1) SKEARKAMINIE

Maana skearkoe
mah sov bïjre-jarkan leah

Vaadtsije
vaarrede
daanhtsohte
föörhkede
laarhkene
tjyörije
tjuedtjele
mojjehte

Maana skearkaminie
mah sov bïjre-jarkan leah

 

2) BÏEGKE JARKELE

Rijnie, mov gïeth gååleme
bïegkeværta, elmie lea
Nïekedem laagne beajjan
Vaajmatjahkese juadta  

Værsja, mov gïeth gååleme
Barre maadtoen maahtoe maahta dle
mannem daelie viehkiehtidh
Vaajmatjahkese juadta 

Daelie bïegke jarkele
Nov gujht bïegke jarkele

Aajma, mov gïeth gååleme
Barre rohkelasse maahta dle
mannem daelie viehkiehtidh
Vaajmatjahkese juadta

Baajka, mov gïeth gååleme                           
Dle tjahkesjem vuertieminie
Læhkoeladtje jis vearelde jarkele

Daelie bïegke jarkele

 

3) BÅALMALDAHKESNE

Suejnieh provnegasse pruvnieldamme
nænnoes gïetigujmie novhresjamme 

Suejniebalkah båalmaldahkesne
nænnoes gïetigujmie dååjhteldahkesne 

Deajvoeh viedtijste gårraldihkie
voedtegh laejkijste pruvnieldihkie

Jielemh båalmaldahkesne
ektine gårrelgieh
goh nænnoes soenh
båtneme, gumhtie stïerhkebe sjidtieh
nemhtie mijjieh bïerkenibie

 

4) MEESSHREAGKAH

 

5) MAANA MOV

Sjamma sjamma maanetje
hen-ne jå
Datnem åarajahtam
Sjamma sjamma maanetje
åarajahtam
Sjamma sjamma maana mov

Dov searemem gaajesjem
Aellieh, aellieh tjearoeh
Maanam lïhke mov vaajmese guadtam
Sïedtelgovvh

Dov lïhke leam
Dov bïjre seahkerem

 

6) VAANENEMINIE

Nov jïjtjemem sovkehtem 
goh lim onne, onne maana 
Mov mojhtesh, gusnie leah? 
Mojhteladtem, mojhteladtem 

Gaajhkh mov åssjaldahkh
tjïelke hov lin, mån lim skuajhtehke aaj 
Gaajhkh mov åssjaldahkh
Mojhteladtem, mojhteladtem

Såajtelem såajtelem
dejtie ledtide veartesjem
Ektine dej ledtiejgujmie
såajtelem såajtelem

Gaajhkem maam mujhtim 
daelie åajaldehtieminie
Mov åejjie jolmeme
manne vaaneneminie
vaaneneminie

Vaaneneminie 
Vaaneneminie

 

7) JIELEMH TJÖÖDTJESTIEH

Gustie ïedtjem veedtjede?
Vuertiemisnie gaavnesjidie
Jielemh tjöödtjestieh
vuertiemisnie tjahkasjidie

Guelhties tjelmieh vuarjasjieh
mah dijjide sïerredehtieh
Faamoen ierhkiebielien
vuestie gæmhpoejidie

Idtjidh sïjhth desnie årrodh
ovreaktoem dåastoehtidh
Idie gænnah slogkesh
mijjien reaktojde vaarjelidh 

Ihke idie daejrieh
guktie maehtede lïegkedidh

Håaloje noerh
reegkes gïeline
rïektesem jiehtede
dåajvoem vedtede

jïh mijjien reaktojde vaarjelidie

 

8) DÏERESKE DAJVE

Jååvkelde vaedtsiejim
dïeresk’dajvesne sierngiejim
Dillie voessem laehpiejim
geahpebe juhtiejim

Morhtesaajseste geehtedim
ollem dïereske dajvesne tjaajanim

 

9) SÅAJTALIEH

 

10) MEJJESNE

Haavketjh gaavnesjien
Mejjesne aavoedien

BÅALMALDAHKESNE - ENTWINED

 

1) SUDDENLY I SEE

 Suddenly the infant becomes aware
of her surroundings

She starts to walk
to run
to dance
to fill the air with laughter

she hurts herself
tears fill her eyes
she stands up again
each experience written into her smile

As if by chance, the child
becomes aware of her surroundings

 

2) THE WIND IS TURNING

Hoar frost covers everything, my hands have grown stiff in the cold
storm winds tear the sky into pieces
I long for a calm day
My heart is aching 

Shards of ice offered as rain, my hands have grown stiff in the cold
inherited knowledge, rooted in this land
is the only thing that can help me now
My heart is aching

The wind is turning now,
Surely it is turning

A never-ending whiteout, my hands have grown stiff in the cold
a prayer is the only thing
that can help me now
My heart is aching

Frigid days, my hands have grown stiff in the cold
I sit down and wait,
It would be a stroke of luck
if the weather would change

The wind is turning now

 

3) ENTWINED

Spun strands of sweetgrass, braided together
and shaped into hoops by strong hands

Hoops of sweetgrass, twined together
brought into existence by strong hands

Baskets woven by birch roots to make cheese,
shoebands, braided together by woolen threads

Lives entwined
and bound together
like strong threads of sinew
spun around each other to grow stronger
this is how we sustain ourselves

 

4) RINGS OF BRASS

 

5) MY CHILD
Sleep now, my little child
hen-ne jå
I am putting you to bed
sleep now, my little child
I am putting you to bed
Sleep now, my little child

I am stroking your cheek,
Do not cry
I carry the child, close to my heart
so that you will fall asleep

I am close to you
I care about you

 

6) SLOWLY FADING AWAY

I cradle myself, slowly rocking back and forth
as if I were a newborn infant
My memories escape me,
I try to remember, calling past experiences to mind

All my thoughts
used to be sharp as a knife, I knew the lugmark of each reindeer by heart
All my memories;
I try to remember them, calling past experiences to mind

I am soaring, high above
noticing each bird,
joining their army of wings
I am soaring, soaring high above

I have forgotten
everything that I used to know
my mind is growing cold
and I am slowly fading away
slowly fading away

slowly fading away
fading away

 

7) LIVES ON HOLD

Where do you find your strength?  
You meet as you wait
Your lives on hold,
waiting, you sit down

Observed by guilty eyes
that single you out as different
You battle the dark side
of the powers that be

None of you wanted to be there,
to be forced to challenge this injustice
You never abandoned
the fight for our rights

You do not get
how you could possibly rest

Eloquent youths
with loud voices
you speak up for our rights,
you offer us hope

and protect our rights

 

8) IMPASSABLE TERRAIN

Trailing behind
I walked slowly through the impenetrable wilderness,
I left my bag behind
so that each step would become lighter

I watched out for treacherous holes, scattered across the marshland
to avoid getting lost in this impassable terrain

 

9) SOARING

 

10) BEAMING WITH JOY

Soon, the two of us will meet again
beaming with joy, as we celebrate together

 

CREDITS

Musicians:
Marja Mortensson – yoik, vocals
Daniel Herskedal – tuba, bass trumpet
Jakop Janssønn – drums


Produced by:
Daniel Herskedal,
Co-produced by: Marja Mortensson, Jakop Janssønn

All compositions by: Marja Mortensson and Daniel Herskedal


All lyrics by: Marja Mortensson

All arrangements by: Daniel Herskedal (except Såajtalieh – Soaring)

Recorded at:
Ocean Sound Recordings, by August Wanngren (spring 2023)

Recorded and mixed by: August Wanngren (winter 2023/2024)

Mastered by: Sofia and Thomas at Stockholm Mastering (winter 2024)

Artwork:
Thomas Barlund

English translation: Johan Sandberg McGuinne

South Sámi language consultant: Elin Fjellheim

Supported by
Saemiedigkie
Kulturrådet – Fond for lyd og bilde

Physical distribution by Diger Distro

Digital distribution by DMG / Danmark Music Group

© Veadta
VEA13