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Home  »  The World’s Wit and Humor  »  Ballad: ‘Der noble Ritter Hugo’

The World’s Wit and Humor: An Encyclopedia in 15 Volumes. 1906.

Charles Godfrey Leland (1824–1903)

Ballad: ‘Der noble Ritter Hugo’

DER noble Ritter HugoVon SchwillensaufensteinRode out mit shpeer and helmet,Und he coom to de panks of de Rhine.Und oop dere rose a meer maid,Vot hadn’t got nodings on,Und she say, “Oh, Ritter Hugo,Vhere you goes mit yourself alone?”Und he says, “I rides in de creenwoodMit helmet und mit shpeer,Till I cooms into em Gasthaus,Und dere I trinks some beer.”Und den outshpoke de maidenVot hadn’t got nodings on:“I ton’t dink mooch of beopleshDat goes mit demselfs alone.“You’d petter coom down in de wasser,Vere dere’s heaps of dings to see,Und have a shplendid tinnerUnd drafel along mit me.“Dere you sees de fisch a-schwimmin,Und you catches dem efery one”—So sang dis wasser maidenVot hadn’t got nodings on.“Dere ish drunks all full mit moneyIn ships dat vent down of old;Und you helpsh yourself, by dunder!To shimmerin crowns of gold.“Shoost look at dese shpoons und vatches!Shoost see dese diamant rings!Coom down und full your bockets,Und I’ll giss you like averydings.“Vot you vantsh mit your schnapps und lager?Coom down into der Rhine!Der ish pottles der Kaiser CharlemagneVonce filled mit gold-red wine!”Dat fetched him—he shtood all shpellpound;She pooled his coat-tails down,She drawed him oonder der wasser,De maiden mit nodings on.