Danish advent hymn, written in 1849 (but based on an older hymn from 1556) by the poet Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig (1783-1872).
Usually sung to a melody composed by A.P. Berggreen in 1852, this hymn is traditionally sung on New Year's Eve/Morning, immediately following midnight and the changing of the year. It is customary for Danish television to transmit the ringing of the midnight bell from the clock tower of the Copenhagen Town Hall, followed by a performance of this hymn by the Danish Radio Girls' Choir (Radioens Pigekor), accompanied by the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Radioens symfoniorkester), followed by the Danish national anthem, Der er et yndigt land and the royal anthem (Kongesangen), Kong Christian stod ved højen mast.
Vær velkommen, Herrens år
Vær velkommen, Herrens år,
og velkommen herhid!
Julenat, da vor Herre blev fød,
da tændte sig lyset i mørkets skød.
Velkommen, nytår, og velkommen her!
Vær velkommen, Herrens år,
og velkommen herhid!
Påskemorgen, da Herren opstod,
da livstræet fæsted i graven rod.
Velkommen, nytår, og velkommen her!
Vær velkommen, Herrens år,
og velkommen herhid!
Pinsedag, da Guds Ånd kom herned,
da nedsteg Guds kraft til vor skrøbelighed.
Velkommen, nytår, og velkommen her!
Vær velkommen, Herrens år,
og velkommen herhid!
Herrens år med vor Guds velbehag
nu bringer os glæde hver Herrens dag.
Velkommen, nytår, og velkommen her!
What follows is an attempt at a literal, non-poetic translation, to give you the sense of the text (and completely missing the grandeur of the poetry, but so it goes):
Be welcome, year of the Lord
Be welcome, year of the Lord,
and welcome here!
Christmas night, when Our Lord was born,
the light was kindled in the womb of darkness.
Welcome, New Year, and welcome here!
Be welcome, year of the Lord,
and welcome here!
Easter morn, when the Lord arose,
the tree of life rooted itself in the grave.
Welcome, New Year, and welcome here!
Be welcome, year of the Lord,
and welcome here!
On Pentecost, when God's Spirit came down here,
then descended God's might to our fragile selves.
Welcome, New Year, and welcome here!
Be welcome, year of the Lord,
and welcome here!
The year of the Lord with our God's good will
now brings us joy every day of the Lord.
Welcome, New Year, and welcome here!
Part of the Everything Hymnal
Original poetic text by Grundtvig, translated (as prose) 2003 by Peter Ravn Rasmussen and herewith placed in the public domain.
MIDI file of the melody, spotted at: http://w1.1595.telia.com/~u159500655/koraler/ddk/ddk447.mid.