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From The Wit and Humor of America, edited by Marshall P. Wilder, Volume III, New York and London: Funk and Wagnalls and Company, 1911; pp. 446-447.


446

HANS BREITMANN’S PARTY

BY CHARLES GODFREY LELAND

Hans Breitmann gife a barty,

Dey had biano-blayin;

I felled in lofe mit a Merican frau,

Her name was Madilda Yane,

She hat haar as prown ash a pretzel,

Her eyes vas himmel-plue,

Und ven day looket into mine,

Dey shplit mine heart in two.

Hans Breitmann gife a barty,

I vent dere you’ll pe pound,

I valtzet mit Madilda Yane

Und vent shpinnen round und round.

De pootiest Fraeulein in de House,

She vayed ’pout dwo hoondred pound,

Und efery dime she gife a shoomp

She make de vindows sound.

Hans Breitmann gife a barty,

I dells you it cost him dear,

Dey rolled in more ash sefen kecks

Of foost-rate Lager Beer,

Und venefer dey knocks de shpicket in

De Deutschers gifes a cheer.

I dinks dat so vine a barty,

Nefer coom to a het dis year.

447

Hans Breitmann gife a barty;

Dere all vas Souse und Brouse,

Ven de sooper comed in, de gompany

Did make demselfs to house;

Dey ate das Brot and Gensy broost,

De Bratwurst and Braten fine,

Und vash der Abendessen down

Mit four parrels of Neckarwein.

Hans Breitmann gife a barty;

We all cot troonk ash bigs.

I poot mine mout to a parrel of bier

Und emptied it oop mit a schwigs.

Und denn I gissed Madilda Yane

Und she shlog me on de kop,

Und de company fited mit daple-lecks

Dill de coonshtable made oos shtop.

Hans Breitmann gife a barty — 

Where ish dat barty now!

Where ish de lofely golden cloud

Dat float on de moundain’s prow?

Where ish de himmelstrahlende Stern — 

De shtar of de shpirit’s light?

All goned afay mit de Lager Beer — 

Afay in de ewigkeit!











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