To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=24668
7 messages

Lyr/Tune Add: Freiheit (in English)

23 Aug 00 - 07:38 PM (#283561)
Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: FREIHEIT (in English)^^
From: Sorcha

I did not find an English translation of this, so here it is:

FREIHEIT, English translation of German in the DT:

Spanish heavens spread their brilliant starlight
High above our trenches in the plain
From the distance morning comes to greet us,
calling us to battle once again

CHORUS:
Far off is our land, yet ready we stand,
We're fighting and winning for you, Freiheit!

We'll not yield a foot to Franco's fascists,
Even though the bullets fall like sleet,
With us stand those peerless men, our comrades
And for us there can be no retreat.

Beat the drums. Ready the bayonets.
Forward, march. Victory our reward.
With our scarlet banner, smash their columns.
Thaelmann Battalion, Ready, forward, march!

[FREHEIT
X: 1
T:FREIHEIT
M:C
L:1/8
Q:130
K:D
A,>A,| D2 D2 E>E D>E | F2 F2 z2 A,>A, | D2 D2 F>F E>E | D6 A,>A, | E2 F2 G>G A>G | F2 F2 z2 E>D | C2 D2 E>E F>^G | A6|| A,2 | D4 D2 D2 | D6 D2 | E4 F2 G2 | F4 z2 D2 | G2 G>G G2 A>B | A2 z2 z4 |A8 | A2 z2 z2 |]

From: Heritage Collection of America's Best Loved Folk Songs, ed. Jerry Silverman, Chappell Music, 1975

^^

Digital Tradition lyrics:

FREIHEIT
Lyrics: Karl Ernst Tune: Paul Dessau

Spaniens Himmel breitet seine Sterne
Ueber unsre Schutzengraeben aus,
Und der Morgen gruesst schon aus der Ferne
Bald geht es zum neuen Kampf hinaus

cho: Die Heimat is weit,
Doch wir sind bereit.
Wir kaempfen und siegen fuer dich, Freiheit!

Dem Faschisten werden wir nicht weichen,
Schickt er auch die Kugeln hageldicht.
Mit uns stehn Kameraden ohne gleichen,
Und ein Rueckwaerts gibt es fuer un uns nicht.

Ruehrt die Trommel. Faellt die Bajonettc Bajonette.
Vorwarts marsch. Der Sieg is ist unser Lohn.
Mit der roten Fahne brecht die Kette.
Auf zum Kampf das Thaelmann Bataillon.

@German @war @Spanish @Civil
filename[ FREIHEIT
JF

Note from Joe Offer: English & German lyrics on page 44 of The People's Song Book (People's Artists, New York, 1948 & 1956). Corrections in italics are mine.

24 Aug 00 - 04:05 AM (#283854)
Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE ADD: FREIHEIT TRANSLATION
From: Wolfgang

Sorcha,
that's a beauty of a translation, brilliant work, but I am not sure about one point: Is it your translation? If yes, congratulations. Have you found it? If yes, I'd like to know where.

Addition for the DT: The Germans authors are missing. Lyrics: Karl Ernst Tune: Paul Dessau

Wolfgang

24 Aug 00 - 10:19 AM (#283983)
Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE ADD: FREIHEIT TRANSLATION
From: Sorcha

Thanks for the kudos, Wolfgang, but dearie me no I didn't translate it. All the info I have is at the bottom the post. The "Heritage Collection" was printed in 1976 for the US Bicentiennial in 1976 and this particular edition is out of print. HOWEVER, Joe Offer says it is re printed and still available as Jerry Silvermans Folk Song Encyclopedia, or something like that. No translator credit was given, just says "from the Spanish Civil War, German song"

24 Aug 00 - 11:51 AM (#284068)
Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE ADD: FREIHEIT TRANSLATION
From: Uncle_DaveO

There's a slightly different translation in _The Peoples Songbook_, which I have. I'll get it out and post their translation here soon.

Dave Oesterreich

24 Aug 00 - 12:28 PM (#284112)
Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE ADD: FREIHEIT TRANSLATION
From: Uncle_DaveO

I was wrong about the translation in _The People's Songbook_. It seems to be the same as posted above. The credits given are Words by Karl Ernst, Music by Peter Daniel, and Arranged by Murray Chase. Whether Karl Ernst did the German words, the translation, or both I don't know.

Dave Oesterreich

25 Aug 00 - 04:11 AM (#284858)
Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE ADD: FREIHEIT TRANSLATION
From: Wolfgang

There are inconsistent statements about how wrote this song in my books. But I'm quite sure after looking in all the sources that had this song that my above information is the correct one for the German version. I do not know who did the English translation.

Wolfgang

25 Aug 00 - 08:08 PM (#285359)
Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE ADD: FREIHEIT TRANSLATION
From: Downeast Bob

Does anybody remember the album of 10" 78 rpm records of German songs from the Spanish Civil War that included this translation of Freiheit?

Great album. Among the other songs were The Peatbog Soldiers, Hans Beimler. There were more, but I don't remember the titles.

I think some of the songs may have been released later on a 10" lp (stinson label?) that also included Spanish C.W. songs by Pete Seeger and the Almanacs.