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GUEST,ottery English Trans. Req: Fruhlingsmusikanten (48) RE: English Trans. Req: Fruhlingsmusikanten 13 Apr 17


I've had a go at translating it. I'm a native English speaker with a basic dilettantish knowledge of German, so take the results with a pinch of salt. I had real trouble with several lines, especially one in the fourth stanza, the bleiben euch gewogen one.

FRÜHLINGSMUSIKANTEN, oder DEMAGOGISCH.

Es wollt' einmal im Königreich
Once upon a time in the kingdom,
Der Frühling nicht erscheinen,
The Spring didn't want to appear,
Der König in der größen Noth
The King in great need
Berieth sich mit den Seinen,
Conferred with his household,
Da wurde nach des Kanzlers Rath
According to the Chancellor's advice
Einem alten Frosch befohlen,
An old Frog was ordered
Mit seiner jungen grünen Schaar
With his young green band
Den Frühling einzuholen.
To get back the Spring.

So bald der Frosch im Garten schreit,
As soon as the Frog strode into the garden,
Der König fühlt Behagen,
The King was contented,
Der Frühling, rief er, ist nicht weit,
The Spring, he cried, is not far away,
Laßt mich ins Freie tragen;
Let me bring (it) into the open;
Da saß er denn auf sammtnem Stuhl
Then he sat there on the velvet chair
In schön geschmückter Jacken   
In his fine decorated coat
Und hörte in dem trüben Pfuhl
And in the murky pool he heard
Den Frosch manierlich quacken.
The Frog croak genteelly.

Ein Zweiter fand sich bald dazu,
A second soon appeared
Mit ihm zu concertiren;   
To concert along with him;
Der Dritte stellte sich auch ein,
The third also joined in,
D'rauf sangen sie zu Vieren;
And next they sang in quartet;
Ein jeder nahm das Maul recht voll,
Each one filled up his mouth,
Es schmetterten die Kehlen,
Their throats were blaring,
Um sich für seiner Majestät
In order to obediently
Gehorsamst abzuquälen.
Labour for his Majesty.

Und immer toller wird der Lärm,
And the noise becomes ever greater
Der König konnt 's nicht tragen;
The King could not bear it;
Da rief er seinem Kanzler zu
So he called to his Chancellor
Das Volk aufs Maul zu schlagen;
To strike the people on the mouth;
Der sprach, wir haben Frühlingszeit
He said, we have Springtime
Und bleiben euch gewogen;
(And keep yourselves in good memory)?;
So schweiget nun bei unserm Zorn,
So now be quiet before our wrath,
Euch soll! ihr Demagogen.
you should – you demagogues.

Da loben wir uns unser Reich,
Thus we praise our realm,
Wie sind wir wohl berathen;
How we are well-counselled;
Was kümmern uns die Frösch' im Teich
What do the frogs in the pool matter to us
Und ihre Potentaten;
Or their potentates?;
Der Frühling geht, der Sommer kehrt,
Spring goes, Summer turns,
Der Herbst, der Winter wieder;
Autumn, Winter again;
Wir singen fest und unverwehrt
We sing resolutely and without prohibition
Die allerschönsten Lieder.
The most beautiful of all songs.


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