Natten vidgar sig och brister

Natten vidgar sig och brister
i ett skri av smärta
till att rymma evigheten
i vår fattigdom.

Moder i din smärta samlas
nu all världens födslovåndor
till att föda evigheten
i vår fattigdom.

Löften tänds - och tro,
ett ärr av ljus där natten brustit
till att föda evigheten
i vår fattigdom.

Natten som vi förut fruktat
är det sköte ljuset föds ur
är den mull där undret spirar
är vår rikedom.

Lyrics: Gunhild Winquist, Anders Nyberg

Music: Anders Nyberg

English literal translation:

The night widens and bursts
in a scream of pain
to contain eternity
in our poverty

Mother in your pain
all the world's birth pangs
are now gathered
to give birth to eternity
in our poverty

Promises are lit - and faith,
a scar of light where the night has burst
to give birth to eternity
in our poverty

The night that we previously feared
is the womb the light is born out of
is the mulch where the miracle sprouts
is our richness

This was the first lyrics that manifested in the creation of "Himmelen Inom - Heaven within".

Gunhild W, still a teenager, was studying at the high school Fjellstedtska in Uppsala where I had met her while working there. I discovered her gift for poetry which resulted in the cooperation of the lyrics to "Länge leve livet" - Long live life.

A year later or so, I got this strong feeling I should approach Gunhild to ask her for help to create lyrics for a Swedish folk mass that I wanted to compile. I knocked on her door and a very surprised Gunhild opened.

- Anders! I have just written a letter to you!

The letter had not yet been posted but waited in a sealed envelope on a small drawer by the door.

I opened it and in it was this beautiful poem with a little explanation that she felt it should be part of a larger work.

I took it as a commission and after adding the last verse this song became the first to be completed.

I feel very grateful to Gunhild for adding a female perspective to the work.

Order the printed score sent by ordinary mail here.

Listen to a recording here: