Click here to listen to Covenant’s song version to the poem by Wilhelm Müller displayed underneath side by side with its translation to English.
Clique aqui para ouvir a versão musical do grupo Covenant para o poema de Wilhelm Müller disposto abaixo lado a lado com sua tradução para o Inglês.
Der Leiermann (The Hurdy-gurdy Man )
Synopsis: At the end of the village the poet finds the old barefooted hurdy-gurdy man winding away his tunes, but no-one has given him a penny, or listens, and even the dogs growl at him. But he just carries on playing, and the poet thinks he will cast in his lot with him. The parallel with the singer singing his sad songs in the ice and the slow, unresolved melody of the hurdy-gurdy concludes the cycle with an eerily unfinished feel perfectly in character with the lonely wandering of the singer.
Drüben hinterm Dorfe There, behind the village,
Steht ein Leiermann, stands an hurdy-gurdy man,
Und mit starren Fingern And with numb fingers
Dreht er, was er kann. he plays the best he can.
Barfuß auf dem Eise Barefoot on the ice,
Schwankt er hin und her; he staggers back and forth,
Und sein kleiner Teller And his little plate
Bleibt ihm immer leer. remains empty.
Refrain:
Wunderlicher Alter, Strange old man,
Soll ich mit dir gehn? shall I go with you?
Willst zu meinen Liedern Dou you want to play my tunes
Deine Leier drehn? with your hurdy-gurdy?
Keiner mag ihn hören, No one likes to hear him,
Keiner sieht ihn an; no one looks at him,
Und die Hunde brummen And the hounds snarl
Um den alten Mann. at the old man.
Und er läßt es gehen And he lets it all be,
Alles, wie es will, everything as it wants to be,
Dreht, und seine Leier He plays, and his hurdy-gurdy
Steht ihm nimmer still. is never still.
Refrain:
Wunderlicher Alter, Strange old man,
Soll ich mit dir gehn? shall I go with you?
Willst zu meinen Liedern Do you want to play my tunes
Deine Leier drehn? with your hurdy-gurdy?
German lyrics source: http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/84098/
Read and watch movies about the hurdy-gurdy here