To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=10004
15 messages

Lyr/Tune Req: (German) 'Hanschen klein'

29 Mar 99 - 12:09 PM (#66690)
Subject: Lyrics/melody: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: ccolyer@cyberspc.mb.ca

Having read the thread about the German Mudcat idea gave me the impetus to ask about this song, which an elderly lady at a personal care home where I was entertaining asked me to sing next time I visited there. She was able to write down a little of it for me. (There is an umlaut over the "a" in Hanschen which is not on my keyboard.)

Hanschen klein Ging allein In dir werte...

If I'm reading her writing correctly, those are the lines of this song which she sang as a child.

And now I turn it over to you for your help.

Charles

29 Mar 99 - 12:13 PM (#66693)
Subject: RE: Lyrics/melody: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: Wolfgang

Charles, go this place for that song and a midi. This place has a lot of German songs.

Wolfgang

29 Mar 99 - 12:31 PM (#66694)
Subject: RE: Lyrics/melody: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: Wolfgang

I did my best in typing speed, but, alas!, Joe Offer is still on the record ( lach thread ) with a three minute response delay for a response including a (useful) link. Perhaps he can't be beaten, but next time, I'll try again.

Wolfgang

29 Mar 99 - 12:37 PM (#66697)
Subject: RE: Lyrics/melody: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: Joe Offer

Ah, but four minutes is certainly an admirable response time, Wolfgang....for a mere beginner.
-Joe Offer, still champion-

29 Mar 99 - 11:51 PM (#66810)
Subject: RE: Lyrics/melody: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: ccolyer@cyberspc.mb.ca

Danke, Wolfgang. Much thanks. This is a blessing to be able to sing the song to her. I'll have to decide which versions of the first two verses are more appropriate. Or else sing the song twice using the two different versions. Now all I have to wait for is the invitation to perform at her personal care home again!

Perhaps at some other time I can come up with another lyric request that will allow you to match or better Joe's response time. I think you both do exceptionally well to locate these songs in the short time you take.

Charles

30 Mar 99 - 05:03 AM (#66843)
Subject: RE: Lyrics/melody: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: MudGuard

I guess Joe with his "Edit" button changed the time stamp of Wolfgang's response in order not to loose his champion status ;-)
Andreas

22 Mar 04 - 12:28 AM (#1142634)
Subject: RE: Lyrics/melody: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: GUEST

This the song, Little Johnny Went Alone. If you would like to hear it, it is on the 'Into the Arms of Strangers' Soundtrack.

22 Mar 04 - 02:55 AM (#1142657)
Subject: RE: Lyrics/melody: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: masato sakurai

See also the thread: Lyr Req: Lightly Row.

22 Mar 04 - 03:46 AM (#1142673)
Subject: RE: Lyrics/melody: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: GUEST,Jeger

I learned this melody with the words: Probably about 50 years ago.
Pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie, come my lady come and buy.
Pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie, come and buy a pie,
then your children will not cry
If you buy a pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie, come and buy a pie.

22 Mar 04 - 05:11 AM (#1142722)
Subject: RE: Lyrics/melody: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: Jeanie

Guest of 12.28 : "Into the Arms of Strangers" is an excellent and very moving film, isn't it ? For those who don't know it, or maybe of the events which prompted it, it is about the "Kindertransport" - the initiative which evacuated Jewish children to safety in Britain before the start of the 2nd World War, with archive material and interviews telling of their experiences. The song about "Hänschen klein" being sent off into the big wide world, leaving his mother behind, is particularly poignant in this context. If you don't know this film, it is available on video (and was recently shown on British TV on Holocaust Day).

The website Into the Arms of Strangers is well worth a visit for background information, interviews and soundtrack.

I know a woman who came over with the Kindertransport - she has stayed in Britain, married and brought up a family here, and her brother returned to Germany after the war. She lived with several families, some happier times than others, and it is very moving to hear her talk of her experiences and the way she found it difficult to know exactly *who* she was and where she belonged. She was 6 years old when she arrived, and spoke no English. Coming to terms with all of this has made her into a very resourceful person and a great encourager of others: she trained as a psychologist and specializes in working with Holocaust survivors and the second and third generation of survivors, and with refugees from all countries. She organizes reconciliation meetings for Germans and Holocaust survivors, and at one of these I saw the most moving encounter between two people I have ever witnessed: a German man, now living in Britain, who had been a member of the Hitler Youth, talking, hugging and crying with a very elderly Jewish lady who had survived one the camps.

If anyone wants to know more, send me a PM and I can put you in touch with this lady.

- jeanie

20 Jun 05 - 09:03 PM (#1505581)
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: HÄNSCHEN KLEIN / LITTLE JOHN
From: chico


   D               A
  Hänschen klein, geht allein             Little John he has gone
  D       A     D
  In die weite Welt hinein.               Out to see the world alone
                   A7
  Stock und Hut, steht im gut,            Staff and hat, look at that,
   D       A7    D
  Ist gar wohlgemut.                      He's one happy cat.
   A7
  Aber Mama weinet sehr,                  But his mommy cries a lot
   D                        (7)
  Hat ja nun kein Hänschen mehr!          Now she has no Johnny got.
   D                 A7
  Wünsch dir Glück! Sagt ihr Blick,       Fortune find, but you mind,
   D         A7     D
  Kehr' nur bald zurück!                  Come back to your kind.
  
  Sieben Jahr, trüb und klar              Seven years, joy and tears,
  Hänschen in der Fremde war.             John in many lands appears.
  Da besinnt, sich das Kind,              Then he thought that he ought
  Eilt nach Haus geschwind.               To go home and got -
  Doch nun ist's kein Hänschen mehr.      But now he's no Johnny small,
  Nein, ein großer Hans ist er.           No, he is now big John tall.
  Braun gebrannt, stirn und Hand.         Tall and tanned, face and hand.
  Wird er wohl erkannt                    Will they know this man
  
  Eins, zwei, drei Geh'n vorbei,          One, two, three, pass and see,
  wissen nicht, wer das wohl sei.         Don't know who this man might be.
  Schwester spricht welch Gesicht         Even Sis who is this
  Kennt den Bruder nicht.                 Knows not who he is.
  Kommt daher die Mutter sein,            Then along comes mother dear,
  Schaut ihm kaum ins Aug hinein,         Barely sees his eyes so clear,
  Ruft sie schon, Hans, mein Sohn!        Says My son, welcome home,
  Grüß dich Gott, mein Sohn!              God bless you my son.
  
  [Fahret hin bei Büsching u. v. der Hagen 1807; teilweise schon veröffentlicht 1711]

20 Jun 05 - 10:24 PM (#1505618)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

The translation, according to ingeb.org., is by a Tr. Frank 1999. I can find nothing about him. He may have translated it for the film, "Into the Arms of Strangers," linked above. German lyrics by Franz Wiedemann, 1821-1882. I found nothing about derHagen and the composition "Fahret hin."

Hanschen klein

The umlauted letters missing in the lyrics above are correctly shown at the ingeb site.

20 Jun 05 - 10:29 PM (#1505622)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Melody at the ingeb.org site, linked above. Also linked by Wolfgang, far above.

20 Jun 05 - 11:30 PM (#1505653)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: (German) 'Hanschen klein'
From: sixtieschick

Two German girls taught me the song when we were all working in the kitchen of a Swiss Hotel a looonngg time ago. (I returned the favor by teaching them "Bicycle Built for Two" which they always sang as "a bicycle built for you.") I can still remember the lyrics but couldn't spell them. Thanks for posting 'em. Cool!

Miriam

25 Mar 06 - 08:19 PM (#1702823)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Hänschen Klein (German)
From: GUEST,Thanks folks...

I ran across this song as the intro and exit to Peckinpah's "Cross of Iron" ... I wondered why the movier began and ended with a kinderlied, but now that i tracked dow the lyrics it makes perfect sense. Danke all...