A Mother's Tale

Sie hatte ein Kindlein
so schwach, wie ein Keim unter'm Schnee.
Dann klopfte jemand an die Tür

kam herein, nahm den Kleiner und fuhr
...es war der Tod

She had a small child
so weak, like a seed under the snow.
Then someone knocked at the door,
came in, took the small one and left
...it was Death.

Sagt mir, Nacht und Wasser
wo'st mein Kind? [1]
Geh mal durch die Wälder
und du findest's.

Tell me, Night and Water,
where's my child?
Go at once through the woods
and you'll find him [2]

Die Mutter, sie weinte
und sie lief durch die Wälder so tief.
Sie sah ein Treibhaus dort fern
ging dahin, sie spürte ihr Kind war da.

The mother cried
and she ran through the woods so deep
she saw a hothouse in the distance
went there, she felt her child was there

Sag mir, weiser Gärtner
wo'st mein Kind? [1]
Such mal unter'n Blumen
und du findest's.

Tell me, wise gardener,
Where's my child ?
Search under the flowers
and you'll find him

Sie fand ihr Kindlein
kleiner Keim, mit dem Puls so schwach.
Dann kam der Tod in das Treibhaus,
es blieb kalt, ihre Hände kalt wie Eis. [3]

She found her child,
the small little seed, with a pulse so weak.
Then Death entered the hothouse.
It grew cold, her hands cold as ice.

Hör mal, arme Mutter
dein Liebling
hätte nie gesund und froh gelebt.
Reich mir dieses Keimchen, bitte dich
und sein Herzchen sende ruh. [4]

Listen to me, poor mother
your darling
would never have a healthy and joyfull life.
Hand me this little seedling, I beg you,
and put his little heart to rest.

[1] The booklet says "woh'st", clearly a typo.

[2] The child can be either a girl or boy in the German version.

[3] I believe this was meant to be "Es wurde kalt". "Werden", "bleiben" and "sein" are easily mixed
up.

[4] Anneli sings "herzen" which means "heart", not "little heart".

Translation by Anne Deslattes, some adjustments by Ulrich Grepel and Kjetil T. Homme.