Musevisa (The Mouse Song in English) is a Christmas Carol in Norwegian language written by Alf Prøysen in the year 1946. Alf was himself a singer & songwriter and wrote the carol to a traditional Norwegian tune. This carol embarks the preparation of Christmas by a family of anthropomorphic mice where the mother is warning its children against the dangers of the mousetrap.

When Alf wrote the carol he was a bit worried over the use of mice in his carol which were considered to be a pest. But his friend Amljot Høyland convinced him to not worry and that his song would be accepted. Alf is known to have written an alternative ending for the carol but Musevisa became a huge success within a few days of presentation and became an instant classic.

Here are the lyrics of Musevisa in English. If someone has a nice translation of the song please send over to me at philiprae555 [at] gmail [dot] com.

1. When the nights are long
and the cold sets in,
so says the small musemor
to young people their flocks:
“If no one goes in the trap,
but suitable for the set,
to be all together soon
get to celebrate in July again!”

2. Yes, musemor are industrious,
she takes a piece of coal
and black ceiling and walls
in his little mouse hole,
while the children floor sweeper
and dance like the wind
poofs and hit the corners
with halem his.

3. Eventually comes the evening
that all the waiting,
and musefar, he cites
a boot with no toe.
The paint with the cobweb
and småspiker and so,
so they put a bottle cap
in hemp På’n.

4. And the mouse’s father says:
“Now we’re going to form the ring,
la boots standing in the middle,
so we go around.
We give each other the tail
that we could rent in,
and one and two and three,
and so we begin!”

5. And their Christmas dinner,
it is a small nut,
and then drops a piece of paper
for some like sweet.
And musemor has set up
a fleskebit tilted,
and it is all together
allowed to smell for.

6. Yes, mouse bestemora
are also entered,
now she and enjoying
i rock his chair.
It æ’kke or’ntli ‘rocking chair,
d’is no ‘as everyone knows,
she sits there and roll
on a large potato.

7. And grandmother gjesper
and say as so:
“D’fun as well as with Christmas
for those who are young.
If no one goes in the trap,
but suitable for the set,
to be all about a year
get to celebrate in July again!”