Chapter 11

Der Breitmann pooled his mits on, Der Breitmann crocked his vip, "Now its fly like dunner blitzen, Mein shildren, let 'er rip! Like de eagles on de shtorm-cloudt A-vlyin' to deir nest; Dere is opple-yack a-vaitin For de von dot times de rest.

"Oh mein Rapp, du bist de pestest Of horses in de land! Dou canst trafel on de grafel, Und canst shell it on de sand! Oh Rapp! - dere's money on id, Ton't let de Gelt go blue! I vants you show de beoples Dis tay vot you can do!"

Der Breitman mit his madchen Vas in a shblentit shleigh, Fritz Laufer mit his Mina, Vas yoosht agross de vay; Mit pop-slets und mit yoompers, Mit horses and mit mules, Dere vas more ash vifty fellers Come mit deir ve-hi-cules.

Id's "Ein-Zwei-Drei!" togedder Dey hollered klein und gross, Like de wind in shtormy wetter, Stracks vent de Deutschers los! Dey crock de vips like mooskets, Dey ring from berg to berg, "Hooray!" exsglaim Hans Breitmann: "Dot sounds like Gettysburg!"

Der Breitmann und der Laufer Vere half a mile ahet, For ven id coom to driven, De oder Dootch vere deadt. Dey vly like teufel's arrows, Mit imps oopon em gay, Dey killt five hoondred shbarrows Vot kit indo de vay.

Dey vly like rats und blitzen, De fery gals vos doomb, Und Breitmann kept his wits on, To see vot shanse vouldt coom; He know'd de pace dey clipped it Moost enden in a shquall By de vay der Laufer ripped it, Und de shteeds vere ganz egal.

Der Laufer he vos leadin' Hans Breitmann ash he goed, Boot he tidn't see a soplin' Dot vos lyin' in de road. Id yank dem out like marples, Mitout a will or shall; Hets downvarts in a shnow-pank, Vent Laufer mit his gal.

Und ash Breitmann comed oonto it Id kit indo his vay, Und tossed him mit his madchen Right indo Laufer's shleigh; Hans crab de reins like blitze', Und go ahet like sin: "Adje, mein lieber Fritze![89] Dis dimes I scoop you in!"

He vly avay like shvallows To vhere a davern lay, Vhere de opple-tod vos ploomin' Among de Deutschers gay. Der Breitmann as he vonisht Yoost cast von look pehind, At de lecks of Fritz - und Mina- A-vafin in de wind.

Homburg vor der Hohe, Hesse-Nassau, September 1, 1888.

THE MAGIC SHOES.

IT was stiller, dimmer twilight - amber toornin' into gold, Like young maidens' hairs get yellow und more dark as dey crow old; Und dere shtood a high ruine vhere de Donau rooshed along, All lofely, yet neclected - like an oldt und silent song.

Out shpoke der Ritter Breitmann, "Ven I hafe not forgot, Ich kenn an anciendt shtory of dis inderesdin shpot, Of the Deutscher Middleolter vot de Minnesingers sung, Ven dot olt ruine oben vas a-bloomin, fair, und yung.

"Vonce dere lifed a noble fraulein - fery peautiful vas she, More ash twendy dimes goot lookin - it is in de historie; Und mit more ash forty quarters on her woppenshield,[90] dot men Might beholdt mitout a discount she vas of de upper ten.

"But dough lofely as an angel, mit eyes of turkos plue, She vas cruel ash a teufel, und de vorst man efer knew. Vonce ven a nople young one kneeled down to her mit lofe, She kicket him mit her slipper und oopset him on de shtove.

"Und said, 'I do refuse you, as you may plainly see; Und from dis day henseforvart mine refuse you shall pe, Und when I do run afder you like dogs run afder men, Den I vill pe your vife, yung man - boot keep avay dill denn!'

"He lishten to her crimly, and no single vort he said, Boot de bitter dings she spoken poot der teufel in his head; For she hafe not learned de visdom, vich is alvays safe and sound, 'Don't go to pourin' water on a mouse ven id ist trowned.'

"Vonce, at de end of autoom, ven de vind vos bitter cold, Dis maiden out a-ridin' met a voman poor and old; Her feets vere bare and pleedin', and she said, 'Ah! ton't refuse To gife me, nople lady, yoosht de vorst of your oldt shoes!'

"De lady boorst out laughin', 'Fool here, or fool me dere, You give to me a couple, I gives to you a pair.' Denn she rode avay a-laughin'; de old voman says 'I wete, I'll give you shoes, my lady, dot vill fit your soul and feet!'

"Dis voman vas a vitche, an bitter one dere to, All dot vot she had shpoken she light enough could do; De Ritter did not know it, but he told her of his love, And how dot shkornful lady hat oopset him mit de shtove.

"Out spoke de grimme witche, 'She shall pay dee well to boot, If yo pring to me de measure of dat lady's liddle foot.' He got it from her shoemaker, and gafe id to de vitch, Denn she gafe it to de damsel pooty soon as hot as pitch.

"Von morn de lofely lady, on openin' her toor, Found de nicest pair of gaiter boots she efer saw pefore; Dey vitted her exoctly - mitouten any doubt- Boot, mein Gott! how she vas shrocken ven dey 'gun to valk apout!

"Und ash de poots go valkin', like de buds go mit de stem, It vollowed dot de lady had to valk apout in dem. Dey took her out into de street - dey run her on de road, Bym-by she saw a man ahead vot led her vhere she goed.

"Vhen he vent valkin' longsome denn longsome vas her pace, Vhen he roon like a greyhound she skompered in a race; He led her o'er de moundains und cross de lonely plain, Until de evenin' shadows, ven he took her home again.

"Denn she dink mit hate and fury of dis man she used to skoff, Und den go at de gaiters - boot she couldn't pull dem off, She vork mit all de servants, boot 'tvasent any use, Und so she hafe to go to bett - a-shleepin' in her shoes.

"Next mornin' off dey shtarted, apout de broke of day, Den he led her to a castle in de woods and far away, And shpeak to her, 'My lady - I dink at last you see Dat de dime has come in earnesdt vhen you've cot to vollow me!'

"Oh vat ish female nature? Oh vat ish mortal pride? How all dot shtands de firmest most quickly shlips aside De cloudts dot o'er de moundains look shkornful at de plain, Ere long mit shtormy wetter come toomble down in rain.

"So de storm-cloud of Superbia vhich shweep her soul above, Vas meltet mit his shternness and be-turned into love, As his words like donner wetter croshed ven de lightnin' flies, So downward coom de torrents of dear trops from her eyes.

"Und she gry, 'Mit shame I own it, to say de fery least, I gonfess dat in dis matter I hafe acted like a peast; Ven I made of you my refuse, I dinked it no account, But now de pack is on my back it seems a big amount.

"'But if you vish to ved me, I vill do vat you require. He answered, 'Now you're talkin' - dot is yoost vot I tesire, For I am very willin', and you do not refuse, Boot remember vot you bromised - send de vitch a pair of shoes!'

"She answered, 'I vill follow verever you may go, All ofer hills and falleys, in sunshine, rain, or schnow, All over in der Welt, dear, I'll vander on vith thee, I do not care how rough de road or dark de path may be!

"'Or in de bloomin' meadows, vhere de grass is soft and sweet, Or in de rocky passes, vhere de stones are under veet, Or if I vear de shoes, love, vitch you hafe given me, Or if I moost go barefoot, is all de same to me.'

"He drew away de gaiters. She said, 'As I'm rich I vill fill dem both mit money, and take dem to de vitch.' Ja wohl, she saw die Hexe, and takin' her aside, She danked her for de lesson vot hat dook avay her pride.

"On de vay vhen dey vere married, how vere dey all erstaun To see a lofely lady come in mit golden crown, All in a rosy-silken dress vot shined as pright as glass, Said, 'My dears, I am de vitch dot fetch dis ding to pass.

"'You know I look so ogly vonce, und now am peautiful, Dot ist de vay dot all dings vork ven folks pe dutiful. Ash de lily toorns to vhitey vot once vas dirty green, So all ist fair ven virdue ist runnin' de machine.'"

Dis is de vondrous shtory vot de Ritter Breitmann told Besides the rooshin' Danube of de schloss so grey und old, Vhile a shmokin' of his meerschaum; und till all time pe gone The rustlin' of de vasser tells de tale for ever on.

Dat is an alt legende, und yet 'tis efer new, Und to efery von dot hears it it fits yoost like a shoe. Und dis de shinin' moral dot in de oyster lies- Some day you may roon after de dings you vonce despise!

Vienna, 1888.

Glossary

THIS Glossary was prepared entirely by Mr. NICHOLAS TRUBNER. I am not aware that he had any assistance in writing it. I mention this because I have never met with any person who was so equally familiar with obscure and obsolete old German facetious literature (as the text indicates), and at the same time with Americanisms. I should say that in all of the later ballads, or at least in fully one half of all in the book, the author was indebted to him for ideas, suggestions, and emendations, and that the work would never have been what it is - sit verbo venia - but for him. Mr. Trubner was a poet, even in English, as his translation from Scheffel's poems indicates. A very few words have been added to explain the poems in the ballads which appear for the first time in this edition.

CHARLES G. LELAND. GLOSSARY --------------

Abenddammerung,(Ger.) - Evening dim light; twilight. Abendgold,(Ger.) - Evening gold. Abendroth,(Ger.) - Evening red. Abendsonnenschein,(Ger.) - Evening sunshine. Abbordez-moi vodre mere,(German-French) - Bring me your mayor. Ach weh,(Ger.) - Oh, woe. Allatag,(Ger. dial.) - Every day. Alla weil - All the while; always. Allegader - All together. Alles wird ewig zu eins,(Ger.) - And all for ever becomes one. Alter Schwed',(old Swede) - A familiar phrase like "old fellow." Anamile,(Amer.) - Animal. Annerthalb Yar, Anderthalb Jahr,(Ger.) - Year and a half. Anti Word: Antwort - Answer. Antworded,(Ger.) - Answered. Apple-tod,(Amer.) - Apple toddy. Spirit distilled from cider. Arbeiterhalle - Working-man's hall. Arminius,(Herman.) - The Duke of the Cheruskans, and destroyer of the Roman legions under Varus, in the Teutoburg Forest. Armlos - Unarmed. Aroom, Herum - Around. Arriere pensee,(Fr.) - A reserved thought or intention. Aufgespannt,(Ger.) - Stretched, bent. Augen,(Ger.) - Eyes. Augenblick,(Ger.) - Twinkling of an eye. Aus,(Ger.) - Out.

Bach,(Ger.) - Book. Baender-box - Band-box. Baldface corn,(Amer.) - Plain maize whisky. Barell-hell pars - Parallel-bars; a part of the gymnastic apparatus. Barrick,(Pennsylvania Ger. for Berg) - Mountain. Bauern,(Ger.) - Peasants. Be-ghostet,(Ger. Begeistert) - Inspired. Begifted, - Beschenkt - Gifted. Begreifen,(Ger.) - Understand. Beheaded, Behauptet,(Ger.) - Asserted. Bei Leib und Leben,(Ger.) - By my body and soul. Bekannt, Beknown - Known. Bellin,(Ger. Bellen) - To bark. Bemarket,(Ger.-Eng.) - Remarked. Be-mark,(Ger. Bemarken) - Observe. Bemarks,(Ger. Bemerkungen) - Remarks. Bemerkbar,(Ger.) - Observable. Should be noticed. Bemoost,(Ger.) - Mossgrown, in student's language, ein bemoostes Haupt, an old student. Bender,(Amer.) - A spree; a frolic. To "go on a bender" - to go on a spree. Be-raised - Raised, with the augment, literal for Ger. erhoben. Berauscht,(Ger.) - Intoxicated. Besoffen,(Ger.) - Drunk. Bestimmung des Menschen - Vocation of Man, title of one of Fichte's works. Betaubend,(Ger.) - Enchanting. Bewises,(Ger. Beweist, from Beweisen) - Proves. Bibliothek - Library. Bienenkorb,(Ger.) - Beehive. Birra gazzosa,(Italian) - Aerated, gaseous beer. Bischof,(Ger.) - Bishop. Bix Buchse,(box) - Rifle. Bess in Brown Bess is the equivalent of the German Buchse, (Brown being merely an alliterative epithet;) French, buse tube; Flemish, buis. (Still found in blunderbuss, arquebuss.) See Blackley's "Word Gossip." Blaetter,(Ger.) - Leaves. Blei - Lead. Blitz,(Ger.) - Lightning. Blitzen,(Ger.) - Lightning. Blokes,(English) - Men. Bock - A strong kind of German beer. Boemisch - Bohemian. Boerenvolk,(Flem.) - Peasants. Bole Jack road - Near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Bool - Bull. Bornirtheit - Limitedness of capacity. Bouleverse - Boulevard. Bountiee,(Amer.) - Bounty-money paid during the war as a premium to soldiers. To jump the bounty, was to secure the premium and then run away. "This is the song of Billy Jones, Who jumped the boun-ti-ee." - American Ballad of 1846. Bowery - A street at New York, inhabited principally by Germans. Branntewein,(Ger.) - Spirits. Brandy smash,(Amer.) - A plain half-glass mint julep of only sugar,ice, spirits, and mint. A regular julep is larger, and contains more ingredients. Brav,(Ger.) - Good. Breit,(Ger.) - Broad. Bring it down to dots - Reduce it to figures. Brisner - Prisoner. Broosh-pinder - Brushbinder,(Ger. Buerstenbinder.) - Brushmaker. The brushmakers are supposed, probably on account of their throat-parching business, to be always thirsty. Brummed - growled - (Ger. Brummen). Brucke,(Ger.) - Bridge. Bugs - In America all insects, especially Coleoptera. Bummer,(Amer.) - A fellow haunting low taverns; applied during the late civil war in the United States to hangers-on of the army. Probably a corruption of the German bummler(loafer). Bumming - From Bummer. Bushwhackers - Guerillas. Bust his shell - Broke his head. Butterbrod,(Ger.) - Buttered bread. By-Nearly; Beinahe - Almost, nearly.

Came - Game. Camine - Chimney-piece. Canyon,(Span. Canon) - A narrow passage between high and precipitous banks, formed by mountains or tablelands, often with a river running beneath. These occur in the great Western prairies, New Mexico, and California. Carmagnole - A wild street dance. Carmosine,(Ger.) - Crimson. French, cramoisoi. Carnadine - Incarnadine. Change their lodge - Shift from one "society" to another. Chroc, Chrocus, Crocus - An Alemannic leader, who overran Gaul, according to Gregory of Tours. Chunk - A short thick piece of wood, or of anything else; a chump. The word is provincial in England, and colloquial in the United States. Cinder - Suende; sin. Clam - The popular name of a bivalvular shell-fish, the Venus. Clavier,(Ger.) - Piano. Colle belle,(Ital.) - With the beauties. Comedy - Committee. Conradin - The last of the imperial house of the Hohenstaufen - beheaded at Naples in 1268. Coot - (To cut) a dash, (to come out a "swell,") to dress extravagantly. Corned,(Amer.) - Made drunk. Coster - The inventor of the art of printing, according to the Dutch. Crate - Great. Crecian pend - When Breitmann says "Dat pend of the bow ish the Crecian pend," it is a rather eqivocal compliment. "Grecian bend" has lately become a common newspaper expression. Smuggling done by women is called a "Case of Grecian bend." The present style of skirt, full at the back, is favourable to it. Crislies - Grisly,(bear.)

Da ist er! Schau! - There he is! look! Damit,(Ger.) - Therewith. Dampfschiff - Steamboat. Deck - A pack of cards, piled one upon another. Demperanceler, Temperenzler - Temperance man. Dessauerinn - A woman from Dessau. Deutschland - Germany. Die Hexe - The witch. Die wile as mohte leben - During all its life. Daz wolde er immer dienen Die wile es mohte leben. - Kutrun. XV. Aventiure, 756th verse. Dink - he, they think; my dinks - my thoughts. Dinked - he, they thought. Dishtriputet - Instead of attributed. Dissembulatin' - Dissembling. Dissolfed - Instead of resolved. D'lusion - Instead of allusion. Donnered,(Ger.) - Thundered. Donnerwetter,(Ger.) - Thunder and lightning. Dooks - Ducks. Doon - Tune. Doonderblix - Thunder and lightning. Dorn - A thorn. Dorn lieder - Thorn-songs. Drawed he in - (literal rendering of the German Zog er ein,) Dreimal,(Ger.) - Three times. Drocks - Drakes, dragons; (Ger. Drachen.) Druckerei - Printing-office. Dummehrlichkeit,(Ger.) - Honest simplicity. Dunkelheit - Darkness. Dursty,(Ger. Durstig) - Thirsty.

Earnsthaft, ernsthaft - Serious. Eber,(Ger.) - Wild boar. Eberschwein,(Ger.) - Wild boar. Eckhartshausen - A German supernaturalist. Eher,(Ger.) - Sooner. In the dialect it has the meaning of "before." Einander to sprechen mit,(Ger.) - To speak together. Eins, zwei, drei - One, two, three. Einsichen, to take up one's abode with. Eldern,(Ger. Eltern) - Parents. Elfenbein,(Ger.) - Ivory. Emerich - King Emerich, hero of a German legend. Emsig Gruebler,(Ger.) - Assiduous inquirer. Engel,(Ger.) - Angel. Englandrinn,(Ger.) - English woman. Entlang,(Ger.) - Along. Erfinder,(Ger.) - Inventor. Erfounden,(Ger. Erfunden) - Invented. Ergeben,(Ger.) - Resigned. Error-dom, Irrthum - Error. Erstaun, Erstaunished, erstaunt - Astonished. Erstarrt,(Ger.) - Aghast. Erwaitin',(Ger. Erwartend) - Awaiting, expecting. Euchre, Eucre - Sort of game played with cards, very much in vogue in the West. Euchred - From Euchre, the game of cards.

Fackeltantz,(Ger.) - Torch dance. Fancy craps or crabs - Fast horses. Fanes, Wetterfahnen - Weathercocks. Fass,(Ger.) - Barrel. Fat - Printer's term. Feldwebel,(Ger.) - A sergeant. Feinslieb,(Ger.) - Fair or fine love. Fenster - A window. Fichte - A German philosopher. Finster,(Ger.) - Dark, dismal. Foal - Full. Foll - To fall. Foon - Fun. Foors - First. Fore-by - Literal translation of the German Vorbei. Fore-lying - Literal translation of Vorliegend. Foreschlag,(Ger. Vorschlag) - Proposal. Foresetzen - To set, put (lay) before an audience. Foxen,(Ger. Fuchsen) - Foxes. Frank-tiroir - Franc-tireur. Francois Villon - An old French humorous poet, whom Boileau speaks of as the first who began to write truly modern French. Frau,(Ger.) - Woman. Freie,(Ger.) - Free. Freischarlinger,(Ger. Freischaerler) - A member of a Free Corps; especially applied to those who belonged to the Free Corps formed in Southern Germany during the Revolution in 1848. Freischuetz,(Ger.) - Free shot, one who shoots with charmed bullets, the name of Karl Maria Von Weber's celebrated opera. Friederich Rothbart - Frederic Barbarossa, the great Emperor of Germany and one of the German legendary heroes. He is supposed to sleep in the Kyffhauser in Thuringia, and to awaken one day, when he will bring great glory over Germany. Frolic - Frohlich, merry. Froze to de ready - Held fast to the money. Fullenden - Vollenden - To complete, perfect. Fuss,(Ger.) - Foot. Fust or Faust - The partner of Gutemberg, the inventor of the art of printing.

Gambrinus - A mythical King of Brabant, supposed to have been the inventor of beer. Gandertate - Candidate. Ganz,(Ger.) - Ganz. Gans egal - Quite the same. Ganz und gar,(Ger.) - Altogether, all over. Garce,(French) - Wench. Gass und Strass,(Ger.) - Lane and street. Gast,(Ger.) - Guest. Gasbalgs - Bladder of gas. Gauer - Valleys. Gaul darn - G-- ---n. Gaul dern - A Yankee oath. Gauner-sprache,(Ger.) - Thieves' language. Ge-bildet - Built, with the German augment. Ge-birt',(Ger. Geburt) - Birth. Geborn - Born, with the augment. Ge-brudert,(formed like ge-schwister,) - Brothers. Geh hin mein Puch,(German of the 16th century). Gehst nit mit rechten Dingen zu - Dost not do it by any natural means; there is witchcraft in it. Gekommene - Arrived(newly arrived). Gekommen so,(Ger.) - Come thus. Ge-kostet - Cost, with the German augment.) Gesangverein,(Ger.) - Singing-society. Ge-screech, Geschrei - Bawling, clamour. Gesembled - Assembled, with the augment of the German preterite. Geshmasht - Smashed, with German augment. Gespickt,(Ger.) - Larded. Gestohlen - Stolen. Gestohlen und bekannt,(Ger.) - Stolen, and known. Gesundheit,(Ger.) - Health. Gewehr,(Ger.) - Musket. Gewiss - Certainly. Gift,(Ger.) - Poison. Gilt - In the ordinary sense, and also in the same verse, "gilt," implying the meaning of the German verb "gelten," to be worth something, and also guilt. Glamour - Ocular deception by magic. Glee-wine, Glueh-wein - Hot-spiced wine. Glucky,(Ger. Gluecklich) - Lucky. Glueck,(Ger.) - Luck. Goblum - For goblin. Gool - Cool. Gottallmachty, (Ger. Gottallmachtig) - God Almighty. Gottashe - Cottage. Gotteshaus,(Ger.) - House of God. Gott-full, gottvoll - Glorious, divine. Gottsdonnerkreuzschockschwerenoth,(Ger.) - Another variety of big swearing. Gott's-doonder,(Ger. Gott's donner) - God's thunder. See also Gott's tausend, a thundering sort of oath, but never preceded by lightning, for it is only used as a kind of expletive to express great surprise, or to give great emphasis to words which, without it, would seem to be capable of none. Gottstausend,(Ger.) - An abbreviation of Gott's tausend donnerwetter (God's thousand thunders), and therefore the comparative of Gott's doonder; with most of those who use it a meaningless phrase. Gott weiss,(Ger.) - God knows! Go von - Go one, bet on him. Grillers - Guerillas. Grod, gerad - Straight. Gros,(Ger.) - Great. Guestfriendlich, gastfreundlich - Hospitable. Gummi lasticum - India rubber. Gutemberg - The inventor of the art of printing. Guve - Southern slang for give. Guv, for give, is also English slang as well as American. Gyrotwistive - Snaky.

Hab' und Guter,(Ger.) - Property. Hagel! Blitz! Kreuz Sakrament!(Ger.) - Another variety of swearing. Halberthier, for Halberdier - Halberthier means half an animal. Hand-shoe,(Ger. Handschuh) - Glove. Hans Michel - A popular but not complimentary name for Germany. Hans Wurst - Merry Andrew; Zani; Jack Pudding - the latter word being a literal translation of the German Hans Wurst; the pudding in either case referring to the sausages, or the pretended sausage, which the Merry Andrew always appeared to be swallowing by the yard or fathom. See Blackley's "Word Gossip." Harmlos,(Ger.) - Harmless. Haul de pot - Take the stakes. Hause - House. Hegel - Name of the German philosopher. Heine, Heinrich - German poet. Heini von Steier - Heinrich von Ofterdingen. Heldenbuch - Is the title of a collection of epic poems, belonging to the cycle of the German Saga. Heller Glorie schein - Bright gloriole. Hereauf, hierauf - Thereupon. Herout,(Ger. Heraus) - Out. Herr Je,(Ger.) - An abbreviation of Herr Jesus (O Lord!); generally only used by those who are fond of meaningless exclamations. Her-re-liche, herrliche - Superb, grand, noble. Hertsen - Herzen; hearts. Hertzhog, Herzog,(Ger.) - Duke. Herzlich,(Ger.) - Hearty. Herzbruder,(Ger.) - Heart's brother. Hexerei - Witchery, sorcery. Himmel,(Ger.) - Heaven. Himmels-Potz-Pumpen-Herrgott - A mild sort of a German imprecation, untranslatable. Himmlisch' hoellisch' qual,(Ger.) - Heavenly-hellish pain. Hip Herje! - A common interjection. Hobbiness - Happiness. Hoellisch,(Ger.) - Hellish. Honey fooglin', Honeyfuggle - Is believed to be English slang. In America it means blarneying, deceiving. Hoockle perry, persimmoned - "A huckle-berry over my persimmon." Surpassed, out-done. Hoof-irons,(Huf-eisen in Ger.) - Horse-shoe. Hoofstad,(Flem.) - Capita. Hop-sosa,(Ger.)int. - Hop; heyday! Hunde - Dog. Hundsfott,(Ger. Vulg.) - Mean scoundrel, hound. Hunk,(Amer.) - Stout, solid, profitable. "To be all hunk" means to come out of a speculation with advantage. To be well off. Hut,(Ger.) - Hat.

I Gili romaneskro - This song is written in the German gipsy dialect. Eh! in third line of second verse, is the German word ehe, "ere," or before. Kuribente ("in war,") is in the Slavonic and gipsy local case, or as Pott calls it (Die Zigeuner in Europa und Asien) the Second Dative. Ik leven,(Flem.) - I live. Il diavolo in carnato,(Ital.) - The devil incarnate or in carnation. Immer - Ever. In geburst - Burst. In Sang und Klang dein Leben lang,(Ger.) - In music and song all thy life long. Ita dixit,(Latin) - So said.