23rd December
Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker
Hans Adolph Brorson (1694 - 1764)
arranged for harp duo and performed by Anna Dunwoodie and Danielle Perrett
This is originally an old Danish hymn first published by a clergyman called Brorson in 1732, amongst his first published hymns. He is now considered one of the greatest Danish hymn writers, but his lyrics are more highly prized than his melodies, so that various melodies exist coupled with these words, by subsequent composers chief amongst whom was fellow Dane Carl Nielsen (1865 – 1931) who wrote musical settings of over 290 hymns.
Nevertheless, this contemplative hymn has migrated all around Scandinavia and each Scandinavian country has its own favourite version or versions of this hymn.
My very good friend, Anna Dunwoodie, and I recorded this in June 2023, during her brief stay with me, with Anna playing the solo and me embroidering around it.
This piece was included in Anna’s self published volume called ‘Harp Moments’ which she brought out in 2021.
(Please see the final link at the bottom of this page).
Mitt hjerte alltid vanker,
i Jesu føderom,
der samles mine tanker,
som i sin hovedsum.
Det er min lengsel hjemme,
der har min tro sin skatt,
jeg kan deg aldri glemme,
velsignet julenatt!
En spurv har dog sitt rede,
og sikre hvilebo,
en svale må ei bede,
om nattely og ro;
En løve vet sin hule,
hvor den kan hvile få,
skal da min Gud seg skjule,
i andres stall og strå?
Å, kom, jeg opp vil lukke,
mitt hjerte og mitt sinn,
og full av lengsel sukke:
Kom, Jesus, dog herinn!
Det er ei fremmed bolig,
Du har den selv jo kjøpt,
så skal du blive trolig,
her i mitt hjerte svøpt.
My heart always lingers,
in the birthplace of Jesus,
My thoughts there gather,
as their main sum.
There is my longing at home,
there has my faith its prize,
You I never could forget,
blessed Christmas night.
A sparrow though has its nest,
and sacred resting space,
A swallow shouldn’t need to ask,
for nightly shelter and peace.
A lion knows its cave,
Where it’ll find its calm,
Should then my God have to hide,
in others’ stable and straw?
Oh come, I will open,
my heart and my mind,
and full of longing sigh:
Comest thou in, Jesus.
It’s not a strange homestead,
you bought it yourself,
So you can stay here,
faithfully swathed in my heart.
Performed on Erard and Erat Grecian harps from the 1830s