Hello everyone,

here is a quick rough-and-ready-non-singable)translation. Pardon me for not always finding the appropriate words (and various other mistakes):

1. We had buildt a stately house / and trusted in god inside / despite weather, storm and horror

2. We lived so trustful, so cordial, so free / the bad ones desoised it / we `ve been much to true

3. They looked and searched /for cheating and betrayal / rided and cursed /the young green seed

4. What god laid in us /the world did despise / the unity was distrusted / even by the good ones

5. They called it crime / but they were wrong / the form may be broken / the love nevermore

6. The form has been broken / from the outside / but what they smelled from within (better: what they saw in it) / was only a false image

7. The bond has been cut / it was black, red and gold / god dad let it happen /who kows his ways?

8. The house may fall apart /what kind of starving will be / the spirit lives in all of us / our castle is god

As said above the song refers to the closing of the original students association in Jena (Urburschenschaft) by the autorities. The students associations (Burschenschaften) were part of the democratic national movement in Germany (that is a number of small states) in the early 19th century. As long as German authorities were not in power due to the french occupation under Napoleon, they were welcomed as part of the resistance forces (The song "Luetzows wilde verwegene Jagd" refers to a militia, whos members were made up mostly of students). During the period of restauration of the old powers after Napoleons defeat, the governments tried to suppress the ideas of free speech, free press, parliaments etc. by outlawing democratic organisations, so they became secret organisations for a while. Later they took part in the unsuccessful revolution in 1848. In the aftermath many were forced to emigrate to the U.S., the most famous among them Carl Schurz. The colours of the german tricolour black, red and gold (as mentioned in the 7th stanza) were introduced some time after the closing of the Urburschenschaft. Their Flag - as displayed on the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach - has been black and red with a golden branch of oak on it. You could write volumes and volumes about it, but I am not a professinal historian. I will try to look for some english literature if nobody eles comes up with it first.

Yours

Ernest