“Dive” lyrics in English and Old Norse
Dive is one of the few songs left to finish for our Werifesteria album. I had it translated into Old Norse and on this song we’ve decided to record a mixture. I still love the lyrics in both English and Old Norse. I wrote it several years ago, inspired by J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and the hero’s journey.
So, for those as geeky as I am, here’s the full lyrics in both English and Old Norse. (Of course, there’s no word for marathon in Old Norse, but my translator, James Accombe creatively used ‘eilífhlaup’ meaning eternal run.
The battle changed
A sprint turned into an endless
Marathon
The passed baton
No hand to pass it on to
Expecting to drown
But I don’t
Screams under water
Alien words to a world
Submerged
The weighty chainmail
Pulls me down
Expecting to drown
But I don’t
Dive
Into my stream
Dive
My arms shall keep you safe
Whale song sung letter
Piercing my armour, bleeding flesh
And leather
In death I’m born
Touch down, the soft bottom
Expecting to drown
But I don’t
Dive
Into my stream
Dive
I shall carry you
Wherever you need to go
But I can’t
Bardaginn brá
Skeið varð endalaust ok langt
Eilífhlaup
Stafrinn gefinn
Engi hǫnd til þess at gefa
Er ván druknar
En ekki
Ǫskr undir vatni
Kynlig orð til heims
Sokkins
Brynjan þungust
Leggr mik ofan
Er ván druknar
En ekki
Kaf
Í ána mina
Kaf
Hendr mínir varði
Hvalsǫngsungin rún
Bítr brynja mín, hold blǿðandi
Ok leðr
Í dauða, em’k borinn
Ligg neðan, botninn blautr
Er ván druknar
En ekki
Kaf
Í ána mina
Kaf
Ek skal þik bera
Hvar sem þarft þú fara
En ek má ei
Love and lyrics,
Anneli