Giv mig ej glans, ej guld, ej prakt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Julvisa" |
|
|---|---|
| by Jean Sibelius | |
| Other name | "Giv mig ej glans, ej guld, ej prakt" |
| Opus | 1, No. 4 |
| Genre | |
| Occasion | Christmas |
| Written | 1887 |
| Text | by Zacharias Topelius |
| Language | Swedish |
| Composed | 1895 |
| Publisher | Publicistklubben |
Julvisa, also known by its first line, Giv mig ej glans, ej guld, ej prakt, is a very popular Christmas song. It was originally written as a poem by Zacharias Topelius in 1887. This poem was first shared in a magazine called Julqvällen, published by Publicistklubben. It also appeared in the fourth book of Zacharias Topelius' collected writings.
Later, in 1895, the famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius set the poem to music. He was 30 years old at the time. This musical version is known as his opus 1, number 4. An "opus" number is like a catalog number for a composer's works, helping to keep track of their creations.
In Finland, the song is also well-known by its Finnish name, "En etsi valtaa, loistoa." This Finnish version was first published in 1909. The lyrics for this version were likely written by Martti Korpilahti. The song became so popular that it was included in the official Finnish hymnal in 1986, with updated lyrics by Niilo Rauhala from 1984. However, many people still love and sing the older Finnish version.
"Julvisa" is one of the most cherished Christmas songs in Finland. It is often sung during the holiday season in homes, schools, and churches.
This beloved Christmas song has been published in many different songbooks and hymnals over the years. This shows how widely known and loved it is, not just in Finland but also in Sweden.
Early Editions
- It appeared in the 1923 edition of the Finlandssvenska psalmboken. This was a hymnal for Swedish-speaking Finns.
- The 1943 edition of the Finlandssvenska psalmboken also included it.
Later Songbooks
- In 1968, it was featured in the Frälsningsarméns sångbok 1968, a songbook used by the Salvation Army.
- The 1986 edition of the Finlandssvenska psalmboken continued to include the song.
- It was even part of the 1986 hymnal in Sweden, called Den svenska psalmboken 1986. In this book, it was presented in two languages.
- The main Finnish hymnal, Virsikirja, included it in 1986.
- In 1987, it was in Psalmer och Sånger, another collection of hymns and songs.
- The 1990 edition of the Salvation Army songbook also featured it.
- Beyond religious books, "Julvisa" can be found in many other songbooks that are not connected to churches.
