The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #68318   Message #1149127
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
29-Mar-04 - 12:45 PM
Thread Name: German folk song, help with translation
Subject: RE: German folk song, help with translation
Parallel to some English songs in the same vein. I wouldn't be surprised if this one had come to the British Isles.

Suggestions-
Verse 3- change my good man (sounds old-fashioned) to my true love; my one love ?

Verse 6- chattels is not much used now. Good as a singular noun for property is obsolete for most of us. Then all your worldly goods? Messes up the rhyme.

Verse 2 has an idiom or import that I don't quite understand. Is she trying to escape the duty of collecting grass in order to meet her love? What is the grass for? Cattle? If so, 'hay' is more understandable.