Welcome spring, the time of the month of May
- May, be welcome -
bless this mild summer
- For the linden wears green leaves in the spring -
Now we carry May in our village
and praise it with new songs
Now the oppression of winter is gone from the land
and leaves and grass are so green now
The little lark's dulcet tone1
Now warbles loud with lovely song
Grant us a bountiful year
preserve both house and farm2
Give us favourable weather
so both ground and marsh may flourish3
With sweat, we've worked the earth
and left our grain in her
Let barley grow on the fields
and grass grow in the meadows
Let fruit grow on the trees for must4
that it might make us merry
That bees give wax and honey sweet
for remedies, food and candles and mead
Strong hops hang on the bars
such bitter wormwood on the meadows
Let herbs grow for flavour and food
give peas, roots and cabbage on plates
Bless the water salt and fresh
for the people, with herring and fish
Let us with health use it
-May, be welcome -
yours in fright and steady peace5
- For the linden wears green leaves in the spring -
1. Also 'clang', 'ring', 'timbre'.2. "Gård" can mean 'house', 'farm', 'yard', 'ranch' etc.3. Lit. 'become green'.4. Pressed fruit juice.5. I interpret this as an expression similar to "in good times and in bad".