LyrAdd: Night Visiting Song/Dat Du min Leevsten...

Subject: ADD: Night visiting song (Dat Du min Leevsten
From: Wolfgang
Date: 11 Oct 98 - 06:07 AM

In the Flemish/Dutch folksongs thread Allan from Vancouver has posted a Dutch/Plattdeutsch language song with a singable translation in English. I had a faint recollection that I had already heard this beautiful song in English and I was right. There's a quite famous double LP titled Folkfriends that has been published more than 20 years ago in Germany. It is known for its blend of folksongs in English and German and for the many musicians participating. On this record, Finbar Furey, Alex Campbell and Hannes Wader sing the Night Visiting Song / Dat Du min Leevsten büst (bist) together. Wader of course sings the German verses, whereas Finbar Furey and Alex Campbell share the English ones. These English verses are not the Night Visiting Song already in the DT (also sung both by Campbell and the Fureys), but a translation from the Dutch/German song made by Finbar Furey. See the other thread for Allan's translation and click here for the original version and the tune.

Night Visiting Song
(orig.: Dat Du min Leevsten büst)
(transl.: Finbar Furey)

1. When I came to my love
I stood at her door
I'd list' to her
parents saying:
See him no more
I'd list' to her
parents saying:
See him no more

2. That evening I bid from there
when nighttime it came
Approached my love’s
window and
whispered her name.

3. She came to her window
All dressed in white
Saying: Who is that who
whispers my
name in the night.

4. She's opened her window
She's reached out her arms
Saying: Come to me love,
come to me -love
With all your charrns.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: ADD: Night visiting song (Dat Du min Leevsten
From: Susan of DT
Date: 12 Oct 98 - 02:59 PM

there are 18 songs identified with @nightvisit

Subject: RE: ADD: Night visiting song (Dat Du min Leevsten
From: Wolfgang
Date: 13 Oct 98 - 03:52 AM

Susan, yes, there are many song even sharing the exact title Night Visisting Song. But that's how Finbar Furey called his translation and not my choice of title.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: ADD: Night visiting song (Dat Du min Leevsten
From:
Date: 13 Oct 98 - 05:55 AM

Hi Wolfgang,

As I'm sure you know, Finbar Furey's translation isn't a real translation at all - it's a totally different set of lyrics.

I prefer the original - and it translates fairly easily into English, preserving the spirit of the original song...

See if you agree...

You are my own true love
That you know well
Come in the night
Come in the night
Your love to tell

Come to me in the night
Just before one
Father sleeps
Mother sleeps
I sleep alone

Knock on my bedroom door
Rattle the pin
Mother thinks
Father thinks
It is the wind

And when the dawning breaks
And the cocks crow
O my love
O my love
Then you must go.

Anyway - that's the one I'm going to sing tonight!

Cheers

Graeme

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 1-Feb-02.

Subject: RE: ADD: Night visiting song (Dat Du min Leevsten
From: Wolfgang
Date: 13 Oct 98 - 06:46 AM

Graeme, thanks for that and I agree. It is singable, close to the original, and at least as good as the one I posted. The audience is going to like it.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: ADD: Night visiting song (Dat Du min Leevsten
From: Graeme
Date: 15 Oct 98 - 05:50 PM

Wolfgang.......

I sang it last night. The audience were very appreciative. Not by the quality of my singing (desperately trying to be modest!!), but by the originality of the song, the quaintness of the old language, and the beauty of the tune. You know, a song like that, a little old song, portrays a kind of innocence. If the words were different, it could almost be a lullabye. Apart from one pedantic idiot who thought the German "didn't sound right" (Und er spricht kein Deutsch! Arschloch!) everyone liked it and several fellow singers asked me where I got it. Thanks once again for the help.

Graeme

Subject: RE: ADD: Night visiting song (Dat Du min Leevsten
From: Wolfgang
Date: 15 Oct 98 - 05:58 PM

Graeme, thanks for telling me. I'm not surprised they liked it. It is beautifully simple and simply beautiful.

Wolfgang