Fejd - Storm [full album | solved]

This is a legendary neo-medieval/folk rock album from Sweden that has cult status to many (you can listen to it here if you just happened upon this thread by coincidence), but it's difficult to translate, especially for a non-native speaker like me - which might be why no one seems to have attempted this yet, apart from some single songs (or maybe the sites where this was attempted are just down). I love how much substance the lyrics have and the beauty of the mental images they paint, so I tried my best to create a decent English version, but I'm not 100% sure about many lines. The original is best of course but I hope this will be of use to an interested international audience.

This page is archived at The Web Archive.

Fejd - Storm (2009)

1. Offerök // Sacrificial Smoke
2. Svanesång // Swansong
3. Älvorna dansar // The fae dance
4. Vid Jore å // By the Jore creek
5. Egils polska // Egil’s polska [instrumental]
6. Storm // Storm
7. Varg i veum // Intruder in the sanctuary
8. Äril // Fireplace
9. Skuld // Guilt
10. Likfärd // Funeral procession [instrumental]
11. Bergakungen // The Mountain King
12. Morgonstjärnan // Morning Star

1. Offerök // Sacrificial Smoke¹

Nio dagar blotet varar, låtom oss nu glädjas
vilda danser i fröjd och gamman i gudahovets hall
Nio dagar blotet varar, låtom oss nu glädjas
vilda danser i fröjd och gamman
offerröken stiger mot skyn

Nine days lasts the blot₂, let us now rejoice
Wild dances of joy and mirth in the hall of the gods' temple
Nine days lasts the blot, let us now rejoice
Wild dances of joy and mirth
The sacrificial smoke rises to the sky

Mjödet flödar ädla drycken, må den aldrig sina
Hornen fulla höjas nu till fränder
Eldar brinner kittlar sjuda, sovlet står på borden
manneligen dricka allas välgång

The mead flows, the noble drink, may it never dry up
The full horn is raised to kin
Fires burn, cauldrons simmer, food³ stands on the table
A stout drink for everyone's well-being

Nio dagar blotet varar…

Nine days lasts the blot...

Asar vördas, runor ristas, skalden smider orden
forna kämpar hyllas i vår saga
Brageskålar gillet hedrar, mäktigt ljuder sången
ättebanden stärkas och beseglas

Aesir are revered, runes are carved, the skald forges words
Ancient fighters are revered in our saga
The Brage-beaker⁴ honours the feast, powerfully resounds the song
Family bonds are strengthened and sealed

Nio dagar blotet varar…

Nine days lasts the blot...

Blotspån täljas skarpa eggen, tyda dem i blodet
spörja gudarna om rika gåvor
blotet stundar fred och äring, fruktbarhetens moder
de nio åren helgade för landet

Blot-chips⁵ are carved with sharp edges, read them in the blood
Ask the gods for rich gifts
The blot draws near, peace and harvest, fertility's mother
For nine years the land is sanctified

Nio dagar blotet varar…

Nine days lasts the blot...

---

1 - This song describes the rites at the Temple at Uppsala, as described by the medieval scholar Adam von Bremen in his Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20160804...ews.php?nr=676
2 - Norse sacrificial rite
3 - To be precise, ”sovel” is any meat, including fish, that is given as an addition to bread or potatoes
4 - A kind of big mead-bowl that is passed around, whoever has it can make an oath. Mentioned in Heimskringla Saga.
5 - Little pieces of wood that can be cast into a bowl of blood for prophesying purposes.

2. Svanesång // Swansong

I eldens sken kan jag skönja dig
en skugga utav lågors lek
ej mer skall jag få möta din blick och få krama din fasta hand
upp mot skyn böljar röken fram i ett hav utan land
i bålets glöd fräser runor fram, tyd dem om du kan

In the fire's light I can see you
A shadow in the play of flames
No more shall I get to meet your glance and squeeze your firm hand
Up to the sky the smoke waves forth in an endless ocean
In the glow of the fire runes hiss, read them if you can

Runt i ring jag dansar omkring, jag hetsar blodet varmt
trumman min dånar vilt och skönt, hettan slår sig lös
galdrar svuros vid ättens band, en baneman jag fann
rygg mot rygg över fjärran hav, en högrest tall du var

Around in a circle I dance, I force heat into my blood
My drum thunders wildly and beautifully, the heat breaks forth
Spells⁶ were sworn on family bonds, a murderer did I find
Back to back over far-away seas, a tall pine you were

Vet du nu eller ej

Know you now or not

Vid urbergets rot mullrar jordens sång
ett varsel så mäktigt av tidens gång
vid moderns barm vi styrkte varann, ur källornas brunn vi drack
spörj mig nu där jag allena stå på klipphäll svart över smärtans sår
hör min stämma så hes och spröd av sorgens spjut jag sköts

By the root of the primeval mountain the Earth's song is growling
A powerful omen of the march of time
At mother's breast we strengthened one another, we drank from the fountains' well
Ask me now that I stand alone on a black cliff over the wound of pain
Hear my voice so hoarse and brittle, pierced by sorrow's spear am I

Nu av tråd danas ödets varp, en skimrande väv av livets allt
upp på en skinande sköld vi bars vi två utav far
kroppen skälver av vanmakts rus, svetten flödar med helgad sejd
en resa långt uti dunkelt fång, bakom mörker ser jag ljus

Now fate's warp⁷ is forming from threads, a shimmering weave of all life
On a shining shield we were borne, we two, by our father
My body shivers helplessly from intoxication, sweat flows with holy sejd⁸
A long journey in the dark, behind the darkness I see light

Vet du nu eller ej

Know you now or not

Blottat sinne över väglöst land
en herrelös vind bortom dödas hägn
i köldens spår isas varje tå, i de världar jag skola gå
kom alla krafter från söder och norr, vilda sejddjur visa er nu
för i denna härd skall ett svärd bli smitt, härdat i mitt blod

Exposed senses over pathless land
A masterless wind beyond the dead's enclosure
In the cold's track each toe freezes, in the worlds I shall go to
Come, all powers from south and north, wild sejd-beasts, show yourselves
For in this fire a sword shall be forged, hardened in my blood

Över land, över hav
jag skall finna en baneman
över land, över hav
jag flyger i örnehamn

Over land, over sea
I shall find a murderer
Over land, over sea
I fly in eagle-shape

---

6 - Wikipedia states: Galdr (plural galdrar) is one Old Norse word for "spell, incantation"; these were usually performed in combination with certain rites. It was mastered by both women and men. Some scholars have assumed they chanted it in falsetto (gala).
7 - This refers to the warp on a weaving loom – the threads that are fastened to the loom itself and through which the weaver weaves the ”active” threads. In Norse mythology, the lives of all creatures are likened to threads that are spun, measured and cut by giant-goddesses known as Norns.
8 - Wikipedia states: In Old Norse, seiðr […] was a type of magic practiced in Norse society during the Late Scandinavian Iron Age. The practice of seiðr is believed to be a form of magic relating to both the telling and shaping of the future. […] Various scholars have debated the nature of seiðr, some arguing that it was shamanic in context, involving visionary journeys by its practitioners.

3. Älvorna dansar // The fae⁹ dance

Bedårande skönhet i älvornas dans
Skimrande väsen av ljus
Tårar av silver i daggkåpans famn
Skymning varsamt föll

Enchanting beauty in the dance of the fae
Shimmering beings of light
Tears of silver in the embrace of lady's mantle¹⁰
Dusk fell gently

En moder av åldern så gammal och tärd
Söker de spåren nu än
Hon följer de stigar i grönmossans bäddar
Ett bolster utan liv

An aged mother, so old and gaunt
Now still seeks those traces
She follows the paths in the green moss' beds
A featherbed without life

Se dem då, följ dem nu i natt

See them then, follow them now tonight

Älvor dansar vilt på måndränkta ängar
Silvertäckt är mark i trolldomens skrud
En fägring utav ljus som hänför och lockar
Toner av en sång med vädjande ord

The fae dance wildly over moon-drenched meadows
Silver-mantled is the land in the robes of enchantment
A beauty out of light which seduces and beckons
Notes of a song with pleading words

Irrande själar de svävar som dis
Välvda i älvringens lek
Den sorgbundna modern hon faller på knä av nåd
Skogens barn är här

Straying souls, they float like mist
Arched in the fairy ring's game
The sorrowful mother, she falls to mercy's knee¹¹
The forest's children are here

Se dem då, följ dem nu i natt

See them then, follow them now tonight

Älvor dansar vilt…

The fae dance wildly...

---

9 - An älva is something between an elf and a fairy. Since they are usually mentioned as a collective, I consider ”the fae” the closest English equivalent. You can imagine älvor like this:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...3%A9r_1850.jpg
10 - Meaning the plant Lady’s Mantle, Alchemilla vulgaris
11 - Literally ”she falls to a knee of mercy” - one could probably interpret this line differently (”mercy makes her fall to her knees”?)

4. Vid Jore å // By the Jore creek¹²

Rinn du Jore som tiden har flytt
om våren rusar så strid
vita blommor de smyckar din strand
fridfullt flyter mot forsens brus

Flow, you Jore, as time has flown
When spring rushes swiftly
White flowers adorn your banks
Peacefully flowing toward the rapids' noise

Mörka höljor, svarta djup
vad där döljas, barnatro vid Jore å

Dark pools¹³, black depths
What is hidden there, child-faith in the Jore creek

Öring vakar i strömmens ljuva lek
under alens gröna löv
skygga skuggor mot järnröd sand
kvarnsten minner din ström av kraft

Trout are watchful in the stream's lovely game
Under the alder's green leaves
Fleeting shadows against the iron-red sand
The millstone remembers your stream's power

Mörka höljor…

Dark pools...

Björkar vajar i morgonens ljumma bris
dagen gryr och återföds
sida vid sida vi vandrar välkänd stig
ned i dalen mot barndoms å

Birches sway in the morning's warm breeze
The day dawns and is reborn
Side by side we walk the well-known path
Down in the valley toward childhood's creek

Mörka höljor…

Dark pools...

---

12 - "Vid Jore Å is a song about a river close to where Patrik & Niklas grew up and the impact it had on their childhood until today, with the dark woods, old ruins and running water."
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20160804...ews.php?nr=676
13 - A hölja is specificially a pool or especially deep spot within a river

6. Storm // Storm

Gynnsamma vindar för mig ut i gryningen
bort över havet far jag nu,
då jag ser skogsbeklädda åsar inåt land
där väntar du mig än, kära vän

Favourable winds lead me out at dawn
Away across the sea I go now,
I see the forest-clad ridges inland
There you wait for me still, dear friend

Havets ljus ömsom tindrar kallt
så som bränningens vilda språng
följer den våg som skall fjärma mig bort från dig
i nordanskog där lämna jag min börd
tills visdomens skördar står
himmel och hav åter falla mot envars grav

The ocean's light sometimes twinkles coldly
just like the wild leaps of the surf
I follow the wave that will lead me far away from you
In the northern forest, there I leave my ancestral roots
until the harvests of wisdom stand
Sky and sea fall again into everyone's grave

Stormen den dånar och vindens klagan tjöt
vågorna sköljer mot kallfruset hjärta
jag frös, frös…

The storm, it roars, and the wind's wailing howls
Waves wash against the cold frozen heart
I froze, froze...

Marelds sken speglar livets färd
som nu vaggar i fjordens famn
känslornas svall grips av längtan till fjärran land
träder in i tordöns mörka rum
i¹⁴ ett rike av bister köld
förtappelsens stund att besvärja en urkrafts gud

The mareel's¹⁵ shine mirrors the journey of life
which now rocks in the fjord's embrace
A swell of emotions gripped by longing for a distant land
I step into thunder's dark room
into a kingdom of bitter cold
Ruin's hour to invoke a god of primeval might

Stormen den dånar…

The storm, it roars...

Storm, storm i mitt hjärtas brunn
stormen är vindens strid
strid över havets vidd
köld genom märg och ben
frostiga andetag
hårt piskar regnet mig

Storm, storm in my heart's well
The storm is the wind's battle
Battle across the ocean's expanse
The cold pierces marrow and bone
Icy breathing
Harshly the rain whips me

Härskri hörs i stämmorna från nord
i den skärande vindens rop
ett rasande hav i dess boning jag tappert far
avgrunds djup en förnimmelse av död
med jagande käftars törst
av urminnes hävd att få stilla sitt lystna rov

Shouting voices I hear from north
In the piercing wind's howl
a raging sea in whose dwelling I bravely travel
The abyss' depth a sensation of death
with the thirst of hunting jaws
Since ancient times allowed to quiet its eager prey

Stormen den dånar…

The storm, it roars...

---

14 - Given as ”ty” in the album inlay, but I believe it should be ”i”.
15 - Also known as the "milky seas effect", this refers to a brilliant glow in the ocean caused by bioluminescent bacteria.

7. Varg i veum // Intruder¹⁶ in the sanctuary

Sägner i fordom förtäljer om dåd
svärden höjdes och tingsfriden bröts
blottar sitt sinne med dråpets begär
härjar och skändar med ursinnes kraft

Tales of old tell of a deed
Swords were raised and the thing-peace¹⁷ was broken
Revealing their intention with the desire for murder
Raging, defiling with the strength of fury

Håller de kära i tryggaste famn
rädsla och fruktan var vägen de fann
sprungen ur kärlekens heliga kved
dömda att plågas i nidingars våld

Holding the dear ones in safest embrace
Fear and dread was the path they found
Run out of love's holy womb
Doomed to be tormented in the villains’ grip¹⁸

Mörkret nalkas och stunden var svår
berget det rämnar av smärta
stungen av vrede i vargarnas tid
ristat var ödet i sten

Darkness draws near and the hour was hard
The mountain breaks apart from pain
Stung by rage in the time of the villains
Carved in stone was fate

Sorgen i hjärtat med flammande eldar
jagar i blindo en osvuren vän
skuggorna ruvar i skogarnas mörker
facklorna tändas för driva dem hän

Grief in the heart with flaming fires
Blindly hunting an unsworn friend
The shadows brood in the forests' darkness
The torches are lit to drive them forth

Varg i veum

Intruder in the sanctuary

Mörkret nalkas…

Darkness draws near...

---

16 - Generally, varg can also mean wolf in later usage, but in older usage it means a criminal, and "varg i veum" is an expression that refers to someone who breaks the peace of a sanctuary.
17 - Wikipedia states: A thing was a governing assembly in early Germanic society, made up of the free people of the community presided over by lawspeakers.
18 - Wikipedia states: In historical Germanic society, nīþ [...] was a term for a social stigma implying the loss of honour and the status of a villain. A person affected with the stigma is a nīðing.

8. Äril // Fireplace

Lågor flämtar i vår äril såsom längtan den förtär
liksom aska är då soten som elden vi alla bär
blott det ringa är så vackert, jag giver mig till skogen hän
likt en fura för min stolthet svärjer livet som sy för sägn

Flames flicker in our fireplace like devouring longing
And the ashes turn to soot like the fire we all bear
Only the small is so beautiful, I give myself to the woods
like a pine, for my pride pledges my life as a face for legends.

Jag råder själv om alla tanker ty de tvivel i min själ
Jag sörjer livet för dess fägnad om livet är mig kärt

I advise myself of all thoughts because of the doubt in my soul¹⁹
I mourn life for its joy if life is dear to me

Såsom skuggspel uti natten leker ont för den som ser
gillra fånga dödens ögon, vem skonar om ingen ber
svaren stundar i vår levnad, jagar ödet som skall ske
söka lyckan om den väntar, skänka tröst när sorgen led

Like shadowplay in the night plays harm for those who look
Catches the eyes of death, who spares when no one asks
The answer approaches in our life, chasing the destiny that will be
Seeking happiness if it waits, bringing comfort when grief is suffered

Jag råder själv…

I advise myself...

Om vår äril nu falnar en gång
spå mina händer i det som finns kvar
minnen av lågor i askan den grå

If our fireplace should now go out
My hands will divine in that which is left
Memories of flames in the grey ashes

Ett järtecken varslar mig i en slocknade glöd
I var gnista en gyllne tår som ämnar att dö

I see a portent in a fading glow
In each spark a golden tear destined to die

Lågor flämtar i vår äril…

Flames flicker in our fireplace...

Jag råder själv om alla tanker…

I advise myself...

Om vår äril nu falnar en gång
spå mina händer i det som fanns kvar
minnen av lågor i askan den grå

If our fireplace should now go out
My hands will divine in that which was left
Memories of flames in the grey ashes

---

19 - The translation of this line is little more than a guess. I have no idea what it means. I also generally find this song a little mysterious, so take this translation with even more pinches of salt than the rest.

9. Skuld // Guilt

Skrik av smärta, sårad av dess brinnande hat
våldsam vrede, fruktar för mitt liv, skändar blod
jag är fjättrad

Screams of pain, wounded by its burning hatred
Violent anger, I fear for my life, I defile blood
I am shackled

Färdas vid havets köld
höjer min blick mot himmelen

Traveling in the ocean's cold
I raise my eyes to the sky

Tårar svider i sargat skinn, andas tungt
söker skälen, finna någon tröst att få nåd
jag våndas

Tears sting in torn skin, I breathe heavily
Searching for the reason, to find a little comfort to get mercy
I squirm

Färdas vid havets köld
höjer min blick mot himmelen

Traveling in the ocean's cold
I raise my eyes to the sky

Mörker råder, tankarna flyter ödsligt
jag skälver så ensam i salen av sten
dunkla minnen jagar mig utan tvivel
i fjärran de klagar för att få frid

Darkness reigns, thoughts float in desolate ways
I tremble alone in the hall of stone
Dim memories chase me without doubt
In the distance they sue for peace

En gång trodde jag mig veta gåtor
de fråga om skulden och sanningens svar
bunden i den djupaste ångest
lider för att leva med sorgen och evig skuld

Once I thought myself to know riddles
They ask about guilt and truth's answer
Bound in the deepest anguish
Suffering to live with grief and eternal guilt

Skrik av smärta…

Screams of pain...

Färdas vid havets köld
höjer min blick mot himmelen

Traveling in the ocean's cold
I raise my eyes to the sky

11. Bergakungen // The Mountain King

Där stod han så resligt den bergakung från norr
med ett trånande sinn
En ungmö från bygden han snärjde till sin borg
med sin trolldom

There he stood so huge, the mountain king from the North
with a wistful mind
A maiden from the countryside he snared to his castle
with his sorcery

Och jungfrun hon rider med vinden i sitt hår
så fager och skön som en älva
Stjärnor de tindra på vägen hon skall fram
i lönndom hon möter sin kära

And the maiden, she rides, the wind in her hair
As fair and beautiful as a fairy
Stars shine on the path she shall take
In secret she meets her beloved

Hon faller i dvala med ögonen av sten
i hans kyliga famn
Hans galdrar är starka, i tusende år
är hon fjättrad

She falls into slumber with her eyes like stones
in his cold embrace
His magic is strong, for thousands of years
she is shackled

Om afton hon klär sig med gyllene behag
ty hon fägnar sin kung
I mörkaste kammarn hon ämnar att stå brud
med sin bergakung

In the evening she dresses herself with golden delight
for she pleases her king
In the darkest chamber she intends to stand bride
with her mountain king

12. Morgonstjärnan // Morning Star^{20 21}

Blodat bräde mellan gårdar gå från hand till hand
Odalmän de sitter i vadmal grå
De svärjer i sitt röda blod en ed att svika ej
Budbringaren rider i skogens värnande sköte

A bloodied board²² goes from hand to hand between farms
Farmers²³ sit in grey homespun clothes
They swear in their red blood an oath that is not to be broken
The messenger rides in the forest's safeguarding lap

Morgonstjärnan manar strid
Morgonstjärnan, ond bråd död
Budet sveper fram, det skall färdas långt

The morning star urges to battle
Morning star, sudden violent death
The message sweeps the land, it will travel far

Tidener är komna om upprorshärd i Värends land
Kedjan må ej brytas i lagfäst blod
Åldrigt är det tecken som skurits ut ur eldsvett trä
Budkaveln löper genom nätter och dagar

Tidings have come of a rebellion in the land of Värend
The chain may not be broken in lawful blood
Aged is the sign carved from fire-touched wood
The message board travels night and day

Till att värja rätten åter
Bringa stridens djupa sår
Offra livet för dess armod
Deras frihet evigt skall bestå

To defend the right again
They bring battle's deep wounds
Sacrifice their lives for their poverty
Their freedom shall be eternal

---

20 - The morning star as a weapon was a wide-spread symbol in Sweden for peasant armies - and also for their uprisings - in the 1500s and 1600s.
21 - This song is based on the book ”Rid i natt!” by Vilhelm Moberg.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20090108...juer/fejd.html
22 - The board referred to throughout this text, the ”budkavel”, is a small piece of wood that used to be a popular way to transport messages.
23 - Odalmän were free tenant farmers who passed a farm down through generations.