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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858)
Translation © by Lau Kanen

Bänkelsänger Willie
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Scottish (Scots) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG
  "O Bänkelsänger Willie!
Du ziehst zum Jahrmarkt aus;
Du willst deine Geige verkaufen;
O Willie, bleibe zu Haus!"
Doch wie man für die Geige
Schon blankes Silber ihm reicht,
Da wird dem armen Willie
Das Auge von Thränen feucht.
 
  "O Willie, verkauf' deine Geige,
Verkauf' mir die Geige fein!
O Willie, verkauf' deine Geige
Und kauf' dir ein Schöppchen Wein!"
Nein! nimmer verkauf' ich die Geige!
Mich träfe zu harter Schlag:
Ich hatte mit meiner Geige
Schon manchen glücklichen Tag.
 
  "Jüngst lugt' ich in der Schenke;
Sie saßen um den Tisch,
Und obenan saß Willie,
Und sang und geigte frisch.
Sie lauschten seinen Tönen;
Wie glühte jedes Gesicht! --
O Bänkelsänger Willie,
Verkauf deine Geige nicht!"

Confirmed with Robert Burns’ Gedichte, deutsch von W. Gerhard, Leipzig: Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth., 1840, pages 102-103


Text Authorship:

  • by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Bänkelsänger Willie" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Rattlin, Roarin Willie"
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Ferdinand David (1810 - 1873), "Bänkelsänger Willie", op. 27 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 6, published 1850 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Bänkelsänger Willie", op. posth. 146 (Romanzen und Balladen für Chor (Heft 4)) no. 2 (1849), published 1860 [ SATB chorus ], Elberfeld, Arnold [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Willie, el cantant de fira", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Kermiszanger Willie", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Ballad-monger Willie", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Dr. Gerrit den Hartogh , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2004-07-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 116

Kermiszanger Willie
Language: Dutch (Nederlands)  after the German (Deutsch) 
O kermiszanger Willie,
De jaarmarkt zoek je op,
Je wilt je vedel verkopen,
O Willie, mijd toch die strop.
Maar als men voor de vedel
Al blinkend zilver hem geeft,
Zie hoe de arme Willie
In d' ogen dan tranen heeft.
 
O Willie, verkoop toch je vedel,
Verkoop mij je vedel fijn,
O Willie, verkoop toch je vedel
En koop je een vaatje wijn.
Neen, nimmer verkoop ik de vedel,
Mij trof hij te hard, zo'n slag,
Ik had immers met mijn vedel
Zo meen'ge heerlijke dag!
 
Laatst keek ik in de herberg,
Ze zaten om de dis,
En bovenaan zat Willie,
Hij zong en speelde fris.
Ze luisterden1 naar zijn lied'ren
- Hun kleur hun geestdrift verried -,
O kermiszanger Willie,
Verkoop toch je vedel niet! 

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Luisterden: te zingen op een triool

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2013 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.

    Lau Kanen.  Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com


    If the copyright-holder(s) are unreachable for three business days, please write to: licenses@email.lieder.example.net


Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Bänkelsänger Willie"
    • Go to the text page.

Based on:

  • a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Rattlin, Roarin Willie"
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2013-11-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 127

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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