Translated by Ed Bernthal

The Lueneburgers were coming home from the war, ha, ha
And Elizabeth runs to meet them, ja, ja
Runs to meet them.

‘Where have you left my brother, ha, ha
And that you have his elegant horse, ja, ja
His horse?’

“Your brother is doing very well, ha, ha
And there in Gieben he is serving beer and wine, ja, ja
Serving beer and wine.”

But Elizabeth was not satisfied, ha, ha
And she ran to Gieben in the city, ja, ja
Ja in the city.

She came running to the fields of Gieben, ha, ha
There they were taking her brother to the gallows, ja, ja
To the gallows.

‘Stop hangman, stop, wait still, ha, ha
So that I can talk with my brother, ja, ja
My brother.’

‘What did you do, O my brother, ha, ha
That they are hanging you on the gallows, ja, ja
On the gallows.?’

“I unhitched the horses of the leaders, ha, ha
And I cut down one with my bright sword, ja, ja
With my bright sword.”

“Now take the money that I acquired, ha, ha
And buy clothes for yourself, whatever you want, ja, ja
Whatever you want.”

“Just buy clothes as you want, ha, ha
But don’t buy any red or green ones, ja, ja
Don’t buy those.”

“Don’t buy red and green one for yourself, ha, ha
In which you mourn for me a year and a day, ja, ja
Yes, a year and a day.”

‘I don’t want to take your money, ha, ha
And I won’t ever mourn for you, ja, ja
Never for you.’

‘O, what will the people say about me, ha, ha
When I mourn a hanged one, ja, ja
Hanged one.”

‘Tell me, how much do you want, my hangman, ha, ha
For releasing to me my brother, ja, ja
My brother?”

“Now three hundred dollars would be good enough, ha, ha
For me to release to you your brother, ja, ja
Your brother.”

Elizabeth paid the money, so much that the table bent, ha, ha
So that the table bent as she paid the money, ja, ja
Paid the money.

All thick dollars, Elizabeth paid up, ha, ha
And also many gold pieces from Lueneburg, ja, ja
From Lueneburg.

The hangman took the money and put it away, ha, ha
And raked it into his bushel basket, ja, ja
The bushel basket.

Elizabeth pulled the sword out of his sheath, ha, ha
And quickly cut off the hangman’s head. ja, ja
Off his head.

‘Here is your payment, my hangman, ha, ha
Since you wanted to hang my brother, ja, ja
Wanted to hang.’



Attachment: The Hangmans Payment.mp3 (1.1MB)
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