Gurre
Hvor Nilen vander Ægypterens Jord
I Africas brændende Lande,
Der mødtes to Fugle, de kom fra Nord,
De talte om Danmarks Strande:
’O husker du Sjølund, den deilige Ø,
Hvor de vilde Skovduer kurre,
De duftende Bøge, den stille Sø,
Husker du Gurre?’
— ’Ja, der har jeg bygget en Sommerdag,”
Saa talte den lille Svale,
„Jeg havde min Rede ved Bondens Tag,
Jeg hørte ham synge og tale.
Jeg troer der er skjønnest i Danmark!’
CHOR
Jeg troer der er skjønnest i Danmark!
ECCHO
— skjønnest i Danmark!
Ved Gurre-Sø laae Kong Valdemars Borg,
Den saae ham med Tovelille;
Den kjendte hans Lykke, den kjendte hans Sorg,
— Ak Trøstens Harper hang stille;
Hans Glæde blev skrinlagt bag Kirkens Muur,
Hvor de vilde Skovduer kurre.
— Om Tovelille sang Guds Natur
Deiligst i Gurre!
Der havde de vandret hver lønlig Sti,
Naturen blev her til hende;
Han kunde ei gaae en Blomst forbi,
Den sagde: „Kan Du mig kjende?”
Jeg troer der er skjønnest i Danmark!’
CHOR
Jeg troer der er skjønnest i Danmark!
ECCHO
— skjønnest i Danmark!
Ved Gurre-Sø holdt Kong Valdemar Jagt,
Smukt Hornet lød gjennem Skoven,
Den stod i sin rigeste Sommerpragt,
Og Stjerner funkled’ foroven;
Da raabte Kongen saa lystelig,
Hvor de vilde Skovduer kurre:
„Lad Gud beholde sit Himmerig,
Har jeg kun Gurre!”
— Det er saa deiligt en Sommerdag,
Men deiligst i Nattens Stille,
Naar Stjernerne blinke og Droslens Slag
Fortæller om Tovelille.
Jeg troer der er skjønnest i Danmark!’
CHOR
Jeg troer der er skjønnest i Danmark!'
ECCHO
— skjønnest i Danmark!
Gurre
Where Egypt’s soil is refreshed by the Nile
In Africa’s lands hot and searing,
Two birds from the North met and talked awhile
Of Danish shores so endearing:
‘You remember Sealand, that beautiful isle
Where wood pigeons coo without ceasing,
Where sweet-scented beeches and calm lake beguile,
And Gurre so pleasing?’
– ‘Yes, one summer’s day there I built my nest,’
Replied the small swallow discreetly,
‘High up on the farmer’s roof it did rest,
I heard him repeat this so sweetly:
Here’s loveliest surely in Denmark!’
CHOIR
Here’s loveliest surely in Denmark!
ECHO
— surely in Denmark!
Near Valdemar’s castle lay Gurre Lake
It saw him with Tovelille,
It knew his delights, it knew every ache,
– Ah, harps of solace hung still there;
His joy was entombed behind church walls dank,
Where wood pigeons coo without ceasing.
– Of Tovelille God’s nature sang
In Gurre so pleasing!
When along every secret path they strayed
All nature turned into Tove;
Each flower he would pass now seemed to say,
‘Do you know me?’ over and over
Here’s loveliest surely in Denmark!
CHOIR
Here’s loveliest surely in Denmark!
ECHO
— surely in Denmark!
At Gurre Valdemar hunted with hounds,
Through woods the horn sounded sprightly!
They stood in their summer’s greenest gowns
And stars from above sparkled brightly;
The king then uttered a joyous cry,
Where wood pigeons cooed without ceasing:
‘Let God retain all his realms on high,
Gurre’s more pleasing!’
It’s lovely here on a summer’s day
Though best at night when it’s stiller,
When stars all twinkle, when thrushes’ play
Reminds me of Tovelille!
Here’s loveliest surely in Denmark!’
CHOIR
Here’s loveliest surely in Denmark!
ECHO
— surely in Denmark!
Gurre – Royal hunting lodge by Gurre lake in North Sealand
Tovelille (Little Tove) – King Valdemar IV’s mistress
To listen to Sven Erik Werner’s fine choral setting of the poem, go to here.
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