Translation © by Thomas Heck

Když mne stará matka zpívat, zpívat...
Language: Czech (Čeština)  after the Czech (Čeština) 
Available translation(s): ENG ENG FIN FRE ITA ITA
Když mne stará matka zpívat, zpívat učívala,
podivno, že často, často slzívala.
A ted' také pláčem snědé líce mučim,
když cigánské děti hrát a zpívat učim!

About the headline (FAQ)

Note: many singable translations rely on the repetition of "zpívat" in the first line. It was not present in the original text.

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

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

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

  • ENG English (Gayle Royko Heuser) (Anna Majtas Royko) , "When my old mother taught me to sing", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (Thomas Heck) , "When my mother taught me to sing", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Marc Moreau) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Maria Rita De Matteis) , "Quando la mia vecchia madre ancora mi insegnava a cantare", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) [singable] (Thomas Heck) , "Quando mia vecchia madre", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-01-16
Line count: 4
Word count: 26

When my mother taught me to sing
Language: English  after the Czech (Čeština) 
When my mother taught me to sing,
Sometimes there glistened a tear in her eye;
Hers were songs that like a river
caused my heart to quiver!
Now when I teach little voices,
Pass on my mother's choices;
How I tear up when they sing, when they
sing the songs, the songs my mother taught me.

Authorship:

  • Singable translation from Czech (Čeština) to English copyright © 2006 by Thomas Heck, (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:

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2006-05-04
Line count: 8
Word count: 56