by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben (1798 - 1874)
Translation © by Joel Ayau

Soldatenlied
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE
Die Trommeln und Pfeifen, 
Die schallen in's Haus,
Sie locken, sie rufen:
Soldaten, heraus!

Ich wollt' und ich schliefe 
In meinem Quartier,
Ich wollt' und mir träumte, 
Mein Schätzel, von dir!

Sonst war ich nicht traurig, 
War lustig wie du;
Heut drückt der Tornister,
Und morgen der [Schuh.]1

[Was]2 hilft denn das Trauern?
Jetzt ist es zu spat,
Jetzt zieh' ich zu [Kriege
Ich]3 bin ein Soldat!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   R. Strauss 

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Strauss: "Schuh,"
2 Strauss: "Doch was"
3 Strauss: "Felde/ Und"

Text Authorship:

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

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cançó del soldat", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Joel Ayau) , "Song of the soldier", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Chanson du soldat", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Alberto Pedrotti

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 70

Song of the soldier
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
They beat drums and play the fife, 
it resounds into my house,
They lure, they call, 
"Soldiers, outside!"

I wanted to go back and sleep 
in my barracks,
I wanted to be dreaming 
of you, my sweetheart.

Otherwise I was not sad; 
I was happy like you;
Today pinches the knapsack, 
and tomorrow the shoe,

But what use then is lamenting? 
Now it is too late,
Now I am going to the front, 
and I am a soldier!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2008 by Joel Ayau, (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:

 

This text was added to the website: 2008-12-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 78