Gustafs skål - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

"Gustafs skål", literally Toast to Gustaf, is a song written by Carl Michael Bellman

Carl Michael Bellman

was a Swedish poet and composer. Bellman is a central figure in the Swedish song tradition and remains a very important influence in Swedish music, as well as in Scandinavian literature in general, to this day....

as a salutation to King Gustaf III of Sweden

Gustav III of Sweden

Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....

, following the coup d'etat

Coup d'état

A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...

in 1772, which made himself an autocrat and ended the parliamentary Age of Liberty. The king very much liked the song and informally it came to function as his royal anthem. MIDI music file

Gustafs skål!

Den bäste Kung, som Norden äger:

Han ej tål,

At vigtskåln ojämt väger. :||:

God och glad,

Han Ilskans röst föraktar

Samt afvaktar

Och betraktar

Dårskap i sin grad. :||:

Sådan Kung

Är värd att styra Sveriges öden:

Rask och ung,

Ej rådlös uti nöden. :||:

Wasa Ätt

Har aldrig lärt att svika,

Aldrig tvika,

Men at fika

Till at göra rätt. :||:

Translation

An approximate translation of the Swedish text runs as follows.

Gustafs Toast!

The greatest king of the north:

He can't rest,

While injustice rules. :||:

Decent and cheerful,

He detests anger

and waits

and studies

lunacy in progress :||:

A king like he

Is worthy to govern Swedens destiny

Bold and young

Never in hopeless need :||:

Of Vasa dynasty

Is taught to never fail

Never hesitate

But rather do

What is just and fair. :||:

Translation

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