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.

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