Three keys | I have lost all my money

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by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Drei Schlüssel

(Sung text for setting by R. Leberl)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Verloren hab' ich all mein Geld,
Mein Gut ist mir zerronnen.
Mein Truchsess ist das Rübenfeld,
Mein Schutz der Röhrenbrunnen.
Wer hat gebaut zu meiner Pein
Das Wirthshaus an den Strassenrain?
Du goldner Leu im Schilde,
Du schaust mich an so milde.

Wirthstöchterlein im Thore stand
Und thät mir freundlich winken.
An ihrem braunen Gürtelband
Drei Schlüssel sah ich blinken.
Der erste führt zum Küchenschrank,
Der zweite führt zum Lautertrank,
Der dritte, winzig kleine
Zu ihrem Kämmerleine.

Und als ich sang ein Lied zum Gruss,
Erklang der erste Schlüssel.
Hei du, o fettes Schinckenbein,
Wie lachst du in der Schüssel.
Ein zweites Stücklein hub ich an,
Ein zweites Schloss ward aufgethan.
Was trug sie aus dem Keller?
Ein Krüglein Muskateller.

Wer hat denn dieses Lied erdacht?
Ein Spielmann ist's gewesen,
Der ist in einer einz'gen Nacht 
Von aller Noth genesen.
(Ob er ein drittes Liedlein sang,
Ob ihm der dritte Schlüssel klang --
Wollte einer ihn drum fragen,
Er thät es doch nicht sagen.

Composition:

Rudolf Leberl

Spielmannslieder für Singstimme und Gitarre

Text Authorship:

by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905), "Drei Schlüssel", appears in Spielmannslieder

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Three keys", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Bertram Kottmann , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2020-04-29
Line count: 32
Word count: 170

Three keys

(Sung text translation for setting by R. Leberl)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I have lost all my money,
My estate has utterly vanished.
My seneschal is the turnip field,
My butler the tubular well.
Who built the tavern on 
The marge of the road to my torment?
You golden lion in the sign,
You gaze upon me so serenely.

The innkeeper's daughter stood in the gateway
And waved to me in a friendly manner.
On her brown waistband
I saw three keys a-sparkling.
The first one leads to the kitchen cupboard,
The second leads to the wine cellar,
The third, tiny little one,
To her small chamber.

And as I sang a song in greeting,
The first key jingled.
Hey you, oh juicy pork hock,
How you laugh up at me from the bowl!
I lifted out a second piece of pork,
A second lock was opened.
What did she carry up from the cellar?
A jug of muscatel wine.

Who thought up this song?
It was a musician,
Who in a single night
Recovered from all suffering.
If he sang a third song,
If the third key jingled for him --
If someone were to ask him about that,
He would not tell.

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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905), "Drei Schlüssel", appears in Spielmannslieder
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This text was added to the website: 2020-05-11
Line count: 32
Word count: 194