Absolution [Swedish translation]

Ända sen din födelse har du längtat1

För var dag som går växer din längtan2

Längtan att nå solnedgången 3

Som ung, fäste du ögonen på horisonten4

Gick över lik för att nå ditt mål5

Försöker att vara den utvalde6

Alla de saker som du åtrår

Kommer du finna där i elden

Sträck upp dina händer upp mot himlen

Be om förlåtelse 7

Du ska kräla i stoftet och be 8

Be om förlåtelse

Du rör dig även nu när du är här9

Sökandes frenetiskt efter något att förbättra10

Och ännu söker du solen 11

Alla de saker du åtrår

Ska du finna här i elden12

Sträck upp dina händer upp mot himlen

Be om förlåtelse

Du ska kräla i stoftet och be

Be om förlåtelse

Du ska be 13

Du ska be

Du ska be

Du ska be

Du ska be

Du ska be

Sträck upp dina händer upp mot himlen

Be om förlåtelse

Du ska kräla i stoftet och be

Be om förlåtelse

Sträck upp dina händer upp mot himlen

Be om förlåtelse

Du ska kräla i stoftet och be

Be om förlåtelse

1. Literal translation: Ända sen din födelse har du varit döende, but you can't really write/say that in Swedish so opted for what I wrote instead2. In line with the previous annotiation: "För var dag som går dör du igen" or "För varje dag dör du lite mer" - But again it's not something you would write in Swedish, both are very awkward phrases3. Alt. "nå den nedgående solen"; and with the original lyrics in mind: "dör/döende för att nå den nedgående solen" but again it's not something that makes any sense to a native speaker since dying can't be used to imply longing for something in Swedish. You can use words like "tråna", "längta", "sukta" for longing, each word needing "efter" added as a word after (as well as using the same verb form as in "längta-R"), used as with 'longing for' in English.4. Or "blicken vid horisonten"5. I deviated a bit from the original here (mainly because it sounds a tad odd to me, having one's mind on the horizon). Otherwise it'd be something like "Som ett barn, med ditt sinne/fokus på horisonten; Över lik, mot det pris du hade ögonen på." (Sinne being closer to the English version, but fokus being a more idiomatic way of writing it. I guess it goes without saying that fokus = focus; but whatever, will say it anyway.)6. Could also translate to "Försöker bli den utvalde" (trying to become the chosen one) but not what the source material implies, however it does sound more idiomatic/better in Swedish than what I translated originally.7. I'm guessing they're referring to the religious absolution, praying for (and receiving) forgiveness from your sins. Apparently called "avlösning" in Swedish (I knew it as "syndernas förlåtelse), could probably be substituted in for "förlåtelse". Just that I prefer using terminology I'm familiar with. Writing syndernas förlåtelse or förlåtelse doesn't really matter.8. There are probably other ways of translating this in Swedish. But I went with a Swedish saying (idiom), meaning to show subservience (being incredibly submissive to another person, or in this case a deity or a lecturing preacher); a rough literal translation of it would be "you shall/will crawl in the dust..."9. Or "Även nu när du är här rör du dig10. Honestly can't say why they opted for "Hysterically" instead of "Franticly", translated the latter. Hysterically would be "Hysteriskt" in Swedish. But you don't use that in this circumstance in Swedish (and I'm pretty sure you don't do that in English either, which is why I'm perplexed to its usage here...the band being Swedish and all really made me think they'd use "Franticly" instead. Or perhaps I'm just not familiar with the usage in English).

TL;DR if you're desperately trying to find something in Swedish: "söker du efter något frenetiskt" (you seek for it franticly) using "hysteriskt" instead of "frenetiskt" sounds weird to me, might be viable (people will understand you for sure, just that I feel a tad strange with it being used, might just be me though)11. You could write "och frågar ännu/fortfarande efter solen" instead of what I wrote12. Originally translated "där i elden" (there in the fire) before the updated source material was edited. Still feel it better fits the narrative of the song (being spoken down to from an observer, whether a deity or a preacher) whereas "här" implies the observer is in the same place as the 'victim'. But really just pedanticism from me I suppose.13. Translating it this way makes the lyrics lose the secondary/tertiary meaning of "you will cry" (which would be "du kommer gråta" & "du kommer att skrika"), but you can't really use either in Swedish since we don't have any usage of cry in that circumstance; the two cases being literal crying and crying for help. What I've translated is more akin to crying for forgiveness, which to me fits the song and its narrative better, but is ultimately up to the listener to decide.

• Artist:Ghost B.C
• Album:Meliora (2015)