[Chorus] Rúnir í sandi! Rúnir í sandi! Rúnir í sandi! Rúnir í sandi! [Verse 1] Eg gekk ein á eyjar strand, sól var föl, en sjórinn brann. Fingr minn skar í sandi rún, mál hins gamla, tungu dún. Vindr bar orð til djúpsins botn, þar hvílir viska – þar endar sott. [Verse 2] Rúnir tala við steina grá, segja frá sárum, árum fá. Eg risti nótt í dagsins dýrð, blóð mitt rann í hafsins spírð. Hver stafr er sorg, hver bogi bæn, í sandi fellr minn síðsti stein. [Chorus] Rúnir í sandi! Rúnir í sandi! Rúnir í sandi! Rúnir í sandi! Rúnir í sandi! Rúnir í sandi! Rúnir í sandi! Rúnir í sandi! [Verse 3] Úr djúpum kallar feðra mál, í hljóðri þögn kemr svarit stál. Þeir sögðu mér: „Skrif þitt orð, en hafið tekur – vér geymum forð.“ Því ekkert deyr, sem sagt er fast, í hjarta jarðar – þar lifir last. [Verse 4] Eg risti sól, eg risti nótt, í sandi lifði míns ættar þrótt. Márar flugu, en öldur sögðu, „Þín rún er lifandi, þó hún döggvi.“ Þá sá eg ljós í djúpum sjó, og namn mitt brann – en viskan stóð. Translation: [Chorus] Runes in the sand! Runes in the sand! Runes in the sand! Runes in the sand! [Verse 1] I walked alone on the island’s shore, the sun was pale, yet the sea burned. My finger cut runes in the sand, the speech of the old ones, of silent witnesses. The wind carried words to the depth’s bottom, there wisdom rests – there pain ends. [Verse 2] Runes speak to stones of gray, telling of wounds, of few years. I carved night into the glory of day, my blood ran into the sea’s spray. Each letter is sorrow, each curve a prayer, in sand falls my final stone. [Chorus] Runes in the sand! Runes in the sand! Runes in the sand! Runes in the sand! Runes in the sand! Runes in the sand! Runes in the sand! Runes in the sand! [Verse 3] From the depths calls the speech of the fathers, in absolute silence comes the answer like steel. They said to me: “Write your word, the sea will take it – we shall guard it here.” For nothing dies that is firmly spoken, in the heart of the earth – there it lives. [Verse 4] I carved the sun, I carved the night, in sand lived the strength of my kin. The gulls flew, and the waves said, “Your rune is living, though it may fade.” Then I saw light in the deep sea, and my name burned – but wisdom stood.
