LL-L "Literature" 2006.04.29 (07) [E/German]

Sat Apr 29 21:03:17 UTC 2006

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   L O W L A N D S - L * 29 April 2006 * Volume 07
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From: Karl-Heinz Lorenz <Karl-Heinz.Lorenz at gmx.net>
Subject: LL-L "Language use" 2006.04.29 (06) [A/D]

> Well, well ... I can't help feeling that this is just pretty talk for some
> naughty stuff and carrying on ... if not indeed something criminal in
> today's world.
>
> Groete,
> Reinhard/Ron
>
"But what made Herder's version less popular was the typical male attitude
that, if a rape victim's body eventually responds with an involuntary
orgasm, it wasn't really rape. This attitude prevailed in the legal courts
even as late as the mid-twentieth century.

Yes, of course, "picking flowers" has the same meaning in German traditional
folksongs as it has in English or Scottish ones - SEX! Didn't you know
that?" (source: http://cazoo.org/folksongs/heidenroslein.htm)

"Verglichen mit dem hochverklemmten Thomas Mann ist Goethen jedenfalls auch
heute noch eine Reise wert und die sollte man sich nicht von seinen
Deutschlehrern verwässern lassen. Kleiner Tip: das Heideröslein ist eine gut
umschriebene Vergewaltigung (außer kleinen Dornenstichen ungesühnt!) und der
Erlkönig eine schwere Kindesmißhandlung mit Todesfolge (da können auch
heutige böse Onkels mit ihren Bonbons noch was lernen!). Oder darf man das
so nicht sehen? Muß mal meine Geheimratsecken befragen..."
(from: http://home.arcor.de/berick/klitsche/goethe.htm)

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Literature

Servus, Karl-Heinz!

Thanks for the insightful explanation.

> Yes, of course, "picking flowers" has the same meaning in German 
> traditional
> folksongs as it has in English or Scottish ones - SEX! Didn't you know
> that?" (source: http://cazoo.org/folksongs/heidenroslein.htm)

Of course I did!  I was just putting on an ignorant, innocent act.

On the serious side, though -- and there is obviously a very serious side to 
this -- it amazes me no end that people don't understand the actual meanings 
of traditional songs (or do they?), perform them as almost sacrosanct bits 
of culture and even teach them to small children.

On the less dark side, there is, as I have mentioned on a couple of 
occasions, the French song _Au clair de la lune_.  I suppose there are 
similar songs in the Bayuvarian areas (what with _Fensterln_ "climing into 
windows," etc.), and in Low Saxon there is the song _Dat du mien Leevsten 
büst_ (That You're My Darling -- see below) dealing with an invitation to 
illicit nocturnal activities.

Did you have in mind "Comin' Thru The Rye" (see below) when you mentioned 
Scottish songs? To me it represents the latter category.

I wonder if these types of songs used to serve as legitimate ways of talking 
about things that were usually considered socially inappropriate.

For those of you wanting to know what the _Erlkönig_ ("The Alder King," 
strangely translated as "The Erlking") is about (with translations): 
http://ingeb.org/Lieder/werreite.html

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

***

COMIN' THRO' THE RYE

Gin a body meet a body
Comin' thro' the rye
Gin a body kiss a body
Need a body cry?
Ilka lassie has her laddie
Nane, they say, hae I.
Yet a' the lads they smile at me
When comin' thro' the rye.

Gin a body meet a body
Comin' frae the toon
Gin a body kiss a body
Need a body froon?
Ilka lassie has her laddie
Nane, they say, hae I
Yet a' the lads they smile at me
When comin' thro' the rye.

'Mang the train there is a swain
I dearly lo'e myself
But what his name or whaur his hame
I dinna care to tell
Ilka lassie has her laddie
Nane, they say, hae I
Yet a' the lads they smile at me
When comin' thro' the rye.

***
Scots-English Glossary:
a' : all
a body : someone
dinna : does not
froon : frown
gin : if
ha' : have
hame : home
ilka : each, every
laddie : boy, fella, boyfriend
lassie : girl, girlfriend
lo'e : love
'mang : among
nane : none
swaine : young man, youth
thro' : through
toon : town
train : line (of people)
whaur : where

***
DAT DU MIEN LEEVSTEN BÜST

(1) Dat du mien Leevsten büst, dat du wull weest.
|: Kumm bi de Nacht! Kumm bi de Nacht! Segg, wo du heest! :|

(2) Kumm du üm Middernacht! Kumm du Klock een!
|: Vadder slöppt. Moder slöppt. Ick slaap alleen. :|

(3) Klopp an de Kammerdöör! Fatt an de Klink!
|: Vadder meent, Moder meent, dat deit de Wind. :|

(4) Kummt denn de Morgenstund, kreit denn de Hahn.
|: Leevsten mien, Leevsten mien, denn muttst du gahn. :|

(5) Sachten den Gang henlang! Lies' mit de Klink!
|: Vadder meent, Moder meent, dat deit de Wind. :|

(6) Dat du mien Leevsten büst, dat du wull weest.
|: Kumm bi de Nacht! Kumm bi de Nacht! Segg, wo du heest! :|

***
AS Spelling:

DAT DU MYN LEYVSTEN BÜST

(1) Dat du myn leyvsten büst, dat du wul weest.
|: Kum by de nacht! Kum by de nacht! Seg, wou du heyst! :|

(2) Kum du üm middernacht! Kum du klok eyn!
|: Vadder slöpt. Mouder slöpt. Ik slaap alleyn. :|

(3) Klop an de kamerdoer! Vat an de klink!
|: Vadder meynt, Mouder meynt, dat dayt de wind. :|

(4) Kumt den de morgenstund, krayt denn de haan.
|: Leyvsten myn, leyvsten myn, den mutst du gaan. :|

(5) Sachten den gang henlang! Lys' mit de klink!
|: Vadder meynt, Mouder meynt, dat dayt de wind. :|

(6) Dat du myn leyvsten büst, dat du wul weest.
|: Kum by de nacht! Kum by de nacht! Seg, wou du heyst! :|

***
THAT YOU'RE MY DARLING

(1) That you're my darling you know all the same.
|: See me tonight! See me tonight! Whisper your name! :|

(2) Come in the dark of night, when the clock has struck one!
|: Dad will be asleep, Mom will be asleep, and I sleep alone. :|

(3) Knock on the chamber door! Enter quietly please!
|: Dad will believe, Mom will believe the wind moved the trees. :|

(4) Once the new day has dawned the rooster will crow.
|: Darling, my darling, oh, then you must go. :|

(5) Then tiptoe down the hall! Leave quietly please!
|: Dad will believe, Mom will believe the wind moved the trees. :|

(6) That you're my darling you know all the same.
|: See me tonight! See me tonight! Whisper your name! :|

             ©2000, English version by R. F. Hahn 

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