A Mother's Tale
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Sie hatte ein Kindlein
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so schwach, wie ein Keim unter'm Schnee.
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Dann klopfte jemand an die Tur
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kam herein, nahm den Kleiner und fuhr
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...es war der Tod
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She had a small child
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so weak, like a seed under the snow.
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Then someone knocked at the door,
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came in, took the small one and left
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...it was Death.
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Sagt mir, Nacht und Wasser
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wo'st mein Kind? [1]
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Geh mal durch die Wälder
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und du findest's.
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``Tell me, Night and Water,
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where's my child?''
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``Go at once through the woods
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and you'll find him'' [2]
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Die Mutter, sie weinte
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und sie lief durch die Wälder so tief.
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Sie sah ein Treibhaus dort fern
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ging dahin, sie spurte ihr Kind war da.
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The mother cried
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and she ran through the woods so deep
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she saw a hothouse in the distance
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went there, she felt her child was there
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Sag mir, weiser Gärtner
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wo'st mein Kind? [1]
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Such mal unter'n Blumen
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und du findest's.
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``Tell me, wise gardener,
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Where's my child ?''
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``Search under the flowers
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and you'll find him''
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Sie fand ihr Kindlein
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kleiner Keim, mit dem Puls so schwach.
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Dann kam der Tod in das Treibhaus,
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es blieb kalt, ihre Hände kalt wie Eis. [3]
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She found her child,
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the small little seed, with a pulse so weak.
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Then Death entered the hothouse.
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It grew cold, her hands cold as ice.
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Hör mal, arme Mutter
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dein Liebling
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hätte nie gesund und froh gelebt.
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Reich mir dieses Keimchen, bitte dich
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und sein Herzchen sende ruh. [4]
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``Listen to me, poor mother
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your darling
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would never have a healthy and joyfull life.
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Hand me this little seedling, I beg you,
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and put his little heart to rest.''
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[1] The booklet says "woh'st", clearly a typo.
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[2] The child can be either a girl or boy in the German version.
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[3] I believe this was meant to be "Es wurde kalt". "Werden", "bleiben" and "sein" are easily mixed
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up.
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[4] Anneli sings "herzen" which means "heart", not "little heart".
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Translation by Anne Deslattes, some adjustments by Ulrich Grepel and Kjetil T. Homme.
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-----------------
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Die Geschichte einer Mutter
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Bel Canto |