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English translations of Gedichte, opus 61

by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869)

1. Fridericus Rex
 (Sung text)
by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Fridericus Rex", op. 61 (Gedichte) no. 1
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Fridericus Rex, unser König und Herr,
Der rief seine Soldaten allesammt ins Gewehr,
Zweihundert Bataillons und an die tausend Schwadronen,
Und jeder Grenadier kriegt sechzig Patronen.

"Ihr verfluchten Kerls, sprach seine Majestät,
"Daß jeder in der Bataille seinen Mann mir steht! 
Sie gönnen mir nicht Schlesien und die Grafschaft Glatz
Und die hundert Millionen in meinem Schatz.

"Die Kaiß'rin hat sich mit dem Franzoßen alliirt,
Und das römische Reich gegen mich revoltirt,
Die Russen seind gefallen in Preußen ein.
Auf, laßt uns sie zeigen, daß wir brave Landskinder sein.

"Meine Generale Schwerin und Feldmarschall von Keith,
Und der Generalmajor von Ziethen seind allemal bereit.
Kotz Mohren, Blitz und Kreuz-Element,
Wer den Fritz und seine Soldaten noch nicht kennt."

"Nun adjö Lowise, wisch ab das Gesicht, 
Eine jede Kugel die trifft ja nicht.
Denn träfe jede Kugel apart ihren Mann,
Wo kriegten die Könige ihre Soldaten dann!

"Die Musketenkugel macht ein kleines Loch,
Die Kanonenkugel ein weit größeres noch; 
Die Kugeln sind Alle von Eisen und Blei,
Und manche Kugel geht manchem vorbei.

"Unsre Artillerie hat ein vortrefflich Kaliber, 
Und von den Preußen geht keiner nicht zum Feinde nicht über,
Die Schweden, die haben verflucht schlechtes Geld,
Wer weiß, ob der Oestreicher besseres hält.

"Mit Pomade bezahlt den Franzosen sein König,
Wir kriegen's alle Woche bei Heller und Pfennig.
Kotz Mohren, Blitz und Kreuz-Sapperment,
Wer kriegt so prompt wie der Preuße sein Traktament.

"Fridericus mein König, den der Lorbeerkranz ziert,
Ach hättst du nur öfters zu plündern permittirt,
Fridericus Rex, mein König und Held,
Wir schlügen den Teufel für dich aus der Welt!"

Text Authorship:

  • by Wilhelm Häring (1798 - 1871), as Willibald Alexis, "Fridericus Rex", appears in Balladen

Go to the general single-text view

by Wilhelm Häring (1798 - 1871), as Willibald Alexis
1. King Frederick [II]
Language: English 
Frederick the Second, our King and Overlord,
He called his soldiers all to arms,
Two hundred battalions and close to a thousand squadrons,
And every grenadier gets sixty cartridges.

"You cursed lads," his Majesty said,
"See to it that everyone stands his ground in the battle!
They begrudge me Silesia and the Dukedom of Kladsko,
And the hundred million in my treasury.

"The Empress has allied herself with the French,
And the Roman Empire has risen up against me,
The Russians have invaded Prussia.
Arise, let us show them that we are valiant citizens.

"My generals Schwerin and the field marshal von Keith,
And the major general von Ziethen are all ready.
Assorted curses upon those
Who do not know yet know Fritz and his soliders.”

"Now adieu, Louise, dry your face,
Not every bullet hits its mark.
For if every bullet would hit its man,
Where would the kings then get their soldiers!

"The musket ball makes a little hole,
The cannonball a much greater one yet;
The bullets are all of iron and lead,
And many a bullet goes past many a man.

"Our artillery has a splendid calibre of guns,
And among the Prussians, not one would defect to the enemy.
The Swedes have dashed bad money,
Who knows if the Austrians have better.

"The French are paid with pomade by their king,
We get our pay every week down to the last penny.
Assorted curses,
Who gets his rations as promptly as a Prussian!

"Frederick the Second, my king, who wears the laurels so well,
Ah, if you had only more often permitted us to plunder,
Frederick the Second, my king and hero,
We would beat the devil out of the world for you!"

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Wilhelm Häring (1798 - 1871), as Willibald Alexis, "Fridericus Rex", appears in Balladen
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2020-06-13
Line count: 36
Word count: 288

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
2. General Schwerin
 (Sung text)
by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "General Schwerin", op. 61 (Gedichte) no. 2 (1837), stanzas 1-4,6-9 [ voice or TTBB chorus and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Schwerin, mein General, ist todt,
    Schwerin ist todt!
Sie luden in eine Kanone ein,
Vier Kugeln, schwarz wie Pech und Stein,
Vier Kugeln in der Prager Schlacht,
Die haben meinem General den Tod gebracht.
    Schwerin ist todt!

Denn als der Kanonier sie laden thät
Ein Pfaff aus Welschland bei ihm steht.
Was macht der Pfaff beim Kanonier?
Er segnet und betet im Brevier.
    Schwerin ist todt!

General Schwerin ergriff die Fahn:
"Allons, Grenadiers, ich gehe voran!"
Vier Kugeln ach von heißem Blei
Die rissen dem General die Brust entzwei.
    Schwerin ist todt!

"Mein Feldmarschall, was stehn Sie dann still,
Da jeder brave Preuße Ihnen folgen will?" --
"Vier Kugeln ach von heissem Blei
Die rissen mir die Brust entzwei."
    Schwerin ist todt!

 ... 

"Die Kugeln drangen ins Preußische Herz,
Die Seele geht nun himmelwärts.
Dieweil ich geliebt meinen König und sein Land
Und war ein guter Protestant."
    Schwerin ist todt!

Er sank, die Fahn in seiner Hand,
Wie ein guter Preuß und Protestant.
"Es lebe mein König!" so rief er noch
Und hörte die Siegestrommeln noch.
    Schwerin ist todt!

's Bajonett nun vor, zum letzten Mal
Grüßten wir da unsern todten General.
Wir schworen, kein Pfaff und kein Kanonier
Der kriegt von uns vor Prag Quartier.
    Schwerin ist todt!

"Ach Pfäfflein," sprachen die Kaiserlichen,
Kratz aus, sonst ist's um dich geschehn,
Das sein die Preußischen Grenadier,
Die geben keinem von uns Quartier!"
    Schwerin ist todt!
    Schwerin, mein General ist todt!
    Schwerin ist todt!

Text Authorship:

  • by Wilhelm Häring (1798 - 1871), as Willibald Alexis, "General Schwerin", appears in Balladen

Go to the general single-text view

by Wilhelm Häring (1798 - 1871), as Willibald Alexis
2. General Schwerin
Language: English 
Schwerin, my general, is dead,
    Schwerin is dead!
They loaded up a cannon
With four cannonballs, black as tar and stone,
Four cannonballs in the battle of Prague,
They brought death to my general.
    Schwerin is dead!

[As]1 the cannoneer loaded them up,
A priest from Italy stood beside him.
What is the priest doing by the cannoneer?
[The priest is]2 praying from the breviary.
    Schwerin is dead!

General Schwerin grasped the flag:
"Let's go, grenadiers, I'll lead the way!"
Four cannonballs, alas, of heated lead
They ripped the general's breast in two.
    Schwerin is dead!

"My field marshal, why are you standing still
When every valiant Prussian wants to follow you?"--
"Four cannonballs, alas, of heated lead
They ripped my breast in two."
    Schwerin is dead!

[ ... ]

"The cannonballs penetrated the Prussian heart,
The soul is now on its way heavenward.
Because I loved my king and his country
And was a good Protestant."
    Schwerin is dead!

He sank down, the flag in his hand,
Like a good Prussian and Protestant.
"Long live my king" he still called out,
And he still heard the drums of victory.
    Schwerin is dead!

[Lift]3 up your bayonets, for the last time
We saluted our dead General there.
We vowed to show mercy to no priest and no cannoneer
Before we reached Prague.
    Schwerin is dead!

"Alas, priestlet," the emperor's men said,
Take yourself off or you'll be done for,
Those are the Prussian grenadiers,
They'll show no mercy to any of us!"
    Schwerin is dead!
    Schwerin, my general, is dead!
    Schwerin is dead!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Wilhelm Häring (1798 - 1871), as Willibald Alexis, "General Schwerin", appears in Balladen
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Loewe: "For as"
2 Loewe: "He is speaking a blessing and"
3 Loewe: "Now lift"


This text was added to the website: 2020-06-15
Line count: 49
Word count: 292

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
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