(From Radibor)
Translated by Ed Bernthal


A young maid went to cut grass
On the green meadow,
Faladritom talala,
On the green meadow.

Along came a rider man
On his white horse,
Faladritom talala,
On his white horse.

He tied his horse
Right on the green linden tree,
Faladritom talala,
Right on the green linden tree.

‘Come, sit down here with me,
You lovely maiden,
Faladritom talala,
You lovely maiden.

“I will not sit down with you,
I still have very little grass,
Faladritom talala,
I still have very little grass.”

‘I will give you good advice
If you will follow me,
Faladritom talala,
If you will follow me.’

‘Wrap your finger in your apron’s corner,
Your little finger,
Faladritom talala,
Your little finger.’

‘And tell your mother
I have cut myself,
Faladritom talala,
I have cut myself.’

“I can not lie to my mother,
I will tell her the truth,
Faladritom talala,
I will tell her the truth.”

“Oh mother, dear mother!
The rider man wants me!
Faladritom talala,
The rider man wants me!”
“Your father did this to you
In playing cards and gambling,
Faladritom talala,
In playing cards by gambling.”

‘That was not my old father,
It was my youngest brother,
Faladritom talala,
It was my youngest brother.”

“He gambled everything of mine away,
With his depraved gambling,
Faladritom talala,
With his depraved gambling.”

“I would rather, rather
That I would be a boy,
Faladritom talala,
That I would be a boy.”

“Then I would learn to dance, hey!
In Bautzen and Bohemia,
Faladritom talala,
In Bautzen and Bohemia.”

“There I would have made pants for myself,
Yes, made green pants,
Faladritom talala,
Yes, made green pants.”

“The one pants green as grass,
The other fire red,
Faladritom talala,
The other fire red.”

“On it would be a braid trimming
Made of pure gold
Faladritom talala,
Made of pure gold.”

“Down on one leg
Up high on the other,
Faladritom talala,
Up high on the other.”

Translated by Ed Bernthal


Attachment: The Grass Maid.mp3 (1MB)
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