Comments on: Norwegian Christmas Song - Jeg Er Sa Glad

By: Abida

Abida — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:29:07 +0000

I visited your Church site, it is really privilege for me to write you with the Will of God. I found that you have awesome and precious work of Lord Jesus Christ, May God bless your Church staff and all precious work. I belong the Christian family. I am able to do work of translation into Urdu and Punjabi, if you have any translation work so please consider for the translation work, i would love to give my service to you church as a translator. Your Church material and Word of God must be reached to unreached people who didn't understand the English, those people can study and blessed through the Word of God. I hope that Lord Jesus will give the vision of Translation work and all funds. I will do pray to Jesus for this precious work. I will wait your reply. In Jesus name Suzina Abida Pakistan

By: J T Quanbeck

J T Quanbeck — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:40:17 +0000

My thanks as well for the posting of the lyrics and music for this song. I learned this song from my grandmother as she often sang it for my cousins and me when we were with them at Christmas in the early 1950s. She always sang it in Norwegian and though I know absolutely no Norwegian, I can still remember this clearly.
I would also like to thank Mr. Johnson for his posting. I know that more than a few of my relatives (including my mother) had “Pa” Sveeggen as an instructor at Augsburg (she was not aware that he had translated the song, but loves the idea since she liked him very much).

By: Pia Pedersen

Pia Pedersen — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 04:07:57 +0000

Tusen takk for making this song, lyrics and sheet music available!
I grew up in Norway but am now raising a young family in Canada with an English speaking husband.
It is difficult to keep the culture and language alive in my children, but they both love singing and hearing about julenissen and Norwegian Christmas traditions. We celebrate our Christmas in Norwegian manner on the 24th and dance around our tree.
This year I hope to teach my daughter to play “Jeg er så glad hver julekveld” and “O Jul med din glede” on the piano.
God jul!

By: Vivan

Vivan — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:37:30 +0000

This was always sang at the funerals of my Norwegian relatives but I never knew the words. The last of that generation died last week and I am so glad to have the translation and music. I will pass it on to my children as I have done with other Norwegian customs.

By: Vik

Vik — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 22:47:20 +0000

Does anyone have a word-for-word translation?

By: Kaare Bye

Kaare Bye — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 21:35:14 +0000

My favorite child hood song.

Kaare Bye

By: askland

askland — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 00:56:53 +0000

Thank you so much for the detailed info. It is my Mother and I’s favorite song. A couple weeks ago I gave a short presentation at church where we presented three different arrangements of the piece. I love this song!

By: Daniel C. Johnson

Daniel C. Johnson — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 23:43:13 +0000

I am a great-nephew of the translator of “Jeg er saa glad hver Julekveld/I am so glad each Christmas Eve” Professor Peder Andrew Sveeggen, for 37 years, the Chair of the English dept. at Augsburg College, Minneapolis, was the oldest brother of my maternal grandfather. My mother was his niece. PA’s translation work was not limited to this “Christmas Eve song,” he also translated a number of other pieces that have appeared in hymnbooks in America, including the Concordia Hymnal, the Lutheran Hymnary, and a couple of other songs in addition, to finding this one listed as Hymn # 69, in the LBW/Lutheran Book of Worship. Professor PA Sveeggen taught English & homiletics at Augsburg in addition to classes in Shakespeare, and poetry. I’ve personally known Lutheran pastors who had him as their instructor and also myself, had a piano teacher, who had been his student. I found it interesting how limited to Lutheran churches of Norwegian descent, the familiarity of this Christmas song is. However, it tends to be very popular among those famiiar with it. It is making it’s way into other denominations, for which, I am personally grateful, as it would be nice for other Christians to enjoy and be blessed by it’s deep and rich meaning. It not only is a Christmas song for the church, it also has an folk song element to it, and additional versus may be created, just as they have been in past Norwegian culture. It is matched with a beautiful melody, with 9 7 9 7, poetic metre. My preferred time signature of the music is either 3/4 or 6/8. At the approximate time of it’s translation, likely between 1926 and 1930, controversy stirred Norwegian Lutheran congregations, as to changing over to the English language in their worship services. I’m not so sure, that the translator’s efforts might have been quite as popular among traditionalists in the Lutheran churches, that were populated with Norwegians in his generation. I also lived across the street, in my childhood, from what was known as a Norwegian Bedehuse, Prayerhouse, or House of Prayer. Juletre Fest was commonly held there close to Christmastime in the 1950’s, 60’s and maybe into the 70’s, this song then, was the theme as it was common in Norwegian culture to decorate the tree, and upon completion, hold hands in a circle, while moving about, and around the tree, while singing “Jeg er saa glad hver Julekveld, and other Christmas songs.
– BlesSINGS!! Daniel C Johnson, Luverne, MN 56156