Trollmor
När trollmor har lagt de elva små trollen
och bundit fast dem i svansen,
då sjunger hon sakta fär elva små trollen
de vackraste ord hon känner:
O aj aj aj aj buff, o aj aj aj aj buff.
O aj aj aj aj buff, buff, o aj aj aj aj buff.
Trolls in Sweden take various forms, but are rarely the scary sort children are familiar with from Tolkien or "The Three Billy Goats Gruff". They're generally considered harmless, if perhaps clumsy and greedy. In some stories, they are guardians of nature. 
One of the most famous of Sweden's painters John Bauer (1882 - 1918) painted many gorgeous pictures of trolls. You can see some here: http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/bauer.htm
The photo is of a forest near here that a troll might very much like. You can see moss covered rocks that just might come to life, if you glance away...
So, while folks from other countries may not expect a song about a mamma troll to be a comforting lullaby for a small child, that is indeed what it is. The image of a loving mother snuggling her little ones down to bed is universal after all!
Although most of us don't have babies with tails to tie them to bed with, don't think most mothers haven't wished for such a thing at least once!
English Translation of the words:
When mamma troll has put to bed the eleven little trolls,
and tied them tight by their tails,
then she sings to the eleven little trolls,
the most beautiful words she knows:
O aj aj aj aj buff, o aj aj aj aj buff.
O aj aj aj aj buff, buff, o aj aj aj aj buff.
Johan's comment below resulted in a change to the text above, in case it doesn't any longer make sense :)
Want to correct a translation, or just have something to say?
Jag tror att det ska vara "tied them up by the tail" istället för "wrapped them tight in her tail"
Posted by: Johan on March 25, 2004 10:01 AMDet går ju inte att sjunga den engelska versionen! Den har för många stavelser på första raden tillexempel.
Posted by: Maestro on December 17, 2004 03:44 PM(In english, since most of the readers here are english speaking)
Maestro wrote that you can't sing the english version of this (at least, not to the tune of the swedish). He's dead right, there are too many syllables in the lines and the rhyming is wrong. But there isn't really a "proper" english translation for this song and many others, and not being much of a song-writer myself, I opted to do more or less direct translations of the actual words. If you look at "I Ett Hus..." I did both, and would here if I could (that is, I put a rough direct translation, which you totally can't sing, and also the proper english lyrics since there are some and I happen to know them)
If anyone knows a proper english version of any of these that I don't have, and it differs from a direct translation. I'd be glad to add it.
Posted by: Lauri on January 6, 2005 01:35 AMWhen Mother Troll has put all her children
neatly to bed with their tails tied,
she sings so sweetly to all of her children
the most beautiful words she knows:
Oh aye aye aye aye buff!
Oh aye aye aye aye buff!
Oh aye aye aye aye buff, buff,
Oh aye aye aye aye buff.
It should perhaps be noted that trolls are
Posted by: Torkel Franzen on May 3, 2005 02:29 PMnot lemurs.
Now somebody needs to post the music...
O aj aj aj aj buff, o aj aj aj aj buff.
O aj aj aj aj buff, buff,BUFF, o aj aj aj aj buff.
det ska vara tre buff.... så det så barn vet bäst....
Posted by: Anna on June 29, 2005 12:18 AMHej!
Här kommer ytterligare ett förslag på översättning av "Trollmor". Problemet är att "eleven" inte funkar på engelska. Men tolv är också ett bra tal. (Och jag tror att det bara är två "buff". :-) )
---
TROLL MOTHER
When troll mother's tucked in her twelve little trolls
And tied them all to her tail
Softly she sings for her twelve little trolls
The pretties word she knows:
Oh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff
Oh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff
Oh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff-buff
Oh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff
(Jag tror ett vackert trollord är som en blänkande guldpeng: "pretty" snarare än "beautiful".)
Posted by: Henning on August 2, 2005 06:07 PMLearned this English version at a CISV (Children's International Summer Villages) summer camp in 1991 (Rocky Top, TN). I don't recall, but I'm guessing the Swedes taught it to us. Used to know the Swedish version, but have since forgotten it.
When Troll Mother puts her young trolls to bed,
And ties them up by their tails,
Then softly she sings to eleven small trolls
The prettiest words she knows:
Oh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff,
Posted by: Christina Manning on September 26, 2005 06:17 AMOh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff,
Oh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff-buff,
Oh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff.
It's three "buff" en the end. Everyone sings that way atleast..
Posted by: Gustafsson on November 28, 2005 06:31 PMOh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff,
Oh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff,
Oh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff-buff,
Oh, ay-ay-ay-ay-buff-..buff......buff. =)
I've been singing it in English thus:
When troll mama's laid her 11 little trolls and tied them tight on their tails-o,
Then sweetly she sings to her 11 little trolls the prettiest words she knows-o:
Ho ay ay ay ay buff,
etc.
The first verse doesn't make so clear that she has laid them in their bed, but maybe people won't notice too much. And the second verse you have to do eighth notes for "to her 11 little trolls". But I like adding -o at the end, because it makes it sound more like a folk song, and because it makes it rhyme, and because it preserves the rhythm of "svansen" and "kjänner".
Posted by: Patricia on December 17, 2005 01:24 AMEnglish is my first language and Swedish my second. I've been using the song in children's classes because they love it.
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