The Day of Sunshine

by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

　　

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A Day of Sunshine is from ARNE, translated from Norwegian in the original meters by Arthur Hubbell Palmer, in Poems and Songs by Bjornstjerne Bjornson.

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It was such a lovely sunshine-day, The house and the yard couldn't hold me; I roved to the woods, on my back I lay, In cradle of fancy rolled me; But there were ants, and gnats that bite, The horse-fly was keen, the wasp showed fight. "Dear me, don't you want to be out in this fine weather?" —said mother, who sat on the steps and sang. It was such a lovely sunshine-day, The house and the yard couldn't hold me; A meadow I found, on my back I lay, And sang what my spirit told me; Then snakes came crawling, a fathom long, To bask in the sun,—I fled with my song. "In such blessed weather we can go barefoot,"—said mother, as she pulled off her stockings. It was such a lovely sunshine-day, The house and the yard couldn't hold me; I loosened a boat, on my back I lay, While blithely the current bowled me; But hot grew the sun, and peeled my nose; Enough was enough, and to land I chose. "Now these are just the days to make hay in,"— said mother, as she stuck the rake in it. It was such a lovely sunshine-day, The house and the yard couldn't hold me; I climbed up a tree, oh, what bliss to play, As cooling the breeze consoled me; But worms soon fell on my neck, by chance, And jumping, I cried: "'T is the Devil's own dance!" "Yes, if the cows aren't sleek and shiny to-day, they'll never be so,"—said mother, gazing up the hillside. It was such a lovely sunshine-day, The house and the yard couldn't hold me; I dashed to the waterfall's endless play, There only could peace enfold me. The shining sun saw me drown and die,— If you made this ditty, 't was surely not I. "Three more such sunshine-days, and everything will be in,"—said mother, and went to make my bed.

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