German band Rammstein's Spieluhr with English translation and notes

Friday, December 12, 2008

I've never heard of Rammstein before, but some people were talking about them on another forum today, and I listened to two of their songs. The first one I didn't like (can't remember the name), but Spieluhr is very good, and especially so for learning German considering how clear / overemphasized the lyrics are. First, here's the video:



On that same page they have a translation into English, and I'll use that but with a bit of tweaking to the word order and vocab to make it a bit clearer (i.e. a more literal translation), and the original German lyrics on the left.


German EnglishNotes
Ein kleiner Mensch stirbt nur zum Schein A small person just pretends to diesterben - die; Schein - pretext
wollte ganz alleine sein
It wanted to be completely alone
das kleine Herz stand still für Stunden
The small heart stood still for hours
so hat man es für tot befunden
So they declared it deadfinden (befunden) - find, deem, think
es wird verscharrt in nassem Sand
It is buried in wet sandverscharren - to bury without ceremony
mit einer Spieluhr in der Hand
With a music box in the hand
Der erste Schnee das Grab bedeckt
The first snow covered the grave
hat ganz sanft das Kind geweckt
Woke the child very gentlysanft -gentle/ly
in einer kalten Winternacht
In a cold winter night
ist das kleine Herz erwacht
Is the small heart awakened
Als der Frost ins Kind geflogen
As the frost flew into the childfliegen - fly
hat es die Spieluhr aufgezogen
It wound up the music boxaufziehen - wind up
eine Melodie im Wind
A melody in the wind
und aus der Erde singt das Kind
And the child sings from the ground
Hoppe hoppe Reiter
Up down, riderhoppeln - hop
und kein Engel steigt herab
And no angel climbs down
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
My heart does not beat any longerschlagen - beat
nur der Regen weint am Grab
Only the rain cries at the graveweinen - cry (cf. whine)
hoppe hoppe Reiter
Up down, rider

eine Melodie im Wind
A melody in the wind

mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
My heart does not beat any longer

und aus der Erde singt das Kind
And from the earth sings the child

Der kalte Mond in voller Pracht
The cold moon in full magnificence

hört die Schreie in der NachtHears the cries in the night

und kein Engel steigt herabAnd no angel climbs down

nur der Regen weint am GrabOnly the rain cries at the grave

Zwischen harten Eichendielen
Between hard oak boards
Eiche - oak; eichen - oaken; Diele - board/plank
wird es mit der Spieluhr spielenIt will play with the music box

eine Melodie im WindA melody in the wind

und aus der Erde singt das KindAnd from the earth sings the child

(repeat chorus)


Am Totensonntag hörten sie
On Totensonntag they heard this
On Totensonntag: "Sunday of the dead, a holiday taking place on the last Sunday before Advent in November. It's the day when Protestant Christians remember their dead"
aus Gottes Acker diese MelodieFrom God's field this melody

da haben sie es ausgebettetThen they unearthed it
das kleine Herz im Kind gerettetThey saved the small heart in the childretten - to save
(more chorus, repeat)


4 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks a lot! I always appreciate when I find German songs with translations, since those are nice opportunities to practice the German language a bit.

Barcodex said...

How come you'd never heard of them before? Wow. You must be spent too many time in Asia already :)

I guess though, that you know tons of Asian music that we here in Europe have never heard of. I think you could write about it in your blog, too :)

Antonielly said...

Thanks a lot! I always appreciate when I find German songs with translations, since those are nice opportunities to practice the German language a bit.

Barcodex said...

How come you'd never heard of them before? Wow. You must be spent too many time in Asia already :)

I guess though, that you know tons of Asian music that we here in Europe have never heard of. I think you could write about it in your blog, too :)

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