The Wendish Research Exchange

A. 058. The Death Shirt

mersiowsky - 3-25-2014 at 11:26 AM

(Through Mr. S. Seiler in Lohsa)
Translated by Ed Bernthal

‘Who is walking on my grave
Who is walking on my grave
Tramples the grass, the green grass
Tramples the grass, the green grass?’

The young nobleman from the castle
The young nobleman from the castle
Tramples the grass, the green grass
Tramples the grass, the green grass.

‘Tell your young wife
Tell your young wife
To sew me a different shirt
To sew me a different shirt.’

‘I can not lie in this one
I can not lie in this one
I can not decay in this one
I can not decay in this one.’

‘Start it on Thursday night
Start it on Thursday night.
It will be done on Saturday night
It will be done on Saturday night

The nobleman went home through the yard
The nobleman went home through the yard
Crying very bitterly
Crying very bitterly.

The wife looked down through the window
The wife looked down through the window
And saw her husband
And saw her husband.

“Tell me, my young nobleman, why are you crying
Tell me, my young nobleman, why are you crying?
Do you have a headache
Do you have a headache?”

‘I do not have a headache
I do not have a headache.
And otherwise there is nothing wrong with me
And otherwise there is nothing wrong with me.’

‘For your departed husband
For your departed husband
You should sew a different death shirt
You should sew a different death shirt.’

‘He can not lie in this one
He can not lie in this one
He can not decay in this one
He can not decay in this one.’

‘Start on Thursday night
Start on Thursday night.
It will be done on Saturday night.’
It will be done on Saturday night.’

“Who is walking on my grave
Who is walking on my grave,
Tramples the grass, the green grass
Tramples the grass, the green grass.”

‘Here I bring you a different shirt
Here I bring you a different shirt.’
The grave was nicely opened
The grave was nicely opened.

The young nobleman stepped into the grave,
The young nobleman stepped into the grave
Crying very bitterly
Crying very bitterly.

“Tell me, young nobleman what you know
Tell me, young nobleman what you know.
Are you concerned about the new castle.
Are you concerned about the new castle?”

“Are you concerned about the young wife
Are you concerned about the young wife?
Are you concerned about the children
Are you concerned about the children?”

‘I am not concerned about the new castle
I am not concerned about the new castle,
Not about the young wife
Not about the young wife.’

‘ I am not concerned about my children
I am not concerned about my children,
Only about little Michelchen
Only about little Michelchen.’

‘Michelchen, the poor dear,
Michelchen, the poor dear,
Who lies so still in the cradle
Who lies so still in the cradle.

‘Katharinechen, still so little,
Katharinechen, still so little.
Who rocks her so nicely
Who rocks her so nicely.’

‘These are two young orphans
These are two young orphans.
Let no suffering come to them
Let no suffering come to them.’

‘Whoever lets harm come to them
Whoever lets harm come to them
Evil will happen to him
Evil will happen to him.’


Attachment: The Death Shirt.mp3 (1.7MB)
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