Heyr himna smiður
"Heyr himna smiður" | |
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Icelandic hymn by Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson | |
English | Hear, smith of the heavens |
Genre | Hymn |
Occasion | Funerals, general |
Written | 13th-century |
Text | Kolbeinn Tumason |
Language | Icelandic |
Meter | 5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5 |
Composed | 20th-century |
"Heyr himna smiður" (literally "Hear, smith of the heavens") is a medieval Icelandic hymn written by chieftain and poet Kolbeinn Tumason in the 13th-century. The music that accompanies the text was composed by Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson (1938–2013) in 1973.[1] This was the first known musical setting of the hymn to become widely popular, although the Icelandic composer Sigvaldi Kaldalóns set the text in the early 20th century; today, Sigurbjörnsson’s setting is among the best-known Icelandic hymns overall. [2]
Text and English translations
The original text is presented here with the medieval and 19th-century Icelandic versions. The third column features, a rough, literal translation into English, while the fourth column is a looser translation regularized to a metrical pattern of 5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5 and stating all first-person pronouns in the singular. [3]
Heyr himna smiðr | Heyr, himna smiður, | Hear, smith of the heavens, | Hear, smith of heavens.
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Notable recordings
Recordings featuring Sigurbjörnsson’s 20th-century melody:
- 2008, Hallgrimskirkja Motet Choir, album: Ljósið þitt lýsi mér: Icelandic Church Music[5]
- 2021, Voces8, album: Infinity[6]
Notable singers
In popular culture
In September 2013, the hymn went viral thanks to an impromptu performance by Árstíðir, an Icelandic indie-folk group. As of 2021, the video, which is published on YouTube, has more than 7.6 million views.[7][8]
In 2017, two episodes of the American dystopian television series The Handmaid's Tale featured the hymn. The version used was arranged and performed by Hildur Guðnadóttir from her 2014 album "Saman".[9][10]
References
- ^ "An 800-year-old Icelandic hymn sung in a train station is utterly haunting". Classic FM. May 7, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ "Iceland's Favorite Hymn". Árni Heimir Ingólfsson. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Heyr, himna smiður (Hear, smith of the heavens) (1973)". Oxford Lieder. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ Or mild king. This is a pun on the word mildingur.
- ^ "Mótettukór Hallgrímskirkju: LJÓSIÐ ÞITT LÝSI MÉR". www.farmersmarket.is. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ "VOCES8 Announce their New Album 'Infinity'". voces8.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ "An 800-year-old Icelandic hymn sung in a train station is utterly haunting". Classic FM. May 7, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ "Árstíðir - Heyr himna smiður (Icelandic hymn) in train station". YouTube. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ "Ancient Icelandic hymn featured in popular series Handmaid's Tale". Iceland Magazine. July 11, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ "Heyr himnasmiður í Handmaid's Tale". MORGUNBLAÐIÐ. July 10, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- Árni Daníel Júlíusson, Jón Ólafur Ísberg, Helgi Skúli Kjartansson ″Íslenskur sögu atlas: 1. bindi: Frá öndverðu til 18. aldar.″ Almenna bókafélagið, Reykjavík 1989.
- Árni Heimir Ingólfsson. ″Iceland’s Favorite Hymn.″ https://www.arniheimir.com/post/iceland-s-favorite-hymn, access date November 8, 2023.
- Sigurður Nordal et al., ″Sýnisbók íslenzkra bókmennta til miðrar átjándu aldar.″ Reykjavík 1953.
- v
- t
- e
- Christian Worship (1993)
- Common Service Book (1917)
- Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book (1912)
- Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (1996)
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006)
- Lutheran Book of Worship (1978)
- The Lutheran Hymnal (1941)
- Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement (1989)
- Lutheran Service Book (2006)
- Lutheran Worship (1982)
- ReClaim Hymnal (2006)
- Service Book and Hymnal (1958)
- First Lutheran hymnal (1524)
- Erfurt Enchiridion (1524)
- Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn (1524)
- Praxis pietatis melica (1640/47)
- Becker Psalter (1602)
- Evangelisches Gesangbuch (1993)
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and
hymnologists
- Mikael Agricola
- Johann Georg Albinus
- Albert von Brandenburg
- Michael Altenburg
- Anna Sophia II
- Johann Sebastian Bach
- Emilie Juliane of Barby-Mühlingen
- Martin Behm
- Sigmund von Birken
- Carl Boberg
- Birgitte Cathrine Boye
- Hans Adolph Brorson
- Johan Nordahl Brun
- Joachim a Burck
- Dieterich Buxtehude
- Christian Cappelen
- Elisabeth Cruciger
- Johann Crüger
- Simon Dach
- Wolfgang Dachstein
- Nikolaus Decius
- Paul Eber
- Ludmilla Elisabeth
- Princess Eugénie
- Jacobus Finno
- Paul Fleming
- Johann Franck
- Michael Franck
- Melchior Franck
- Salomon Franck
- Frans Michael Franzén
- Erik Gustaf Geijer
- Paul Gerhardt
- Bartholomäus Gesius
- Johannes Gigas
- N. F. S. Grundtvig
- Britt G. Hallqvist
- Andreas Hammerschmidt
- Claus Harms
- Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg
- Christian Fürchtegott Gellert
- Johann Heermann
- Ludwig Helmbold
- Valerius Herberger
- Nikolaus Herman
- Johannes Hermann
- Sebald Heyden
- Anders Hovden
- Konrad Hubert
- Bernhard Severin Ingemann
- Justus Jonas
- Sigfrid Karg-Elert
- Christian Keymann
- Balthasar Kindermann
- Thomas Kingo
- Børre Knudsen
- Johann Kolross
- Johann Balthasar König
- Julius Krohn
- Magnus Brostrup Landstad
- Ludvig Mathias Lindeman
- Elias Lönnrot
- Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern
- Matthias Loy
- Sigurd Lunde
- Martin Luther
- Wilhelmi Malmivaara
- Hemminki of Masku
- Felix Mendelssohn
- Johann Matthäus Meyfart
- Georg Neumark
- Erdmann Neumeister
- Philipp Nicolai
- Johann Pachelbel
- Hallgrímur Pétursson
- Michael Praetorius
- Christian Heinrich Postel
- Adam Reusner
- Bartholomäus Ringwaldt
- Martin Rinkart
- Johann Rist
- Christian Knorr von Rosenroth
- Daniel Rumpius
- Johan Runeberg
- Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer
- Lina Sandell
- Carl Schalk
- Martin Schalling
- Heinrich Scheidemann
- Johann Hermann Schein
- Benjamin Schmolck
- Cyriakus Schneegass
- Johann Schop
- Johann Balthasar Schupp
- Heinrich Schütz
- Nikolaus Selnecker
- Eyvind Skeie
- Haquin Spegel
- Lazarus Spengler
- Paul Speratus
- Philipp Spitta
- Paul Stockmann
- Jesper Swedberg
- Jiří Třanovský
- Melchior Teschner
- N. Samuel of Tranquebar
- Zachris Topelius
- Leonard Typpö
- Jaroslav Vajda
- Gottfried Vopelius
- Philipp Wackernagel
- Johan Olof Wallin
- Johann Walter
- Michael Weiße
- Georg Weissel
- Olle Widestrand
- Carl David af Wirsén
- Catherine Winkworth
- Johannes Zahn