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Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Der Tambourgesell
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE ITA POR SPA
Ich armer Tambourgesell,
Man führt mich aus dem Gwölb,
Wär ich ein Tambour blieben,
Dürft ich nicht gefangen liegen.

O Galgen, du hohes Haus,
Du siehst so furchtbar aus,
Ich schau dich nicht mehr an,
Weil i weiß, daß i gehör dran.

Wenn Soldaten vorbeimarschieren,
Bei mir nicht einquartieren.
Wenn sie fragen, wer i g'wesen bin:
Tambour von der Leibkompanie.

Gute Nacht, ihr Marmelstein,
Ihr Berg und Hügelein.
Gute Nacht, ihr Offizier,
Korporal und Musketier.

Gute Nacht! Ihr Offizier',
Korporal und Grenadier!
Ich schrei mit lauter Stimm,
Von euch ich Urlaub nimm.
Gute Nacht! Gute Nacht.

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , appears in Des Knaben Wunderhorn, earlier title: Tamboursgesell (fliegendes Blatt). [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

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

  • by Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911), "Der Tambourgesell", 1905 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder aus "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" (formerly "Humoresken"), no. 12 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El timbaler", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The Drummer Boy", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le tambour", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Il tamburino", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Paulo Albuquerque de Noronha) , "O tamboreiro", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elena María Accinelli) , "El niño tamborilero", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Jakob Kellner

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 21
Word count: 96

Le tambour
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Moi, pauvre tambour !
On me mène hors de mon souterrain,
Si j'étais resté tambour,
je ne serais pas prisonnier.

Oh potence, demeure si haute,
tu sembles si terrible,
je ne veux plus te regarder
parce que je sais que je suis à toi.

Quand passeront en marchant les soldats
qui n'étaient pas logés avec moi,
quand ils demanderont qui je suis :
j'étais le tambour de la première compagnie.

Bonne nuit, rocs de marbre,
montagnes et collines.
Bonne nuit, officiers,
caporaux et mousquetaires.

Bonne nuit, officiers,
caporaux et grenadiers,
je crie d'une voix forte
et je vous fais mes adieux !
Bonne nuit ! Bonne nuit !

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2009 by Guy Laffaille, (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) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , appears in Des Knaben Wunderhorn, earlier title: Tamboursgesell (fliegendes Blatt).
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2009-06-09
Line count: 21
Word count: 103

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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