Mountain Song

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson 1832 (Kvikne) – 1910 (Paris)



When you will the mountains roam
 And your pack are making,
Put therein not much from home,
 Light shall be your taking!
Drag no valley-fetters strong
 To those upland spaces,
Toss them with a joyous song
 To the mountains' bases!

Birds sing Hail! from many a bough,
 Gone the fools' vain talking,
Purer breezes fan your brow,
 You the heights are walking.
Fill your breast and sing with joy!
 Childhood's mem'ries starting,
Nod with blushing cheeks and coy,
 Bush and heather parting.
If you stop and listen long,
 You will hear upwelling
Solitude's unmeasured song
 To your ear full swelling;
And when now there purls a brook,
 Now stones roll and tumble,
Hear the duty you forsook
 In a world-wide rumble.

Fear, but pray, you anxious soul,
 While your mem'ries meet you!
Thus go on; the perfect whole
 On the top shall greet you.
Christ, Elijah, Moses, there
 Wait your high endeavor.
Seeing them you'll know no care,
 Bless your path forever.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

50 sec read
103

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCDCD EBEBFBFBCBCBGHGH IJIJKLKL
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 923
Words 164
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 16, 8

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit", becoming the first Norwegian Nobel laureate. Bjørnson is considered to be one of The Four Greats (De Fire Store) among Norwegian writers, the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland. Bjørnson is also celebrated for his lyrics to the Norwegian National Anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet". more…

All Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson poems | Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Books

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