They were burying a king so great
Who fell asleep so peacefully in bed
For the wake1 came princes from north and south
But down in the valley laid an old maid
On her stomach, her head on the meadow
She liked her king, she loved her country
But the heart said stop when she went for water
But that, there was nobody to see
They were burying a king so great
Who perished despite all the care
In the church sat princes singing in choirs
But the woman in the grass laid without words
Who else had a softer bed?
From the fjord came the wind, so northly and cold
But around her skirt grew lillies of the valley
But that, there was nobody to see
They were burying a king so great
The people surrounded the road
The casket was shown and the casket lowered
But down in a valley stood a cow, still bound
And lowed and missed its milkmaid
She didn't hear it, she laid satisfied
With her hand in the bucket and her head on one side
But that, there was nobody to see
Yes, they were burying a king so great
The camera buzzing at the priest
Who said an immortalized last word
But the old maid laid in the same earth
And surely didn't miss the party
They never found her, before soon the winter came
And she went in the fjord when snow turned to flood
But that, there was nobody to see
1. "gravøl" is the name of an ancient Nordic rite where the funeral goers drank "grave beer" for a week after the funeral to honor and cherish the memory of the deceased.