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Fünf Lieder aus der Welt der Kinder

Translations © by Bertram Kottmann

Song Cycle by John Milford Rutter, CBE (b. 1945)

View original-language texts alone: Five Childhood Lyrics

1. Monday's child

(Sung text)

Language: English

Monday's child, Tuesday's child,
Wednesday's child, Thursday's child,
Friday's child, Saturday's child,
Sunday's child.

Monday's child is fair of face, 
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe, 
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving, 
Saturday's child works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay. 

Monday's child, Tuesday's child,
Wednesday's child, Thursday's child,
Friday's child, Saturday's child,
Sunday's child.

Text Authorship:

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

Go to the general single-text view

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

1. Montagskind

Language: German (Deutsch)

Montagskind, Dienstagskind,
Mittwochskind, Donnerstagskind,
Freitagskind, Samstagskind,
Sonntagskind.

Montagskind, schön anzusehn,
Dienstagskind, in Anmut schön,
Mittwochskind trägt großes Leid,
Donnerstagskinds Weg noch weit,
Freitagskind gibt gerne her,
Samstagskind, sein Los ist schwer,
und das Kind, geboren am Tage des Herrn,
ist reizend und gut und lächelt gern.

Montagskind, Dienstagskind,
Mittwochskind, Donnerstagskind,
Freitagskind, Samstagskind,
Sonntagskind.

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2015-01-26
Line count: 16
Word count: 53

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

2. The Owl and the Pussycat [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English

I
The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful [Pussy]¹ you are, 
you are, 
you are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are."

II
Pussy said to the Owl "You elegant fowl, 
How charmingly sweet you sing.
O let us be married, too long we have tarried;
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring [at]² the end of his nose, 
his nose, 
his nose,
With a ring [at]¹ the end of his nose.

III
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?"
Said the Piggy, "I will"
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon.
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.
They danced by the light of the moon, 
the moon, 
the moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

Text Authorship:

by Edward Lear (1812 - 1888), "The Owl and the Pussycat", written 1867, appears in Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets, first published 1871

See other settings of this text.

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Harmati: "puss"
² Wilkinson: "in"

by Edward Lear (1812 - 1888)

2. Der Eul’ und die Miezekatz

Language: German (Deutsch)

I

Der Eul’ und die Miezekatz fuhr’n zur See
in ´nem erbsgrünen Boot zu zwein,
wickelten flinke viel Honig und Pinke
hinein in ´nen Fünf-Pfund-Schein.
Der Eul’rich sang bei der Sterne Schein
und spielte Gitarre dazu:
„O liebste Mieze! O Miezekatz mein,
keine schönere Mieze als du,
als du,
als du!
Keine schönere Mieze als du.“

II

Sprach zum Eul’rich die Katz, „Gefiederter Schatz,
dein Lied begeistert mich sehr.
Komm, lasst uns schnell freien, eh’ wir es bereuen,
doch wo kommt der Ehering her?“
Fort ging es dann, wohl ein Jahr so verrann,
die Reise zum Bong-Baum-Land ging:
Im Wald stand allein ein rüssliges Schwein,
an der Nasenspitz’ trug es ´nen Ring,
´nen Ring,
´nen Ring,
an der Nasenspitz’ trug es ´nen Ring.

III

„Für ein Pfund, bitte sehr, gibst den Ring du uns her?“
„Na klar“, sprach das Schwein, „abgemacht!“
Gab den Ring dann der Braut, und die beiden getraut
hat der Truthahn in selbiger Nacht.
Drauf gab es, ´s ist Sitte, Gehacktes und Quitte,
sie nahmen’s mit Gabellöff ein.
Und Hand in Hand, drunt’ am Strande im Sand
tanzten sie in des Mondes Schein,
im Schein,
im Schein,
tanzten sie in des Mondes Schein.

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English by Edward Lear (1812 - 1888), "The Owl and the Pussycat", written 1867, appears in Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets, first published 1871
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2015-01-26
Line count: 36
Word count: 196

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

3. Windy nights [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English

Whenever the moon and the stars are set,
Whenever the wind is high,
All night long in the dark and wet,
A man goes riding by.

Late in the night when the fires are out,
Why does he gallop and gallop about?
Whenever the trees are crying aloud,
And ships are tossed at sea,

By, on the highway, low and loud,
By at the gallop goes he.
By at the gallop he goes, and then
By he comes back at the gallop again.

Text Authorship:

by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894), "Windy nights", appears in A Child's Garden of Verses, first published 1885

See other settings of this text.

by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894)

3. In Sturm und Nacht

Language: German (Deutsch)

Wenn kein Mond und kein Stern vom Himmel lacht
in Sturmes wildem Gebraus,
taucht Mal um Mal aus schwarzer Nacht
ein Reiter auf am Haus.

Tief in der Nacht, wenn die Feuer sind aus -
warum galoppiert er so laut ums Haus?
Wenn der Wald heult auf in des Sturms Gebraus,
und das Meer schlägt alles entzwei,

prescht er in dunkle Nacht hinaus,
prescht Mal um Mal hier vorbei.
Prescht im Galopp davon und dann
prescht aus der Nacht er erneut heran.

Text Authorship:

Singable translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894), "Windy nights", appears in A Child's Garden of Verses, first published 1885
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

Translation of title "Windy nights" = "In Sturm und Nacht"

This text was added to the website: 2015-01-25
Line count: 12
Word count: 81

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

4. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

(Sung text)

Language: English

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
Bless the bed that I lie on.
Four corners to my bed,
Four angels round my head;
One to watch, and one to pray,
And two to bear my soul away.

Text Authorship:

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

See other settings of this text.

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

4. Matthäus, Markus, Lukas und Johann

Language: German (Deutsch)

Matthäus, Markus, Lukas und Johann
segnet mein Bett, dass ich schlafen kann.
Um mein Bett zur guten Nacht
halten treu vier Engel Wacht.
Einer zu beten, einer gibt acht,
zwei tragen meine Seele sacht.

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2015-01-26
Line count: 6
Word count: 34

5. Sing a song of sixpence

(Sung text)

Language: English

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye.
Four and twenty blackbirds,
Baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened,
The birds began to sing;
Wasn't that a dainty dish,
To set before the king?
The king was in his counting house,
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey.
The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes;
When down came a blackbird
And snapped off her nose.

Text Authorship:

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

See other settings of this text.

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

5. Singt das Lied vom Sixpence

Language: German (Deutsch)

Singt das Lied vom Sixpence,
´nen Roggensack stellt hin.
Vierundzwanzig Amseln
war’n im Kuchen drin. 
Als man diesen aufschnitt,
da sang es überall;
war dies nicht ´ne leck´re Speis
für des Königs Mahl?
Der König war im Schatzhaus,
zählte dort sein Geld;
die Königin war im Salon
aufs Naschen eingestellt.
Die Dienstmagd mit der Wäsche
ins Freie sich begab;
da flog `ne Amsel auf sie zu,
zwickt’ ihr die Nase ab.

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2015-01-26
Line count: 16
Word count: 71