Es war ein Edelweiss
Encyclopedia
Es war ein Edelweiss is a march
composed by Herms Niel in 1941 for the Wehrmacht Heer, the German Army land forces.
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
composed by Herms Niel in 1941 for the Wehrmacht Heer, the German Army land forces.
Lyrics and Translation
| German lyrics | Approximate translation |
|---|---|
| First stanza | |
Ganz Einsam und Verlassen an einer Felsenwand, Stolz unter blauem Himmel ein eider blümeinstand Ich konnt' nicht wiederstehen, es brach das Blümelein, und schenkte es dem schönsten, Herzliebsten Mägdelein Es War ein Edelweiss, Ein Kleines Edelweiss, Holla-hidi hollala, Hollahi diho. |
Forlorn and all abandoned, On a cliff face that loomed High, reaching for the blue sky, A tiny flower bloomed. I just could not resist it, I picked it where it grew, And gave it to the dearest That my heart ever knew It was an edelweiss, One little edelweiss, Holla-hidi hollala, Hollahi diho. |
| Second stanza | |
Sie trägt es treu in Ehren An ihrem Sonntagskleid. Sie weiß, daß dieses Sternlein Ein Männerherz erfreut. Sie trägt es mir zuliebe, Und ich bin stolz darauf, Denn diese zarte Blume Schloß einst zwei Herzen auf. Es war ein Edelweiss Ein kleines Edelweiß, Holla-hidi hollala, Hollahi diho. |
She wore with pride and honour, It on her Sunday best. She knows this little, tiny star A man's heart cheers the best. Just for my sake she wore it, And it does make me proud, 'cause of this little flower, Two hearts each other vowed It was an edelweiss, One little edelweiss, Holla-hidi hollala, Hollahi diho |
| Third stanza | |
So einsam und verlassen, Wie dieses Blümlein stand, So standen wir im Leben, Bis Herz zu Herz sich fand. Ein Leben voller Liebe Und Glück und Sonnenschein Hat uns gebracht das kleine, Einsame Blümelein. Es war ein Edelweiss Ein kleines Edelweiß, Holla-hidi hollala, Hollahi diho. |
So lonesome and abandoned, As this small flower stood, So were our lives forlorn Till two hearts joined for good. A life of love forever With luck and shining sun, Is what this flow'r presented, What it for us has done. It was an edelweiss, One little edelweiss, Holla-hidi hollala, Hollahi diho |
See also
- Erika (song)Erika (song)Erika is a marching song of the German military. The song was composed by Herms Niel in the 1930s specifically for the Waffen-SS, but it soon came into usage by the Wehrmacht in general, especially the Heer and, to a lesser extent, the Kriegsmarine...
- Königgrätzer MarschKöniggrätzer MarschThe Königgrätzer Marsch is a famous German military march composed by Johann Gottfried Piefke after the Battle of Königgrätz, 1866, the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire.It was one of Adolf Hitler's favorite marches and was...
- PanzerliedPanzerliedThe Panzerlied is one of the best known Wehrmacht songs. It was composed in June 1933 by Oberleutnant Kurt Wiehle while on his way to Königsbrück. Wiehle adapted a German sailor's song, writing lyrics more appropriate to the Panzerwaffe. At the time, Germany was clandestinely developing an armored...