Den danske midsommer var altid fuld af snurrende farver.

The Danish midsummer was always full of swirling colors.

Det var lige som om, det hele blev lidt mere jersey, lidt mere levende, når midsommer havde støvet majstangen af.

It was as if everything became a bit more magical, a bit more alive, when midsummer had dusted off the maypole.

Og larmerne i gaderne lød bare anderledes.

And the noises in the streets just sounded different.

Lars, Sofie og Frederik var fra København.

Lars, Sofie, and Frederik were from Copenhagen.

De boede alle i byen og arbejdede på forskellige kontorer.

They all lived in the city and worked in different offices.

Alle tre var de børn af storbyen og en moderne tid.

All three of them were children of the city and a modern era.

Men når midsommeren brød ud, uden en eneste sky på himlen, forvandlede de sig helt.

But when midsummer broke out, without a single cloud in the sky, they transformed completely.

De skiftede deres almindelige tøj ud med derens bedsteforældres gamle folkedragter.

They swapped their ordinary clothes for their grandparents' old folk costumes.

Lars med en gamle vest fra Bornholm, Sofie med en skøn kjole fra Fyn, og Frederik med knæbind og en skjorte fra Jylland.

Lars in an old vest from Bornholm, Sofie in a beautiful dress from Fyn, and Frederik with knee bands and a shirt from Jutland.

Endelig var de klar til Holmens kirkeplads, hvor majstangen havde blevet rejst.

Finally, they were ready for Holmens Church Square, where the maypole had been raised.

Der var en særlig følelse ved det, en klar fornemmelse af noget dybt og historisk, når de tog folkedragterne på.

There was a special feeling to it, a clear sense of something deep and historical, when they put on the folk costumes.

Det var som om, de var blevet løftet ud af deres normale liv og blev en del af noget større.

It was as if they had been lifted out of their normal lives and become part of something greater.

Festen begyndte, og de tre venner holdt hinanden i hænderne, i en lang kæde af festklædte danseglade mennesker.

The party began, and the three friends held hands, in a long chain of festively dressed, dancing people.

Og der, lige ved siden af majstangen, dansede Lars, Sofie og Frederik.

And there, right next to the maypole, Lars, Sofie, and Frederik danced.

Time for time forsvandt, og solen begyndte langsomt at gå ned.

Hour by hour passed, and the sun slowly began to set.

Men festen i København stoppede ikke.

But the party in Copenhagen did not stop.

Den skiftede blot karakter.

It just changed character.

Majstangen forsvandt i mørket, men blev erstattet af et rødligt skær fra bålet.

The maypole disappeared into the darkness, but was replaced by a reddish glow from the bonfire.

Lars, Sofie og Frederik sad ved bålet, lyttede til historierne, sangene og snakkede om deres med-dansere.

Lars, Sofie, and Frederik sat by the bonfire, listening to the stories, the songs, and talking about their fellow dancers.

De havde for længst glemt den moderne verden, de egentlig levede i.

They had long forgotten the modern world they actually lived in.

Da festen var slut, og midnatstimen nærmede sig, vendte de tilbage til deres hjem i København.

When the party ended, and midnight approached, they returned to their homes in Copenhagen.

De tog folkedragterne af, men et stykke af midsommeren holdt de tæt ind til hjerte.

They took off the folk costumes, but held a piece of midsummer close to their hearts.

De havde fejret midsommer, danset om majstangen, hilst på deres forfædre og følt det gamle Danmark i hjertet, alt sammen på én dag og nat.

They had celebrated midsummer, danced around the maypole, greeted their ancestors, and felt old Denmark in their hearts, all in one day and night.

Og de havde delt det hele med hinanden.

And they had shared it all with each other.

Som om det var en hemmelighed, kun de forstod.

As if it were a secret only they understood.

Og så, med indre ro, lagde de sig til at sove.

And then, with inner peace, they went to sleep.

Endnu et år ville gå, inden de igen skulle finde folkedragterne frem, og vente på den næste midsommerfest.

Another year would pass before they would bring out the folk costumes again, and wait for the next midsummer celebration.

Men lige meget hvad der ville ske i mellemtiden, så vidste Lars, Sofie og Frederik, at de altid vil have midsommeren.

But no matter what would happen in the meantime, Lars, Sofie, and Frederik knew that they would always have midsummer.

Og den ville altid have dem.

And it would always have them.