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by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der treue Geselle
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Acht Knöpfe trug ich am Reisegewand, 
Von achten fehlen mir sieben. 
Von all den Freunden, die ich gekannt, 
Ist einer mir treu geblieben.

Es haben die Liebe mir aufgesagt 
Die Lotte, die Lene, die Liese,
Und wär' ich eine verständige Magd,
Ich hätt' es gemacht wie diese.

Doch nenn' ich einen Gesellen mein, 
Einen bessern kann's nicht geben,
Und fasst mich beim Genick Freund Hein,
Er wird's nicht überleben.

Er macht mich wenn ich hungre, satt 
Und stärkt mich aus der Flasche,
Und was der Brave im Beutel hat,
Das hab' ich in der Tasche.

Erfasst mich einmal Weh und Leid
Und werden mir feucht die Wimpern,
So ist der Bursch alsbald bereit
Den Schmerz hinweg zu klimpern.

Und schüttelt mich der Winter kalt 
Und lähmt mir meine Glieder,
So singt er mir vom grünen Wald 
Lenzwarme Freudenlieder.

Er läuft mit mir durch Staub und Gras 
Auf allen meinen Wegen,
Und schau' ich in ein Spiegelglas,
So schaut er mir entgegen.

Confirmed with Spielmannslieder von Rudolf Baumbach, Leipzig, Verlag von A. G. Liebeskind, 1893, pages 6-7.


Text Authorship:

  • by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905), "Der treue Geselle", appears in Spielmannslieder [author's text checked 1 time 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 Karl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke (1824 - 1910), "Der treue Geselle", op. 187 (Sechs Lieder und Gesänge für vierstimmigen Männerchor) no. 4, published 1886 [ four-part men's chorus ], Leipzig, Siegel [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Paul Ziegler (1852 - 1921), "Der treue Geselle", subtitle: "Marsch für vierstimmigen Männerchor", op. 25, published 1890 [ ttbb chorus ], Berlin: R. Schultz [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The faithful comrade", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2016-08-02
Line count: 28
Word count: 161

The faithful comrade
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
There were eight buttons upon my travelling garb,
Of the eight I'm missing seven.
Of all the friends that I have known,
One has remained faithful to me.

Love for me was rescinded
By Lotte, by Lene, by Liese,
And were I a sensible maid
I would have behaved like these three.

But I call one comrade mine,
There can be no better one,
And if Death were to grab me by the neck,
He would not survive it.

When I am hungry, he sees to it that I have sustenance,
And gives me strength from the bottle,
And what that good one has in his bag,
That is what I have in my pocket.

And if woe and misery take hold of me
And my eyelashes become moist,
The lad is immediately prepared
To strum away the pain.

And if winter shakes me [until I am] cold,
And paralyzes my limbs,
Then he sings to me of the green wood,
Songs of joy warmed by spring.

He travels with me through dust and grass
Upon all my pathways,
And if I look into a mirror,
He looks back at me.

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 Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905), "Der treue Geselle", appears in Spielmannslieder
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2020-01-07
Line count: 28
Word count: 191

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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