| Share page | Visit Us On FB |
|
|
|||
|
GERMAN SAILORS' SONGS. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
" Liebchen, Ade ! Scheiden thut Weh. Morgen geht's in die wogende See."
There are in North Germany, according to the late Captain Goodenough, about 80,000 seafaring men. As a characteristic, most of the German ships are manned by entirely German crews, perhaps mixed now and then with a few Scandinavians and Dutch. Frequently German ships in foreign ports make up their number by men sent from home, as every able-bodied man in Germany has to serve three years either in the army or navy. The seafaring population receive a good training, and it is on account of their discipline and sobriety that German sailors frequently are employed in foreign ships. There are, of course, cases of desertion, but hardly as many as in other countries, as in most of them the German Consuls have the power to imprison deserting sailors. Frequently hard-earned money may also be squandered in a reckless way, but on the whole the German seaman must be called thrifty. The German sailors being almost entirely drawn from the coasts of the Baltic and the North Sea, most of their songs are in the North German dialect, and as such rather difficult to translate.
To the well-known tune of" In Berlin sagt' Er," the following truly sailor-like verses are sung :— |
|||
|
|
|||
|
German Version.
Juche, lustig, seggt he, Ich bin Kock, seggt he. Drink recht geern, seggt he, En Glas Grogh, seggt he. |
English Version.
Hurrah ! jolly ! says he, I am cook, says he. Drink right well, says he, A glass of grog, says he.
Q 2 |
||
|
|
|||