HANS BREITMANN'S BARTY
by: Charles Godfrey Leland
(1824-1903)
- ANS BREITMANN
gife a barty;
- Dey had biano-blayin',
- I felled in lofe mit a Merican frau,
- Her name vas Madilda Yane.
- She hat haar as prown ash a pretzel,
- Her eyes vas himmel-plue,
- Und vhen dey looket indo mine,
- Dey shplit mine heart in dwo.
-
- Hans Breitmann gife a barty,
- I vent dere you'll pe pound;
- I valtzet mit Matilda Yane,
- Und vent shpinnen' round und round.
- De pootiest Fraulein in de house,
- She vayed 'pout dwo hoondred pound,
- Und efery dime she gife a shoomp
- She make de vindows sound.
-
- Hans Breitmann gife a barty,
- I dells you it cost him dear;
- Dey rolled in more ash sefen kecks
- Of foost-rate lager beer.
- Und vhenefer dey knocks de shpicket in
- De deutschers gifes a cheer;
- I dinks dot so vine a barty
- Nefer coom to a het dis year.
-
- Hans Breitmann gife a barty;
- Dere all vas Souse and Brouse,
- Vhen de sooper comed in, de gompany
- Did make demselfs to house;
- Dey ate das Brot and Gensy broost,
- De Bratwurst and Braten vine,
- Und vash der Abendessen down
- Mit four parrels of Neckarwein.
-
- Hans Breitmann gife a barty;
- Ve all cot troonk ash bigs.
- I poot mine mout' to a parrel of beer,
- Und emptied it oop mit a schwigs;
- Und den I gissed Madilda Yane,
- Und she shlog me on de kop,
- Und de gompany vighted mit daple-lecks
- Dill de coonshtable made oos shtop.
-
- Hans Breitmann gife a barty --
- Vhere ish dot barty now?
- Vhere ish de lofely golden cloud
- Dot float on de moundain's prow?
- Vhere ish de himmelstrahlende stern --
- De shtar of de shpirit's light?
- All goned afay mit de lager beer --
- Afay in de ewigkeit!
"Hans Breitmann's Barty"
is reprinted from The Breitmann Ballads. Charles Godfrey
Leland. London: Trubner & Co., 1890. |
MORE POEMS BY CHARLES GODFREY LELAND |
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