Who Can Sail Without the Wind? (Swedish: Vem kan segla förutan vind?, lit. 'Who can sail without wind?') is a Swedish folk song and lullaby known from Swedish speaking areas in Finland, assumed to originate from the Åland-islands between Finland and Sweden in the Baltic Sea. The opening line is found in the fifth stanza of an 18th-century ballad, "Goder natt, goder natt, allra kärestan min" and in its current form the song was first published in 1909. The song relates to a theme that is common in seaman's songs – to be separated from those you love.[1][2]
The English name of the song varies: "Who Can Sail Without Wind", "Who Can Sail Without a Wind", "I Can Sail Without The Wind", etc.
Lyrics
edit| Strophes | Swedish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Strophe 1 | Vem kan segla förutan vind, vem kan ro utan åror, vem kan skiljas från vännen sin utan att fälla tårar? |
Who can sail without the wind, who can row without oars, who can leave a parting friend without shedding tears? |
| Strophe 2 | Jag kan segla förutan vind, jag kan ro utan åror, men ej skiljas från vännen min utan att fälla tårar. |
I can sail without the wind, I can row without oars, but i can't leave a parting friend without shedding tears. |
External links
edit- Who Can Sail Without the Wind? – performance by the Portland Choir & Orchestra
References
edit- ^ Johan Stenström; Anders Palm (1997). Den svenska sångboken (in Swedish). Stockholm: Bonnier. p. 504. ISBN 91-0-056433-8.
- ^ Johan Stenström; Anders Palm (1999). Barnens svenska sångbok (in Swedish). Stockholm: Bonnier. p. 252. ISBN 91-0-057050-8.