This is a very old Norwegian folk song about a man fighting a crow.
The song "Kråkevisa" is an old Norwegian folk tune is and widely regarded as one of the finest ballads in Norway. It's about a man who ventures into a forest for wood, but he encounters a gigantic crow that he believes wants to kill him. He later shoots the crow with a bow, and the rest of the song is about how he uses the different parts of the crow in order not to be wasteful. For example, he used the beak as a boat to ferry people to and from church and turned the crow's ears into a trumpet.
lyrics
Og mannen han gjekk seg i veda skog,
‐ hei fara, i veda skog. ‐
Då sat der ei kråka i lunden og gol.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Mannen han tenkte med sjølve seg;
‐ hei fara, med sjølve seg ‐
Skal tru no den kråka vil drepa meg?
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Og mannen han snudde om hesten sin,
‐ hei fara, om hesten sin ‐
så køyrde han heim att til garden igjen.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Å høyr, du min mann, kva eg spøre deg:
‐ hei fara, eg spøre deg ‐
"Kvar vart det av veden du køyrde til meg?"
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Eg køyrde no slett ingen ved til deg,
‐ hei fara, ved til deg ‐
for kråka ho svor ho sku drepa meg."
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Å no har eg aldri høyrt større skam!
‐ hei fara, større skam ‐
Har du høyrt at ei kråke har drepe ein mann?"
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Men kråka kom etter på taket og gol,
‐ hei fara, på taket og gol ‐
og mannen hen opp gjennom ljoren for.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Og mannen han spente sin boge for kne,
‐ hei fara, sin boge for kne ‐
så skaut han den kråka, så ho datt ned.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Så spente han føre dei folane ti;
‐ hei fara, dei folane ti ‐
men kråka ho sprengde dei alle di.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Så spente han føre dei folane tolv,
‐ hei fara, dei folane tolv ‐
så køyrde han kråka på låvegolv.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Så flådde han kråka og lema ho sund,
‐ hei fara, og lema ho sund ‐
ho vog innpå seksten og tjue pund.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Av skinnet så gjorde han tolv par skor,
‐ hei fara, tolv par skor ‐
det beste paret det gav han til mor.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Og kjøtet han salta i tunner og fat,
‐ hei fara, i tunner og fat ‐
og tunga han hadde til julemat.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Av tarmane gjorde han tolv par reip,
‐ hei fara, tolv par reip ‐
og klørne han brukte til møka‐greip.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Og nebben han brukte til kyrkje‐båt,
‐ hei fara, til kyrkje‐båt ‐
som folk kunne sigla på frå og åt.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Og munnen han brukte te mala korn,
‐ hei fara, te mala korn ‐
og øyro han gjorde til tutar‐horn.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Av augo så gjorde han stoveglas
‐ hei fara, stoveglas ‐
og nakken han sette på kyrkja til stas.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
Og den som kje kråka han nytta så,
‐ hei fara, nytta så ‐
han er ikkje verd ei kråka å få.
‐ Hei fara. Faltu riltu raltura. ‐
The man went into the firewood forest
Hey fara, to the firewood forest
There he heard crowing from the grove
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
The man thought to himself;
Hey fara, he thought to himself
I wonder if that crow wants to kill me?
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
And the man turned to his horse,
Hey fara, he went to his horse
He drove back home to his farm again
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
Oh listen, my husband, this is what I ask you
Hey fara, I ask you
"Where is that timber you were bringing to me?"
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
"I did not bring any timber to you"
Hey fara, bring to you
"Because the crow swore she would kill me"
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
"Oh now I have never heard such great shame!"
Hey fara, such great shame
"Did you ever hear of a crow that could kill a man?"
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
But the crow came later and sat on the roof and crowed
Hey fara, sat on the roof and crowed
And the man he flew up through the chimney
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
And the man drew his bow across his knees
Hey fara, drew his bow across his knees
Then he shot the crow so she fell down
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
and then he harnessed the ten young horses
Hey fara, ten young horses
But the crow she exhausted all of them
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
Then he harnessed the twelve young horses
Hey fara, twelve young horses
And drove the crow to the barn floor
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
Then he skinned the crow and butchered her into pieces
Hey fara, into pieces
She weighed nearly sixteen and twenty pounds.
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
From the pelt he made twelve pair of shoes
Hey fara, twelve pair of shoes
He gave the best pair to his mother
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
And the meat he salted in casks and barrels
Hey fara, casks and barrels
And preserved the tongue for the Christmas meal
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
From the intestines he made twelve pairs of rope
Hey fara, twelve pairs of rope
And the claws he used for dirt-forks
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
And the beak he used for a church-boat
Hey fara, for a church-boat
That people could sail both in to and from
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
And the mouth he used for grinding grain
Hey fara, grinding grain
And he made the ears into trumpets
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
And from the eyes he made window glass
Hey fara, window glass
And the neck he placed on the church for decoration
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
And those who cannot use a crow like this,
Hey fara, use a crow like this.
They are not worthy getting a crow
Hey fara, faltu riltu raltura
credits
from Aontacht,
released February 23, 2017
Masha Lepire - Arrangement
Fabian Fabro - Octavina
Yishan Mai - Flute
Ian Martyn - Vocals, Guitar
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