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

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

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

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by Alfred Henschke (1890 - 1928), as Jucundus Fröhlich Klabund
Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Wir Hamburger Mädchen haben's fein
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Wir Hamburger Mädchen haben's fein,
Wir brauchen nicht auf dem Striche sein.
Wir wohnen in schönen Häusern
Wohl bei der Nacht,
Ahoi! 
Weil es uns Freude macht.

Es kommen Kavaliere, Neger und Matros,
Die werden bei uns ihre Pfundstücke los,
Sie liegen uns am Busen
Wohl bei der Nacht,
Ahoi!
Weil es uns Freude macht.

Madam kocht schlechtes Essen, Sami spielt Klavier,
Mit den Kavalieren tanzen wir,
Fließt ein Taler drüber,
Wird er Madam gebracht,
Ahoi!
Weil es uns Freude macht.

Eines Tages holt die Sitte uns hinaus,
Und sie sperrt uns in das graue Krankenhaus.
Dann sind wir tot und sterben
Wohl bei der Nacht,
Ahoi!
Weil es uns Freude macht.

About the headline (FAQ)

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), "Hamburger Hurenlied", 2011 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Béla Reinitz (1878 - 1943), "Hamburger Dirnenlied ", published 1926 [ voice and piano ], from Klabund-Lieder, no. 6, New York, Universal Editions [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , written 2011, copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2012-01-05
Line count: 24
Word count: 112

We Hamburg gals are fine
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
We Hamburg gals are fine,
we don't need to be out on the street.
We live in lovely houses
where through the night --
Ahoy! --
because it makes us happy.

Fine gentlemen, Negroes and sailors
that want to let loose of their pound notes,
they lie on our bosom
and through the night --
Ahoy! --
because it makes us happy.

The madam cooks terribly, Sami plays piano,
we dance with the gentlemen,
the money flows
which our madam wants --
Ahoy! --
because it makes us happy.

One day the whole thing breaks down
and they speed us to the gray hospital.
Then we die, dying
there in the night --
Ahoy! --
Because it makes us happy.

About the headline (FAQ)

Paraphrase.

Text Authorship:

  • by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), 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
    • Go to the text page.

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: 2012-01-05
Line count: 24
Word count: 112

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