FROM ‘DER KLEINE ROSENGARTEN’ OF HERMANN LQNS

ly ALEXANDER GRAY‘

I The Gbaist (Der Spuk)

SISTER, dearest sister, 0 Beyond a doot it’s true, A ghaist is in your chawmer, I herd it plain the noo,

0 sister, dearest sister, A moose was in the straw, We’ll get a muckle besom, And drive the brute awa.

0 sister, dearest sister, Nae moose was in this place ; It had a dainty rnoostache Upon its comely face.

0 sister, dearest sister, I ken noo what you’re at; We’ll steek the door and snib it Against that yowling cat.

0 sister, dearest sister, It was nae cat, I fear. It stappit over the window, And ca’ed you ‘Betty dear.’

0 sister, dearest sister, Let a’ this spierin’ be. A ghaist may visit you, lass, Ere lang, and that you’ll see.

1 By kind permission of Herr Eugen Diederichs, Jena. I94

F R O M ‘ D E R K L E I N E R O S E N G A R T E N ’ 195

I1

Still Wafer (Das sMe Wasser)

As lang’s the sun lauchs overheid, A muckle fiery ba’, I e’en maun stick into my job, And work and work awa.

I keep my heid booed ower my wark; In nae bricht een I keek, As though I’d never heard 0’ love, Nor e’en 0’ love cud speak.

And, ’deed, I never speak 0’ love, But keep a steekit mou’; I just look oot to see hoo siine The day’s darg will be through.

But when the mune stands in the lift, And ne’er a sowl’s abroad, Then will I tak delight in love,- And wha’s the wiser o’t?

But when the sun jinks up again, And drives the mirk awa, You’d think, to see me, that my heid Had naething in’t ava.

I11 The Secret (0.5 Geheimnis)

As I gaed mysel’ yestreen On the bonny green, green braes, There I met a hunter lad, B O M ~ in his green, green claes.

0, green is the hllside, the hillside is green; But reid are the roses, as ever was seen.

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I 96 G E R M A N L I F E A N D L E T T E R S

Whaur the gloomy fir-trees stand, Safter canna green moss be; And my hunter kissed me there As I sat upon his knee.

0, green is the hillside, the hillside is green; But reid are the roses, as ever was seen.

When at last I daundered hame, Mither prigged me sair to ken, W’haur I’d been for sic a time,- But she’ll need to spier again.

0, green is the hillside, the lzillside is green; But reid are the roses, as ever was seen.

What the bonny green braes ken Isna her affair ava. No a sow1 kens;-nane bur me And the lad that’s worth them a’.

0, green is the hillside, the hillside is green; But reid are the roses, as ever was seen.