“Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker,” translated as “My Heart Always Wanders,” is a Scandinavian Christmas song. Originally written and published by Danish pietist bishop Hans Adolph Brorson in his song booklet Nøgle Jule-Psalmer (New Christmas Hymns) in 1732, the lyrics have been set to a number of tunes over the centuries, with the most well-known modern recording being the 1995 cover by Sissel Kyrkjebø.
Lyrics
Many variants of the song exist in English due to the variety of lyrics and the difficulty of translation. Below are some common English lyrics found, though it’s not necessarily a direct translation.
My heart always wanders
Before that lowly bed
Within the stable yonder
Where Christ, my Lord, was born.
My faith finds there its treasure,
My soul its pure delight,
Its joy beyond all measure,
The Lord of Christmas night.
But Oh! my heart is riven
With grief and sore dismay
To see the Lord of heaven
Must rest on straw and hay,
That He whom angels offer
Their worship and acclaim
From sinful man must suffer
Such scorn, neglect and shame.
Why should not castles royal
Before Him open stand,
And kings, as servants loyal,
Obey His least command?
Why came He not in splendor
Arrayed in robes of light
And called the world to render
Its homage to His might?
The sparrow finds a gable
Where it may build its nest,
The oxen know a stable
For shelter, food and rest;
Must then my Lord and Savior
A homeless stranger be,
Denied the simplest favor
His lowly creatures see.
O come, my Lord, I pray Thee,
And be my honored guest.
I will in love array Thee
A home within my breast.
It cannot be a stranger
To Thee, who made it free.
Thou will surely stay there
Warmed by my love to Thee.
Mitt hjærte alltid vanker
I Jesu fødte rom
Der samles mine tanker
Som i sin hovedsum
Der er min lengsel hjemme,
Der har mon tro sin skatt
Jeg kan deg aldri glemme
Vel signet julenatt.
Akk, komm jeg opp vil lukke
Mitt hjerte og mit sin
Og full av lengsel sukke,
kom Jesus dog her inn,
Det er ei fremmed bolig,
Du har jo selv den køpt
Så skal jeg blive trolig,
Her i mitt hjerte svøpt.
Jeg gjerne palmegrene
Vil om din krybbe strø
For deg, for deg alene
Jeg leve vil og dø
Kom la min sjel deg finne
Sin rette gledesstund
At du ble født her inne
I hjertets dype grunn.
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