Cornelis Vreeswijk: The ballad about Mr. Fredrik Åkare and the sweet Miss Cecilia Lind
- onlinesprakcafe
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
A love ballad about a forbidden love between an older man and a young, soon-to-be 17-year-old girl who met at a village dance, which ignites a spark between them. The beautiful melody is borrowed from a traditional English song Monday Morning and Cornelis' exquisite lyrics draw us into the middle of the story with plenty of detail and emotional charge, providing a realistic depiction of a morally questionable situation that lies before us.
It might be that the text is actually based on a real event when a 23-year-old Cornelis met a 17-year-old Gunvor at a New Year's party in 1960-1961. Read more
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1966
Music: traditional English folk song Monday Morning released by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1965
Lyrics: Cornelis Vreeswijk
Från Öckerö loge hörs dragspel och bas
From Öckerö lodge, one can hear accordion and bass
Och fullmånen lyser som var den av glas
And the full moon shines as if it were made of glass
Där dansar Fredrik Åkare kind emot kind
There dances Fredrik Åkare cheek to cheek
Med lilla fröken Cecilia Lind
With little Miss Cecilia Lind
Hon dansar och blundar så nära intill
She dances so close with her eyes closed
Hon följer i dansen precis vart han vill
She follows in the dance exactly where he wants
Han för och hon följer så lätt som en vind
He leads and she follows as easily as the wind
Men säg, varför rodnar Cecilia Lind?
But tell me, why is Cecilia Lind blushing?
Säg, var det för det Fredrik Åkare sa?
What do you think, was it because of what Fredrik Åkare said?
"Du doftar så gott och du dansar så bra
"You smell so good and you dance so well
Din midja är smal och barmen är trind
Your waist is slim and your bosom is round
Vad du är vacker, Cecilia Lind"
How beautiful you are, Cecilia Lind"
Men dansen tog slut och vart skulle de gå?
But the dance ended and where would they go?
De bodde så nära varandra ändå
But they lived so close to each other anyway
Till slut kom de fram till Cecilias grind
Finally they arrived at Cecilia's gate
"Nu vill jag bli kysst", sa Cecilia Lind
"Now I want to be kissed," said Cecilia Lind
Vet hut, Fredrik Åkare, skäms gamla karln
You know what, Fredrik Åkare, you should be ashamde of yourself
Cecilia Lind är ju bara ett barn
Cecilia Lind is just a child
Ren som en blomma, skygg som en hind
Pure as a flower, shy as a doe
"Jag fyller snart sjutton", sa Cecilia Lind
"I'm turning seventeen soon," said Cecilia Lind
Och stjärnorna vandra och timmarna fly
And the stars wander and the hours fly
Och Fredrik är gammal men månen är ny
And Fredrik is old but the moon is new
Ja, Fredrik är gammal men kärlek är blind
Yes, Fredrik is old but love is blind
"Åh, kyss mig igen", sa Cecilia Lind
"Oh, kiss me again", said Cecilia Lind
