There is a Christmas party scene in Cat Skinner: A Story of Lust, Love and Loss in the 1930's where the majority of the attendees are immigrants from Norway or descended from immigrants.
As a child, I can remember my Dad, Webster Warren Bateman, singing this song in Norwegian. The only part of the song I remembered was the first line which is also the title. Thanks to my cousin, Janet Peterson Esser, I now have all the words in both Norwegian and English.
I'm sharing them here because this blog will eventually become my personal book of memories of what it took to write my first novel. It's an eye-opening, sometimes heartwarming (this song for example) and surprising look at who my father was as a young man.
Kan du glemme gamle Norge? Norwegian – American Folksong
1. How can you ever forget Old Norway? I can never forget that country, with its proud castle-like mountains
is and will remain my native land.
2. How can you forget this country
which first embraced you? Do you think you’ll ever find another country with such a proud and glorious name?
3. How can you ever forget Norway’s forests with their pines, and birches and firs? If you can forget the waves of the ocean, then you are able to forget everything.
4. How can you forget these narrow fjords which twist and turn? There as a child you often were rocked by a stiff breeze.
5. Don’t your thoughts at times take flight
to the place your cradle stood? Don't you feel your heart is beating for the land you left behind?
6. Let, Oh let your thoughts take flight; let them fly so easily. Long live Old Norway, forever young, in the hearts of all Norwegians.
1. Kan du
glemme gamle Norge ? 
Aldri jeg det glemme kan, 
som med stolte klippeborge er
og blir mitt Ødeland.
2.
Kan
du glemme dette landet som dig først tok i sin favn ? Mon du finne vil et annet
med så stolt og herlig navn?
3. Kan du glemme Norges skover med sin furu, birk og gran ? Kan du glemme sjØens vover, alt du da forglemme kan.
4. Kan du glemme disse trange fjorde, som sig bukter inn ? Hvor som barn du mange gange vugget dig for førlig vind.
5.
Svever stundom ei din tanke dithen hvor din
vugge stod ? Føler du ei hjertet banke for det land som du forlot?
6. La da kun din tanke sveve;
det kan aldri falle tungt. Må for nordmenn
lenge leve.
1. How can you ever forget Old Norway? I can never forget that country, with its proud castle-like mountains
is and will remain my native land.2. How can you forget this country
which first embraced you? Do you think you’ll ever find another country with such a proud and glorious name?3. How can you ever forget Norway’s forests with their pines, and birches and firs? If you can forget the waves of the ocean, then you are able to forget everything.
4. How can you forget these narrow fjords which twist and turn? There as a child you often were rocked by a stiff breeze.
5. Don’t your thoughts at times take flight
to the place your cradle stood? Don't you feel your heart is beating for the land you left behind? 6. Let, Oh let your thoughts take flight; let them fly so easily. Long live Old Norway, forever young, in the hearts of all Norwegians.
Aldri jeg det glemme kan, som med stolte klippeborge er
og blir mitt Ødeland. 2.
Kan
du glemme dette landet som dig først tok i sin favn ? Mon du finne vil et annet
med så stolt og herlig navn?3. Kan du glemme Norges skover med sin furu, birk og gran ? Kan du glemme sjØens vover, alt du da forglemme kan.
4. Kan du glemme disse trange fjorde, som sig bukter inn ? Hvor som barn du mange gange vugget dig for førlig vind.
5.
Svever stundom ei din tanke dithen hvor din
vugge stod ? Føler du ei hjertet banke for det land som du forlot? 6. La da kun din tanke sveve;
det kan aldri falle tungt. Må for nordmenn
lenge leve.
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