Thanks to Jez for the English translation! Thanks to Anthony and Casper for translating the background info!
Background information about the song:
Lyrically, this song is most closely related to the more famous "Bøn fra helvete". The mines on 16 are the place described as a hell on earth, the place that it's no use to pray from.
The story is about the sailor Marcelo Conradas who, after being captured in a raid somewhere in Asia, is sold as a slave to gold miners. From "the bars at Kringsjå" he describes the ruthless and psychopathic Henry who torments and tortures the mine workers until it all culminates in commotion and mutiny.
In the following chaos and escape attempt, Marcelo is the only one who comes out alive, with a bag of gold in his sack. In safety, the thought of revenge is so strong that he later spends his whole fortune on having it realized. In "Marcelos leksjon", another unreleased song that is not in this collection, he learns voodoo in Egypt (from a certain Mr. Kaizer) and finally gets his revenge on Henry by letting the world's heaviest Siamese cat eat the head of the voodoo doll that represents Henry (and people ask us what we are inspired by when we write lyrics…!)
Musically, "Gruvene på 16" was considered too "ballad-like" for the Ompa album. It had too much of the precursor to Kaizers "gnom" in it, we thought, and was therefore not "fresh" and hard-hitting enough. Now, however, we have grown up and are no longer afraid to admit that we also very much love nice ballads.
Gruvene på 16 | The mines at 16 |
| Eg er din siste som synger denne viså | I am the last one to sing this tune |
| For ting har gått over stokk og stein her | 'Cause things have run out of hand here |
| Ingen vinker frå sprinklene på Kringsjå | No one is waving from the bars at Kringsjå |
| Eller frå gruvene på 16 | Or from the mines at 16 |
| For ved perrongen der lokomotivet stod | Because at the platform where the locomotive stood |
| fins nå ingenting bortsett frå ekkoet | there's now nothing except for the echo |
| av en gjenlagt megafon som sa | of a forgotten megaphone that said |
| Siste avgang 15:30 | Last departure 15:30 |
| Eg er den siste som synger denne viså | I am the last one to sing this tune |
| Toget har gått for de andre | The train has left for the others |
| Det var tungt regn alltid | There always was heavy rain |
| enten det var sommer eller vinter der | whether it was summer or winter there |
| Og det står rissa inn i murene på Kringsjå | And it is scratched into the walls of Kringsjå |
| Det er lovd ut en dusør | There's a reward offered |
| til den som kan få Henry oppi kistå | to the one who can get Henry into a coffin |
| For nogen blei nettopp stengt inne | 'Cause some were recently locked in |
| Andre har vært der si manns minne | Others have been there since the beginning of time |
| Men Henry hadde en pisk som var så lang | But Henry had a whip that was so long |
| Ei stripa over ryggen, strø litt salt | A lash over the back, sprinkle some salt |
| og få respekt trodde han | and get respect, he thought |
| Men alt han ville ha det var applaus, applaus | But all he wanted to have was applause, applause |
| Men ikkje faen om me klapte for han | But like hell that we clapped for him |
| Aldri om eg klapper for han | No way I'd clap for him |
| Eg er din siste som synger denne viså | I am the last one to sing this tune |
| før hu går i glømmebokå | before it gets completely forgotten |
| De hørte kviskring om kvelden når det var stille | They heard whispering in the evening when it was silent |
| Men ikkje kva som blei sagt der inne | But not what was said in there |
| Eg er den einaste frå gruvene på 16 | I am the only one from the mines at 16 |
| som kom seg ut av mørket | who made it out of the darkness |
| Eg fekk en pose gull med meg på reisen | I got a bag of gold with me on my journey |
| Og klokka den var 15:30 | And the time was 15:30 |
| då eg tok siste avgang nogensinne | when I took the last departure ever |