The sun is so red, mother
And the forest is becoming so dark
Now, the sun is dead, mother
And the day is over.
The fox goes out there, mother
We lock our gate.
Come, sit by my side, mother
And sing a little song.

The sky is so large, mother
With clear stars
What monsters live there, mother
On the star in the blue?
Do you think, they are boys, mother
Who looks down on me?
And do you think that they have beds, mother,
Aand sleep like me

Why does it becomes night mother?
With cold and bitter wind?
Listen to the little cat, mother
It miaws and likes to come in!
Seagulls and (bird)
Have no places to live
Listen, the stars are singing
They sing to calm me.

Solen er så rød, mor
og skoven bli'r så sort.
Nu er solen død, mor
og dagen gået bort.
Ræven går derude, mor
vi låser vores gang.
Kom, sæt dig ved min side, mor
og syng en lille sang.

Himlen er så stor, mor
med klare stjerner på
Hvem monstro der bor, mor
på stjernen i det blå?
Tror du det er drenge, mor
der kigger ned på mig?
Og tror du de har senge, mor
og sover li'som mig?

Hvorfor bli'r det nat, mor
med kold og bitter vind?
Hør den lille kat, mor
den mjaver og vil ind!
Mågerne og ternerne
har ingen sted at bo.
Hør, nu synger stjernerne,
de synger mig til ro!

About The Sun is so Red, Mother
The boy talks with his mother and asks a lot of questions as children usually do.
The idea is that when evening falls, it is associated with things that a child (or an adult) can be afraid of: darkness, death, evening sounds. In contrast to the “scary things” we have the mother singing to the child and the bright stars, where – in the boy’s imagination – other boys like him are living. (That is: the light and the life in the sky in contrast to the darkness and death in the night.)
This is considered a classic among Danish lullabies, written in 1920 by the Danish novelist, playwright and poet, Harald Bergstedt (1877-1965), with music composed by the world-renowned classical composer, Carl Nielsen (1865-1931).

About The Elephant’s Lullaby
This lullaby is among the most popular lullabies today, and considered a classic among Danish lullabies. Using exotic animals as theme, the content and the text are simple and easily understood by a child. This was made politically correct in the 1990s: The word, negerdukkedreng (negro boy doll) was changed to kokosnød (coconut). The song was written in 1948 by the Danish writer and poet, Harald H. Lund, with music composed by writer-musician, Mogens Jermiin Nissen (1906-72).

Nu er solen gået i seng,
udenfor står natten på spring.
Vi skal sove nu,
vi skal hvile vores krop,
for i morgen skal vi op.

Nattens stilhed sænker sig ned,
alt bli'r roligt, alt ånder fred.
Vi skal sove nu,
vi skal hvile vores krop,
men i morgen står vi op.

Til en dejlig dag med musik,
kammerater, leg og lidt slik.
Vi skal sove nu,
vi skal hvile vores krop,
nu er månen stået op.

Be quiet now, my little boy
Please lie down to sleep
Mum is sitting by your bedS
inging rock-a-bye
Mum is so very tired
She badly needs to rest
It is dark and late at night
Go to sleep my child.

Dad is working very hard
Mum has to help
Hans cries again and again
When she has to leave
We have to work to earn a living
The children will suffer.
We cannot give them any better
even though we want to.

But in a little while
The harvesting is over
Then Mum and Dad will have money
Mum will have more time
there will be enough money
for a little winter clothing and shoes for each child,
Little Hans for sure
will get a sweater and a hat.

How will it go later,
when you kids grow up?
You’ll have to earn a living.
Who will take care of you?
I’ll think of you every day
And pray to The Lord
He will support you
,much better than I can do.

Ti no stell mi bette dreng,
leg dæ nie å sow,
Mue hon sedde ve di seng,
synge bysselow.
Mue hon æ få dawen træt,
trænge hått te hvill,
de æ mørk å silde næt,
sov do no bånlill.

Fåe han slidde dawen long,
Mue må å go mæj,
Hans han grædde manne gong,
næe hon goe hind væj,
vi må tien få fød å klæjr,
bønen må li ild,
vi kan itt gi dem et bejr,
liså gjan vi vild.

Men næe no, om itt så læng,
høsten æ fåbi,
så foe Fåe og Mue pæng.
Mue foe bæje ti,
så foe hwer ow bønen lett
vintestøv å sku,
Hansemand vi å ska hett
tråj a vinter lue.

Hwodden ska et go jer sien,
nær I blywe stue?
I skal sajtens ud å tien,
hvem ska vær jer gue?
A vil tænk po jer hwæ daw,
bej å te Wohæer,
han må bliw jer støttestaw,
bæjr end a kan væer.

About Mother’s Song to Little Hans
This lullaby originated from south Jutland, and is very old (year of composition, unknown), but not well-known in Denmark. This may, in part, be due to the fact that it was written in Jutlandic dialect. The song’s text was written by Marie Thulesen (1878-1924) with music by the Danish musician, Oluf Ring (1884-1946).

The song’s theme is about life in the country and a mother’s hopes and worries for her child: she sings for her son, Hans, who must sleep. She is tired and sad that she has to leave her children all day to work on the farm. But she hopes that things will get better and that her children will have a better future when they grow up and leave home. She promises to think of them everyday and to pray to God that they have a good life.