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by Wilhelm Häring (1798 - 1871), as Willibald Alexis
Translation © by Sharon Krebs
General Schwerin
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: ENG
Schwerin, mein General, ist todt,
Schwerin ist todt!
Sie luden in eine Kanone ein,
Vier Kugeln, schwarz wie Pech und Stein,
Vier Kugeln in der Prager Schlacht,
Die haben meinem General den Tod gebracht.
Schwerin ist todt!
[Als]1 der Kanonier sie laden thät
Ein Pfaff aus Welschland bei ihm steht.
Was macht der Pfaff beim Kanonier?
[Der Pfaffe]2 betet im Brevier.
Schwerin ist todt!
General Schwerin ergriff die Fahn:
"Allons, Grenadiers, ich gehe voran!"
Vier Kugeln ach von heißem Blei
Die rissen dem General die Brust entzwei.
Schwerin ist todt!
"Mein Feldmarschall, was stehn Sie dann still,
Da jeder brave Preuße Ihnen folgen will?" --
"Vier Kugeln ach von heissem Blei
Die rissen mir die Brust entzwei."
Schwerin ist todt!
"Sie luden in eine Kanone ein,
Vier Kuglen schwarz wie Pech und Stein.
Ein Pfaff aus Welschland stand dabei
Und sprach den Segen auf das Blei.“
Schwerin ist todt!
"Die Kugeln drangen ins Preußische Herz,
Die Seele geht nun himmelwärts.
Dieweil ich geliebt meinen König und sein Land
Und war ein guter Protestant."
Schwerin ist todt!
Er sank, die Fahn in seiner Hand,
Wie ein guter Preuß und Protestant.
"Es lebe mein König!" [rief]3 er noch
Und hörte die Siegestrommeln noch.
Schwerin ist todt!
[Das Bajonet vor]4, zum letzten Mal
Grüßten wir da unsern todten General.
Wir schworen, kein Pfaff und kein Kanonier
Der kriegt von uns vor Prag Quartier.
Schwerin ist todt!
"Ach Pfäfflein," sprachen die Kaiserlichen,
Kratz aus, sonst ist's um dich geschehn,
Das sein die Preußischen Grenadier,
Die geben keinem von uns Quartier!"
Schwerin ist todt!
Schwerin, mein General ist todt!
Schwerin ist todt!
C. Loewe sets stanzas 1-4, 6-9
Confirmed with Wilhelm Haering/Willibald Alexis, Balladen von Willibald Alexis, Berlin: Ferdinand Dümmler, 1836, pages 103-105.
1 Loewe: "Denn als"2 Loewe: "Er segnet und"
3 Loewe: "so rief"
4 Loewe: "'s Bajonett nun vor"
Text Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Häring (1798 - 1871), as Willibald Alexis, "General Schwerin", appears in Balladen [author's text checked 2 times 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 Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "General Schwerin", op. 61 no. 2 (1837), stanzas 1-4,6-9 [ voice or TTBB chorus and piano ] [sung text checked 2 times]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "General Schwerin", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Melanie Trumbull
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 49
Word count: 271
General Schwerin
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Schwerin, my general, is dead,
Schwerin is dead!
They loaded up a cannon
With four cannonballs, black as tar and stone,
Four cannonballs in the battle of Prague,
They brought death to my general.
Schwerin is dead!
[As]1 the cannoneer loaded them up,
A priest from Italy stood beside him.
What is the priest doing by the cannoneer?
[The priest is]2 praying from the breviary.
Schwerin is dead!
General Schwerin grasped the flag:
"Let's go, grenadiers, I'll lead the way!"
Four cannonballs, alas, of heated lead
They ripped the general's breast in two.
Schwerin is dead!
"My field marshal, why are you standing still
When every valiant Prussian wants to follow you?"--
"Four cannonballs, alas, of heated lead
They ripped my breast in two."
Schwerin is dead!
They loaded up a cannon
With four cannonballs, black as tar and stone,
A priest from Italy stood by
And spoke the blessing upon the lead."
Schwerin is dead!
"The cannonballs penetrated the Prussian heart,
The soul is now on its way heavenward.
Because I loved my king and his country
And was a good Protestant."
Schwerin is dead!
He sank down, the flag in his hand,
Like a good Prussian and Protestant.
"Long live my king" he still called out,
And he still heard the drums of victory.
Schwerin is dead!
[Lift]3 up your bayonets, for the last time
We saluted our dead General there.
We vowed to show mercy to no priest and no cannoneer
Before we reached Prague.
Schwerin is dead!
"Alas, priestlet," the emperor's men said,
Take yourself off or you'll be done for,
Those are the Prussian grenadiers,
They'll show no mercy to any of us!"
Schwerin is dead!
Schwerin, my general, is dead!
Schwerin is dead!
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Loewe: "For as"
2 Loewe: "He is speaking a blessing and"
3 Loewe: "Now lift"
1 Loewe: "For as"
2 Loewe: "He is speaking a blessing and"
3 Loewe: "Now lift"
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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Wilhelm Häring (1798 - 1871), as Willibald Alexis, "General Schwerin", appears in Balladen
This text was added to the website: 2020-06-15
Line count: 49
Word count: 292