This blog has been plugging along now for over five years now! Pretty impressive. The blogs fifth birthday was just last month in fact. With that in mind, I think it’s time to take a quick look at singing Happy Birthday in Swedish. Of course, it is not a direct translation, and doesn’t even use the same melody, but that’s what makes it a bit exciting. I’ve included the lyrics below as well as a YouTube clip from the film Sånghatten (there are puppets involved. Puppets with adult human hands. It’s a bit creepy, just be warned.).

The Swedish version of Happy Birthday is called Ja må du leva. And the personal pronoun is generally adapted depending on who youa re singing to. If someone identitifes as a man, then the song will generally be sung as J a å han leva, if someone identifies as a woman, then the song will probably be sung as Ja må hon leva. You get the idea.

So, without further ado, the lyrics to Ja må du leva:

Ja, må han leva!

Ja, må han leva!

Ja, må han leva uti hundrade år!

Javisst ska han leva!

Javisst ska han leva!

Javisst ska han leva uti hundrade år!

In English:

Yes, may he live!

Yes, may he live!

Yes, may he live for a hundred years!

Of course he will live!

Of course he will live!

Of course he will live for a hundred years!

The song usually ends with four repetitions of “Hurra!” And if people are feeling especially adventurours, there is a second verse that is sometimes sung:

Och när han har levat!

Och när han har levat!

Och när han har levat uti hundrade år!

Ja, då ska han skjutas!

Ja, då ska han skjutas!

Ja, då ska han skjutas på en skottkärra fram!

In English:

And when he has lived

And when he has lived

And when he has lived for a hundred years!

Yes, then he will be wheeled

Yes, then he will be wheeled

Yes, then he will be wheeled away in a wheelbarrow!