Gustaf Fröding: Det var dans bort i vägen

There was dancing away in the road
There was dancing away in the road on Saturday night
through the surroundings was the song of the game and happiness and laughter,
it was tjoh! there was hope! it was hey!
Nils Utterman, token and spelmansfanten,
He sat with his bälgspel at the road edge,
for dudeli! dudeli! you!

There was Ball, the magnificent Take Girl,
she is good-looking and nice, but have nothing in your pocket,
she is gäcksam and skojsam and dashing.
There was Kersti, the defiant, wandering, wild,
there was Finn Reversing-Britta and Kajsa and Tilda
and the snudiga Marja in the brook.

There was Petter in Toppsta and Gusten the hill,
it is boys who bother to throw in the squad
and vischa a girl in the sky.
There was Flaxman on Torpet and Niklas in turn
and recruit and Pistol Högvaltadrängen
and Cold-Johan in Skräddarebyn.

And they had that burning tow in the body,
and grasshoppers jumped Rejlandshoppen,
and against the rocks of the small heels.
And rockskörten flaxade, aprons threw;
and flat flögo and skirts swung,
and the music gnällde and gnall.

In the snåret of birch trees and chat and hazel
it was whispering talk, it was tissel and tassel
among the masking the shadows there,
it was the race, it was game over logs and rocks,
it was the cutter and caressing in the leafy branches
- Do you want me, then you have me here!

Over the district was SCINTILLATION starry night specious,
the low glimpse of light over the surge of water
in the lövskogsbekransade lake,
the fragrance came from Klövern on blooming dikes
and from kådiga cones of spruces and pines,
which shaded litter Arnes crest.

And a fox line into the hilarious song,
and a horned owl screamed uhu! from Bryn Worn Brate,
and they noticed, they heard it not.
But uhu! hearing the echo of Getberget shout,
and in response to Nils Otter's dudelidia!
came the dudeli! dudeli! you!