Persistence pays off sometimes. Here are the lyrics, from two on-line camp songbooks:

From
Uchoose Songs for Scouts 2006, Lyrics compiled by Juliettes of Michigan City, Indiana, Singing Sands Council, p. 629.
www.Scoutingweb.com/Scoutingweb/Documents/Songs_2006.pdf
www.ucpug.org/Scoutingweb/Documents/Songs_2006.pdf

The herdsman is merry, he sings all day long
He seeketh his flock as he chanteth this song

Chorus:         Holea, hole-e-e-e-e-a
                Holea, hole-e-e-e-a
                Holea, hole-e-e-e-a
                Holea, hole-e-a

In the morning he is milking on the hillside till noon
But at evening Belle calls him, "Come Hans!" "Coming soon."

Chorus

In Tyrol lies my treasure, and my heart's desire
Our house and our spinning wheel, and ourselves by the fire

Chorus

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        

Camp Stawderman Song Book
P. 21
www.sheldonstudios.com/images/camp_buttons/cs-songs.pdf

The Herdsman is merry, he sings all day long
He feedeth his flock as he singeth this song—

        O La Ya, O la-a-a-a-aya
       O La Ya, O la-a-a-a-aya
       O La Ya, O la-a-a-a-aya

In the morning he is milking on the hillside 'till noon,
In the evening Belle calls him, "Come Hans," "Coming soon."

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

There are the minor differences one expects in oral-traditional songs, and the yodeling chorus is not exactly as I remmembered it, but close enough.

The question remains whether this is a translation of a German-language original. So far no one on this list has identified such an original, but all I remembered was the third stanza (which is omitted in the Strawderman text above). Perhaps with a fuller text someone will recognize it.

Stephen