Songs

Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!

by Johannes Brahms From 49 Deutsche Volkslieder (1894) WoO 33

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Text & Translation

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Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!
German source: Anon.

Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!
„Wat för en Ding, ming Hetzenskind?“
En Ding, en Ding!
„Wells de dann e Pöppchen han?“
Nä, Moder, nä!
Ehr sitt kein gode Moder,
Ehr künnt dat Ding nit rode!
Wat dat Kind förn Ding well han,
Dingderlingdingding!

Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!
„Wat för en Ding, ming Hetzenskind?“
En Ding, en Ding!
„Wells de dann e Ringelchen han?“
Nä, Moder, nä!
Ehr sitt kein gode Moder,
Ehr künnt dat Ding nit rode!
Wat dat Kind förn Ding well han,
Dingderlingdingding!

Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!
„Wat för en Ding, ming Hetzenskind?“
En Ding, en Ding!
„Wells de dann e Kleidchen han?“
Nä, Moder, nä!
Ehr sitt kein gode Moder,
Ehr künnt dat Ding nit rode!
Wat dat Kind förn Ding well han,
Dingderlingdingding!

Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!
„Wat för en Ding, ming Hetzenskind?“
En Ding, en Ding!
„Wells de dann ene Mann han?“
Jo, Moder, Jo!
Ehr sitt en gode Moder,
Ehr künnt dat Ding wahl rode!
Wat dat Kind förn Ding well han!
Dingderlingdingding!

Oh Mother, I Want to have a Thingy!
English translation © Richard Stokes

O mother, I want to have a thingy!
‘What sort of thing, child of my heart?’
A thingy, a thingy!
‘Is it a doll that you want?’
No, mother, no!
You’re not a good mother,
You don’t know what a thingy is,
The thingy that your child wants.
Thingalingthingthing!

O mother, I want to have a thingy!
‘What sort of thing, child of my heart?’
A thingy, a thingy!
‘Is it a ring that you want?’
No, mother, no!
You’re not a good mother,
You don’t know what a thingy is,
The thingy that your child wants.
Thingalingthingthing!

O mother, I want to have a thingy!
‘What sort of thing, child of my heart?’
A thingy, a thingy!
‘Is it a dress that you want?’
No, mother, no!
You’re not a good mother,
You don’t know what a thingy is,
The thingy that your child wants.
Thingalingthingthing!

O mother, I want to have a thingy!
‘What sort of thing, child of my heart?’
A thingy, a thingy!
‘Is it a husband you want?’
Yes, mother, yes!
You’re a good mother,
You know what a thingy is,
The thingy that your child wants!
Thingalingthingthing!

Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!
German source: Anon.

Oh Mother, I Want to have a Thingy!
English source: Richard Stokes

Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!
O mother, I want to have a thingy!
„Wat för en Ding, ming Hetzenskind?“
‘What sort of thing, child of my heart?’
En Ding, en Ding!
A thingy, a thingy!
„Wells de dann e Pöppchen han?“
‘Is it a doll that you want?’
Nä, Moder, nä!
No, mother, no!
Ehr sitt kein gode Moder,
You’re not a good mother,
Ehr künnt dat Ding nit rode!
You don’t know what a thingy is,
Wat dat Kind förn Ding well han,
The thingy that your child wants.
Dingderlingdingding!
Thingalingthingthing!

Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!
O mother, I want to have a thingy!
„Wat för en Ding, ming Hetzenskind?“
‘What sort of thing, child of my heart?’
En Ding, en Ding!
A thingy, a thingy!
„Wells de dann e Ringelchen han?“
‘Is it a ring that you want?’
Nä, Moder, nä!
No, mother, no!
Ehr sitt kein gode Moder,
You’re not a good mother,
Ehr künnt dat Ding nit rode!
You don’t know what a thingy is,
Wat dat Kind förn Ding well han,
The thingy that your child wants.
Dingderlingdingding!
Thingalingthingthing!

Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!
O mother, I want to have a thingy!
„Wat för en Ding, ming Hetzenskind?“
‘What sort of thing, child of my heart?’
En Ding, en Ding!
A thingy, a thingy!
„Wells de dann e Kleidchen han?“
‘Is it a dress that you want?’
Nä, Moder, nä!
No, mother, no!
Ehr sitt kein gode Moder,
You’re not a good mother,
Ehr künnt dat Ding nit rode!
You don’t know what a thingy is,
Wat dat Kind förn Ding well han,
The thingy that your child wants.
Dingderlingdingding!
Thingalingthingthing!

Och Moder, ich well en Ding han!
O mother, I want to have a thingy!
„Wat för en Ding, ming Hetzenskind?“
‘What sort of thing, child of my heart?’
En Ding, en Ding!
A thingy, a thingy!
„Wells de dann ene Mann han?“
‘Is it a husband you want?’
Jo, Moder, Jo!
Yes, mother, yes!
Ehr sitt en gode Moder,
You’re a good mother,
Ehr künnt dat Ding wahl rode!
You know what a thingy is,
Wat dat Kind förn Ding well han!
The thingy that your child wants!
Dingderlingdingding!
Thingalingthingthing!

Composer

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna.  Brahms has been considered, by his…

Poet

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