I recently wrote about my visit with Hans-Jørgen Wallin Weihe and Marie Smith-Solbakken, who are doing work on persistent grief and trauma after oil rig disasters, notably three major disasters in the North Atlantic in the 1980s: the Alexander L. Kielland in Norway in 1980, 123 people died; the Ocean Ranger in Canada in 1982, 84 people died; and the Piper Alpha in the UK in 1988, 167 people died. Last time, I wrote about the nine Piper Alpha songs and tunes I found. However, lacking Norwegian fluency, I could not research songs for the Alexander L. Kielland disaster. However, Hans and Marie report finding only one, which they kindly translated.

Mørkt og kaldt
Midt på vinteren med snø og vind som falt
Ingen ante någe om ka så va galt
Ingenting var blitt fortalt
Me satt hjemma her og så på alt
Håpte på at han sko komma
At han sko komme hjem igjen

Dark and cold
In the wintertime while snow and wind fell
Nobody knows what was wrong
Nothing was told
We were at home and saw it all (on TV)
We hoped he should come
That he should come home again 

Tiå går og di seie tiå lege adle sår
Men ein mista bror e sår som aldri gror
Kanskje vil dårr gå vinter og vår
Sei oss klart kor dokker står
Håpte på at han sko komma
At han sko komma hjem igjen

Time is gone, they said; time would heal all wounds
But to lose a brother is a wound that will never heal
It could take as long as the never-ending winter and spring [i.e., never]
I hope that he should come
That he should come home again

Å Alexander koffer svikta du
Å Alexander koffer svikta du oss då
Å Alexander koffer svikta du
Alexander koffer svikta du

Å Alexander koffer svikta du
Å Alexander koffer svikta du oss då
Å Alexander koffer svikta du
Alexander koffer svikta du

Oh Alexander why did you forsake us
Oh Alexander why did you forsake us then
Oh Alexander why did you forsake us
Alexander why did you forsake us?