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Galathea
Galatea

Brettl Lieder Brettl Songs

Wedekind

Oh, how I burn with longing,
My child Galatea,
To kiss your darling cheeks –
They are so enticing, my dear.

Oh, the joy that I’d experience,
My child Galatea,
If I kissed your hair -
It is so alluring, my dear.

Don’t prevent me,as I live,
My child Galatea,
From kissing your two hands –
They are so alluring, my dear.

Ah, my unimaginable yearning,
My child Galatea,
To be kissing both your knees -
They are so alluring, my dear.

And what would I not do, my sweet,
My child Galatea,
To kiss your lovely feet -
They are so alluring, my dear.

But never, my dear girl,
Reveal your mouth unto my kisses,
For the fullness of its charms
To kiss is fancy’s aegis.

Gigerlette
Gigerlette

Brettl Lieder Brettl Songs

Bierbaum

Fräulein Gigerlette
Invited me to tea.
At her toilette,
She’d decided white would set the key;
So just like Pierrette
She’d dressed accordingly.
Even a monk, I’d bet,
Would look at Gigerlette
Most approvingly.

It was in a red room
That she receivèd me,
A room quite without gloom –
With candle-light to see.
And as ever she was bubbling,
Bubbling with esprit.
I’ll remember it till the day of doom;
Ruby-red as wine the room,
And white as snow was she.

Trotting with a team of four
We took a trip, we two,
To the land called
Joyfulness so’s to admire the view!
In order not to lose
Direction, pace or tack
As we drove that fiery team,
Cupid sat there at the back.

Der Genugsame Liebhaber
The Contented Lover

Brettl Lieder Brettl Songs

Salus

My lady-friend has a black cat
With soft and velvety fur,
And I am totally bald as a bat,
Shiny, smooth with a silvery blur.

My lady-friend strikes a voluptuous note;
Lies on her sofa all year,
Keeps busy stroking her cat’s velvety coat;
God, how she loves that soft fur to be near.

And when I go round to my friend’s of a night
The puss-cat is there in her lap
Nibbling at her cake made with honey, eyes bright;
She shudders gently when I touch her, mayhap.

And wishing to show how fond I am of my date,
And that she should make whoopee with me,
I slip the moggy on top of my pate;
My friend strokes it and laughs heartily.

Einfältiges Lied
Silly Song

Brettl Lieder Brettl Songs

Salus

The King went for a walk,
The way a man goes for a walk,
Without his sceptre or his crown,
Just the ordinary fellow about town.

A strong gust of wind came down,
An ordinary gust of wind came down
Oblivious of who it was there walking,
Came down, assailed the King,

Whipped his hat right off his head,
And blew it off for miles ahead,
Never to be seen again!

So, you see!
There you have it!
Yes, that’s the word:
It is quite absurd!

A King cannot without his crown
Make his way around the town,
Mingling with simple men!

Mahnung
Counsel

Brettl Lieder Brettl Songs

Hochstetter

Mind, my girl, don’t you be frivolous,
Don’t catch yourself a fancy-man,
Find yourself a proper man;
One whose kisses will be tireless,
Who with manual strength and zest
Will build for you a cosy nest.

Now, my girl, don’t you be silly,
Don’t walk round as in a dream.
One might be coming (look around)
Who would just suit you to the ground.
If he comes, act willy-nilly,
Snap him up! Yes, that’s the scheme.

My Girl, make best use of your time,
Take action now while in your prime,
Take care and know, to wit,
That if without a plan you flit
Aimlessly through life,
You’ll be a spinster, not a wife.

Jedem das Seine
Each to his own

Brettl Lieder Brettl Songs

Colly

Level parade ground,
Kaspar’s to be found
Mounted on his steed.
King, Duke in attendance,
Facing is the audience.
Regiments go whomp, whomp, whomp;
Marching at no mean speed.
?
The air is soaking up the sun,
Flash of helms and bayonets stun,
Glisten, sparkle, shining in the heat.
A shady grandstand seat;
‘Bravo!’ ‘Hurrah!’ Jokes, japes compete,
Binoculars, sparkling eyes,
Repartee, back and forth it flies.

Next to me, who might this be?
Charming, not terrifically classy,
But pleasurably chic.
Being given an appreciative critique,
Secretly affords a deal of pleasure
And your hips swing to the measure,
Bonding tightly to the music.

Kaspar, take what’s yours by right
And lead your troops with all their might
To protect yourself and us.
But now, beloved treasure, let’s repair
With all speed from this military square.
I know a secluded place just over there,
Far from all this noise and fuss.

So that’s where we go to get off our feet,
That is, me and the girl who was in the next seat.
In the distance sounds: tara, tara;
To be a soldier, oh what fun -
And oh, what fun not to be one
When we two together can…..
et cetera.

Arie aus dem Spiegel von Arcadien
Aria fromThe Mirror of Arcady

Brettl Lieder Brettl Songs

Schickaneder

Since I’ve seen so many women,
My heart beat’s been so warm,
It hums and buzzes here and there
Like honey bees that swarm.
And if her fire equals mine,
Her eyes beautiful and clear,
Then it beats like a hammer-blow,
My little heart, d’you hear!
Boom, boom, boom….

I’d like a thousand women just for me
If the gods didn’t mind,
And l’d dance like a marmot
Every which-way you could find.
That would be the life for me,
Then I’d have some fun,
I’d leap like a hare around the field,
My old heart doing a ton.
Boom, boom, boom…..

He who doesn’t appreciate women
is neither cold nor hot;
He lies there like a block of ice
in the arms of some girl he’s got.
But I am a different sort of man,
I dance attendance around the room;
my heart beating happily against theirs
and going boom, boom, boom…..

Der Nachtwandler
Night-time Walkabout

Brettl Lieder Brettl Songs

Falke

Drummer let the drum-head sound,
And trumpeter, blow, blow away
So that out from their cosy beds they bound,
Shouting: Murder! Michel! Murder! Hey!
Toot and brrm, toot and brrm
Nightcaps flying around the room.

And so I walk into the night
Where moonlight banishes the shade,
With two Mam’selles for company,
A laundress and an ironing maid:
Louise on the left, Marie on the right,
And, the musicians there ahead, you see.

But when the house comes into view,
The one I pointed out to you,
Please, take a break. Behave,
And be as silent as the grave!
Hush, hush! Quiet as a mouse,
Softly find your way around the house.

My formidable Henriette,
It’s here that she is housed.
Mind the noise does not upset her,
She’ll scratch our eyes out if she’s roused.
Hush, hush! Quiet as a mouse,
Softly find your way around the house.

Now,play with joy again, musicians!
Danger threatens us no more;
Drum the old aunts, such apparitions,
To their windows as before!
Toot and brrm, toot and brrm
Nightcaps flying around the room.