ja,
Allt uppå landavägen.
Där mötte ho mej en morgon så klar,
Då sola ho sken på himmelen så rar,
Å vacker som ljusan dagen ho var.
Mitt hjärta, vart tog dä' vägen?

 

                          My baby n me, my baby n me,

                          All up upon the high road, n me,

                          My baby n me, my baby n me,

                          All up upon the high road.

                          That is where we met one morning so rare,

                          The sun shining in the heavens so fair,

                          And lovely was she as the day's brightness there.

                          My heart, where have you wandered?

Å jänta å ja, å jänta å ja,
Allt på missommersvaka, å ja,
Å jänta å ja, å jänta å ja,
Allt på missommersvaka.
Där råka vi varann mä fräsande fröjd,
Å allri ja nånstin känt mej så nöjd,
Ja kasta mina ben i himmelens höjd
Och hoppa över alle taka.

                          My baby n me, my baby n me,

                          All upon midsummer evening, n me,

                          My baby n me, my baby n me,

                          All upon midsummer evening.

                          There we met each other brimming with delight,

                          And never have I ever felt so satisfied,

                          I kicked my legs up unto the heavens height

                          And danced over all the roof lines. 

Å jänta å ja, å jänta å ja,
Allt uti gröna lunden, å ja,
Å jänta å ja, å jänta å ja,
Allt uti gröna lunden.
Där stal jag mej en köss så rosenderöd
Å talte om för henne hela min nöd,
Å frågte om ho ville dela mitt bröd,
Och ho svara ja på stunden.

                          My baby n me, my baby n me,

                          All out upon the greenwood, n me,

                          My baby n me, my baby n me,

                          All out upon the greenwood.

                          There I stole to me a kiss so rosy red

                          And told her all about the way my feelings stood,

                          And asked her if she wouldn't like to share my bread,

                          And she answered yes all right then. 

Å jänta å ja, å jänta å ja,
Allt i Ransäters körka, å ja,
Å jänta å ja, å jänta å ja,
Allt i Ransäters körka.
Där stodo vi nu vid altaret just
Å lovade tro i nöd å i lust
Å allt till den allra sistaste pust
Så troget varandra dörka. 

                          My baby n me, my baby n me,

                          All upon Ransäter church-house, n me,

                          My baby n me, my baby n me,

                          All upon Ransäter church-house.

                          And right before the altar stood ourselves

                          Plighting our troth in sickness and in health

                          And always until our very last breath

                          Thus faithfully to love each other.

This text comes from Sjung Svenska Folk! (26th edition, 1944), so it's the one I'm familiar with. It's typical of what you'll hear if you search for "jänta å ja" on YouTube. 

Version A

Behind it lies the seven-verse version first published by Fredrik August Dahlgren in his book Viser på Varmlanske Tongmåle (Songs in the Värmland Dialect, 1875, 1886), which he published under the pseudonym Fredrek på Rannsätt. I'll call this Version A.

Version A, from the 1886 edition of Dahlgren's book:

https://runeberg.org/varmlansk/0005.html

The full title of this 1886 edition is Viser på Varmlanske Tongmåle, deckta åttå Fredrek på Rannsätt: Gamle å Speller nye å Sprett sprang nye.

It has seven verses.

Verse 1, first meeting on the highway (as Verse 1 above). 

Verse 2: Ransäter church, where her glances make him go weak.

Verse 3 joyous meeting at Midsummer Eve (as Verse 2 above).

Verse 4: dancing the polska with her, his senses in a whirl.

Verse 5, a kiss in the green grove (as Verse 3 above). 

Verse 6,  at Ransäter church they stand at the altar and take their vows: to be true for better or worse, and to adore each other till the last breath (as Verse 4 above). 

Verse 7: the first part is the same as Verse 1; now he travels life's high road with her, and they'll never separate till death us do part.

Version B

There's another version (Version B), whose origin I don't know, but it's important as it's part of Swedish choral literature and hence most of the sung versions (including the one I began with) are basically selected verses from Version B.

Version B, from CPDL.org (free choral music):

https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/%C3%85_j%C3%A4nta_%C3%A5_ja_(Traditional)

Version B, though still in dialect, tends to have more standard Swedish spelling and it replaces some of the more unfamiliar värmländska expressions with Swedish equivalents. 

The substantive differences are all in Verse 1. 

Version A:

Där mötte ja’ henn’ e môra så rar,

Då sola ho sken på himmalen så klar,

A däjli som ljusan dagen ho var —

Mett hjârte, hvar tog dä vägen?

Version B:

Där mötte ho’ mej en morgon så klar,

då sola ho’ sken på himmelen så rar,

å vacker som ljusa dagen ho’ var,

mitt hjärta, vart tog du vägen?

*

Parallel Text

Here is the full 1886 text (Version A), with Version B interleaved.

Jänta å ja’.

Verse 1

Version A:

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uppå landavägen,

Å ja’,

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uppå landavägen.

Där mötte ja’ henn’ e môra så rar,

Då sola ho sken på himmalen så klar,

Å däjli som ljusan dagen ho var —

Mett hjârte, hvar tog dä vägen?

jänta: flickan (the girl) (-a is the feminine form of the definite article)

môra: morgon (morning)

däjli: I'm guessing this is SAOB Dejlig 3b. Whatever, it means "vacker" (beautiful): see Version B.

Version B:

Å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt uppå landavägen, å ja',

å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt uppå landavägen.

Där mötte ho’ mej en morgon så klar,

då sola ho’ sken på himmelen så rar,

å vacker som ljusa dagen ho’ var,

mitt hjärta, vart tog du vägen?

Verse 2

Version A:

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uti Rannsätts körke,

Å ja’,

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uti Rannsätts körke.

Där bliga ho på mej så himmalens blått,

Å yja di sköt så blextrande brådt,

Så allri ha mett hjârte tåcka salve fått;

Ja’ messta’ kav mi hele störke.

yja: ögon (eyes)

allri: aldrig (never)

tåcka: sådan (such a)

störke: styrka (strength)

Version B:

Å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt uti Rannsätts körke, å ja',

å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt uti Rannsätts körke.

Där bliga ho’ på mig så himmalens blått,

å yja di sköt så blextrande brått,

så allri ha mett hjärte tåcka salve fått,

ja’ messta kav mi hele störke.

Verse 3

Version A:

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt på messommers-vaka,

Å ja’,

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt på messommers-vaka.

Där råka vi hvarann mä fräsande fröjd,

Å allri nônnstinn ha ja’ kännt mej så nöjd,

Ja’ kasta mine ben i himmalens höjd

Å hoppa övver alle taka.

mä: med (with)

Version B:

Å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt på messommersvaka, å ja'

Å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt på midsommers vaka.

Där råka vi varann mä fräsande fröjd,

Å allri nonnstinn ha ja’ kännt mej så nöjd,

Ja’ kasta mine ben i himmalens höjd

Å hoppa över alle taka.

Verse 4

Version A:

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uti pålskedansen,

Å ja’

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uti pålskedansen.

Då tog ja’ tag så vackert uti hennas hann,

För yja skömdes bårt bå himmalen å lann;

Hur dansen hadd’ gått te, dä vesst’ja’ int ett grann

När som ja’ kom igen te sansen.

te: till (to)

Version B:

Å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt uti pålskedansen, å ja’,

å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt uti pålskedansen.

Då tog ja’ tag så vackert uti hennes hann,

för yja sjömmdes bårt bå himmalen å lann,

hur dansen hadd gått te,

dä vesst ja’ int ett grann,

när som ja’ kom igen te sansen.

Verse 5

Version A:

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uti gröna lunden,

Å ja’,

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uti gröna lunden.

Där stal ja’ mej en köss så rosande rö

Å tala om för henne hele mi nö

Å fråga, om ho ville dele mett brö,

Å ho svara ja på stunden.

Version B:

Å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt uti gröna lunden, å ja'

Å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt uti gröna lunden.

Där stal ja' mej en köss så rosande rö

Å tala om för henne hele mi nö,

å fråga, om ho’ ville dele mitt brö,

å ho’ svara ja på stunden.

Verse 6

Version A:

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uti Rannsätts körke,

Å ja’,

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uti Rannsätts körke.

Där stog nu vi två ve alltere jusst

Å lôva vår tro i nö å i lusst

Å att te den allre sistaste pusst

Så troget hvarannre dörke.

dörke: dyrka (worship, adore)

Version B:

Å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt i Rannsätts körke, å ja'

Å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt i Rannsäts körke.

Där stog vi nu två ve altere jusst

å lova vår tro i nö å i lusst

å att te den allre sistaste pusst

så troget varannre dörke.

Verse 7

Version A:

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uppå landavägen,

Å ja’,

Å jänta å ja’ :||: å allt uppå landavägen.

På lifsens lannsväg vannrer ja’ nu

Så gladeligen mä mi lelle hustru,

Å allri nônnstinn ska vi skeljes vi tu,

Fôrrn döen går oss i vägen.

Version B:

Å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt uppå landavägen, å ja',

å jänta å ja', å jänta å ja'

allt uppå landavägen.

På livsens lannsväg vannrer ja’ nu

så gladeligen mä mi lelle hustru,

å allri nonnstinn ska vi skeljes vi tu,

förrn döen går oss i vägen.

*

Recordings

Å Jänta å Ja exists more as something you take part in than something you actually listen to. Here's Erik Östs Spelmanslag with dance-caller Bosse Larsson supplying the typical sound of Å Jänta å Ja in action: just the first verse, repeated at will.

A shout out for the recording (c. 1960?) by Värmland folk singer Gunde Johansson. He uses Version A and includes every verse except one (Verse 4):

And another shout out to the remarkable Värmland beat group Sven Ingvars, who in 1966 improbably welded Å Jänta Å Ja to the rhythm of I Can't Get No Satisfaction.

Unlikely I know, but yes this is the visiting Osmonds from Utah having a stab at Å Jänta å Ja in 1965, though it seems to me the local children's choir is doing most of the heavy lifting.

Of course the tune is even better known than the words, so here's a couple of instrumental versions. This is the legendary accordionist Carl Jularbo:

A pretty cool jazz version by Frej's Jazz:

A little classical guitar from Jan-Olof Eriksson:

And here's my own rendition... just the four verses quoted at the head of the post:

michaelpeverett · Å Jänta Å Ja

*

Other notes that found no place above!

Full text of Version B, with interleaved English translation by Eva Toller:

http://www.evatoller.se/translation/AA/men/aajaentaaja.txt

I'm not sure if Dahlgren made up the lyric or just wrote it down. (The internet asserts both.) I would guess he made it up, it seems too arranged somehow... but maybe based on a folk source.

From Värmland himself, Dahlgren had etymological interests and wrote the whole of his book in fairly strictly notated värmländska. (He was also a member of the Swedish Academy and active in the early stages of putting together the SAOB.)

(Apparently Gustaf Fröding also published some verse in värmländska.)

It's evident that Dahlgren's words were already connected with a melody, presumably the same one we sing today (which sounds like a traditional polska).

*

Värmländska

https://sv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4rml%C3%A4ndska

The Swedish Wikipedia has a useful account of värmländska dialects (they vary considerably), typical sound changes, different grammar features, plus a list of common värmländska words with their Swedish equivalents. 

Two additional letters you'll need to write värmländska are ô (variously described as "a combination of ö and å" and "a tired ö") and less commonly û (combination of u and ô). 

Other accounts and wordlists:

https://www.swedishnomad.com/sv/varmlandska-ord-och-uttryck/

https://filipandreasson.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/varmlandsk-ordlista/

https://solagast.blogspot.com/2013/02/varmlandsk-ordlista.html

More comprehensive is this lookup dictionary, but I wish there was a way of simply listing all the words in it: 

https://xn--vrmlndsk-0zad.ordbok.gratis/