Til Ungdommen

Til Ungdommen (English: "For The Youth"), also known by the words of the first line "Kringsatt av Fiender", is a poem from 1936 by Norwegian poet and writer Nordahl Grieg. It was set to music in 1952 by the Danish composer Otto Mortensen. The song has been recorded by various artists and has been sung at services and meetings held in memory of the victims of the terror attacks of 22 July 2011.

History

The poem was written in 1936; it is often referred to by its first line, Kringsatt av Fiender ("Surrounded by Enemies"). The poem was written after a request by the politician Trond Hegna, for use in the Norwegian Students' Society. The poem is directly inspired by the Spanish civil war, which broke out the same summer.

It was set to music by Otto Mortensen in 1952. In 1988 it was recorded by Grex Vocalis, one Norway's most applauded choirs. In 2000 it was orchestrated by Tormod Tvete Vik, and sung by Norwegian actress and singer Herborg Kråkevik, in her CD titled Kråkeviks Songbok. Kråkevik's version excludes verses 7-10.

The song is also recorded by Danish rock musician Kim Larsen, first on his album 231045-0637 from 1979. However, on this album it was called 682 A rather than Til Ungdommen, this a reference to the song's listing in the Danish folk high school songbook. Kim Larsen also included the song on his live album Kim i Cirkus (1985), and on the live CD and DVD En Lille Pose Støj (2007), on these two occasions titling it by the first line in the Danish version of the poem, Kringsat af Fjender.

The song has also been recorded by Norwegian experimental band The Soundbyte. Til Ungdommen was sung by Norwegian singer Torhild Ostad on 23 November 2003 in Potsdam in Berlin, Germany, as the memorial stone was unveiled at the site where the poet Nordahl Grieg died when the Lancaster bomber in which he was flying hit the ground on 2 December 1943.

On 24 July 2011, under enormous worldwide media coverage, the song was sung by the congregation of the Oslo Cathedral memorial service in relation to the 2011 Norway attacks. It was also sung at Denmark's official Memorial Service at Vor Frue Kirke in Copenhagen, Denmark on 27 July 2011.

Herborg Kråkevik's 2000 version of the song was rereleased in 2011 immediately after the attacks, reaching #1 on VG-lista, the official Norwegian Singles Chart on its first week of release.

Sissel Kyrkjebø sang the song as the concluding performer during the Norwegian National Memorial Ceremony on 21 August 2011 in the Oslo Spektrum arena, which was held to remember those killed in the terrorist attacks. The program was broadcast on all TV channels across Norway.

Text of the poem

Norwegian: Til Ungdommen Kringsatt av fiender, gå inn i din tid! Under en blodig storm - vi deg til strid! Kanskje du spør i angst, udekket, åpen: hva skal jeg kjempe med hva er mitt våpen? Her er ditt vern mot vold, her er ditt sverd: troen på livet vårt, menneskets verd. For all vår fremtids skyld, søk det og dyrk det, dø om du må - men: øk det og styrk det! Stilt går granatenes glidende bånd Stans deres drift mot død stans dem med ånd! Krig er forakt for liv. Fred er å skape. Kast dine krefter inn: døden skal tape! Elsk og berik med drøm alt stort som var! Gå mot det ukjente fravrist det svar. Ubygde kraftverker, ukjente stjerner. Skap dem, med skånet livs dristige hjerner! Edelt er mennesket, jorden er rik! Finnes her nød og sult skyldes det svik. Knus det! I livets navn skal urett falle. Solskinn og brød og ånd eies av alle. Da synker våpnene maktesløs ned! Skaper vi menneskeverd skaper vi fred. Den som med høyre arm bærer en byrde, dyr og umistelig, kan ikke myrde. Dette er løftet vårt fra bror til bror: vi vil bli gode mot menskenes jord. Vi vil ta vare på skjønnheten, varmen som om vi bar et barn varsomt på armen!

English translation Face the Foe By Rod Sinclair (2004) Faced by your enemies On every hand Battle is menacing, Now make your stand Fearful your question, Defenceless, open What shall I fight with? What is my weapon? Here is your battle plan, Here is your shield Faith in this life of ours, The common weal For all our children’s sake, Save it, defend it, Pay any price you must, They shall not end it Neat stacks of cannon shells, Row upon row Death to the life you love, All that you know War is contempt for life, Peace is creation Death’s march is halted By determination We all deserve the world, Harvest and seed Hunger and poverty Are born of greed Don’t turn your face away From needs of others Reach out a helping hand To all your brothers Here is our solemn vow, From land to land We will protect our world From tyrants’ hand Defend the beautiful, Gentle and innocent Like any mother would Care for her infant.

English literal translation (2011) Surrounded by enemies, go into your time! Within a bloody storm - devote yourself to fight! Maybe you ask in fear, uncovered, open: with what shall I fight what is my weapon? Here is your defense against violence here is your sword: the belief in our life, the worth of mankind. For all our future's sake, seek it and cultivate it, die if you must - but: increase it and strengthen it! Silently rolls the grenades' conveyor belts Stop their drift towards death Stop them with spirit! War is contempt for life. Peace is to create. Throw your strength into it: Death shall lose! Love and enrich with dreams all that was great! Go towards the unknown wring answers out of it. Unbuilt powerplants, unknown stars. Create them, with spared lives' bold minds! Noble is mankind, the earth is rich! If there is need and hunger it is by deceit. Crush it! In the name of life injustice shall fall. Sunshine and bread and mind belongs to all. Then the weapons sink powerless to the ground! By creating human worth we create peace. Those who with their right arm carry a burden, precious and inalienable, cannot murder. This is our promise from brother to brother: We will be good to humanity's earth. We will take care of the beauty, the warmth as if we carried a child carefully in our arms!

Alternative English translation To our Youth By Joe Gorman (July 28th 2011) Encircled by enemies, your time has come! With blood all around - prepare to resist. Anxiously you ask, defenceless, innocent: with what shall I fight, what is my weapon? Here is your shield, here is your sword: faith in our life, and human dignity. Our common future: shape it, define it; even though the price be death, you must strengthen mankind! The weapons of evil spread silently around us. Their deathly advances your spirit must stop! War despises life, Peace is its creator. Give your whole self: and death loses its sting. Make greatness and love grow stronger in your dreams! So you face the unknown with quiet understanding. Great achievements, distant dreams. Bring them forth, through the lives you protect. Noble is mankind, bountiful is the earth. Where there is hunger and suffering, it is our failing. In the name of all that is good in life, injustice must be crushed! Light, nourishment and free thought are our common inheritance. Then the weapons will fall, sink down, useless! Create respect for humanity and we create peace. He whose right arm carries a burden, priceless and precious, can never murder. This we promise from brother to brother: we will respect this planet we share. We will take care of beauty and warmth as if bearing an infant gently in our arms!

Beautiful English translation To Youth By Translator unknown Enemies near and by, threatening your right! Under a storm of blood You have to fight! Might you then ask in fear, unarmed and open: how shall I combat them, what is my weapon? Here is your shelter strong, here is your sword: faith in mankind, and in everyone's worth. For all the future holds, seek this and tend it. Die, if you have to, but: deepen, extend it! Silent the bullets glide all through the night. Use all your strength and love, stop deadly flight! War is contempt for life. Peace is creating. Add forces to the strife: death shall be beaten! Love and enrich with dreams greatness of old! Challenge unknown terrain truth will be told. Works not yet being built, stars never seen reveal them through rescued lives, able and keen! Noble is everyone, earth, rich and sweet! Hunger and suffering, caused by deceit. Crush it! In life's own name injustice shall fall. Light, bread and love and hope, birth right of all. Forcing all weapons down, warfare shall cease! Shielding man's dignity creating true peace. Who by his right hand's side carries a burden, precious and dear to him, can never murder. This is our promise, from kin to kin: cherish our fragile Earth, it's ours to win. We will protect and keep beauty and grace - as if we held a child in tender embrace!

Song recordings

• Kim Larsen's version (in 1979) of the song is titled "682A" — a reference to its place in the Danish songbook Højskolesangbogen

In popular culture

• The instrumental song Closing the Circle by Danish progressive metal band Beyond Twilight (on their 2001 album The Devil's Hall of Fame) contains melody snippets taken from Til Ungdommen.
• The song Songen Åt Fangen by Norwegian black metal band Vreid (on their debut album Kraft) uses Til Ungdommen as its primary melody.

Other sources

• Andreassen, Jostein (1992) Nordahl Grieg på Sørlandet: Et studieheft om forfatterskap og miljø (J. Andreassen) ISBN 978-8291188010
• Nag, Martin (1989) Ung må Nordahl Grieg ennå være (Solum) ISBN 978-8256006557
• Hoem, Edvard (1989) Til ungdommen : Nordahl Griegs liv (Oslo: Gyldendal) ISBN 82-05-29946-3