Erland Hagegård - "Sången om korsspindeln"/"The song of the cross-spider" (Adolf Paul/Jean Sibelius)

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Description

"Behind the wilding forest on a verdant field,
where the sunlight shine so hot,
there sits a spider so black and so large
in the grass and he stares and he glares.
He imprisons sunbeams and twist and toils
and spins into darkness and knots the veil
so strong and so tight,
so softly and light,
in his mesh he captures each living soul
and pains and plagues to death.

And the sun she pales, and the light so weak
it slakes in blackest night.
And men wander around without soul,
but find there way just as well.
They think that the darkness is light as the day
and become afraid of the dark, when it lightens for a moment
and hide themselves well,
and dream of the soul, so strong and so free.
When they wake from that
they think that they sleep so sweet.

But the spider he spins so angry in his mind
- one soul he cannot imprison.
That soul goes free through cycles of time
from hero to hero it passes down.
And mighty they go and it brings them distress
and honour and shame
- and victory and death,
and pain and blood for manhood and courage.
For they all strive against the spider's net,
and the all give their lives for it."

A recording for The Swedish Radio, in the 80s.
Gustav Asplund, grand piano.