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Mein Vater war ein Seebär, Meine Mutter kam aus Holland her, Sie hatte Blondhaar, wie Gold so schwer. Mein Vater war ein grobes Schwein, Meine Mutter war zart und klein, Sie war zu schwach, sie sagte nicht nein. Sie haßte ihn, daß er sie zwang, Und gab ihm elf Monate lang Zwei Taler wöchentlich zum Dank. Und als ich dann zu Lichte kam, Meine Mutter mich an ihre zarten Brüste nahm, Mein Vater schlug sie krumm und lahm. Ersäufen wollte er mich im Fleet, Meiner Mutter Flehen war Gebet. Er hat sich fluchend umgedreht. Da lief sie in die Nacht hinaus, Setzte in dunkler Twiete mich aus, Ging in die Ulrikusgasse ins Freudenhaus. Mich fand ein Irgendwer, Wenn ich wüßte, wo meine Mutter wär, Wär mir nicht oft das Herz so schwer. In der Ulrikusgasse Nummer fünf spiel ich Klavier. Vielleicht tanzt meine Mutter hinter mir, Vielleicht schläft sie des Nachts bei mir...
Text Authorship:
- by Alfred Henschke (1890 - 1928), as Jucundus Fröhlich Klabund [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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Ballade für Frank Wedekind", 2011 [baritone and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Ballad for Frank Wedekind", written 2011, copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Ballade pour Frank Wedekind", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-01-02
Line count: 24
Word count: 153
My father was a fur seal, My mother came from Holland, She had blonde hair, heavy as gold. My father was an enormous pig, My mother was sweet and kind, But being weak, she did not refuse him. She hated him, for he enforced For eleven long months Two Talers a week as "thanks." And when I came along, My mother took me to her sweet breast, My father beat her bent and lame. He almost drowned me in the sea, My mother's pleas were a prayer. He turned away cursing. She ran out into the night, And hid us in a darkened alley, On the way to the brothel on Ulrikus Street. Someone found me, If I knew where my mother was, My heart has never been so heavy. At Ulrikus Street Number Five I play piano, Perhaps my mother dances behind me, Perhaps she sleeps with me at night.
Text Authorship:
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Ballad for Frank Wedekind", written 2011, copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Alfred Henschke (1890 - 1928), as Jucundus Fröhlich Klabund
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-01-02
Line count: 24
Word count: 151