Als e gitarr -
When I was living in Strasbourg I came across the poetry of André Weckmann, one of the most important proponents of the Alsacien language as a cultural force.
I chose his touching poem Als e gitarr to sing at a concert in St Nicolas Church, in support of the Green Party, back in 1977 (the Greens got ten percent of the vote that year) and Mr Weckmann himself was in the audience. He enjoyed my rendition (although he considered my pronunciation of the language a little "American" !).
Several years later, back in England, I recorded it, having translated the spoken parts into English but keeping the sung parts in Alsacien.
This is the recording -
[narrator]
Do you remember?
You were sitting together on the banks of the old university
Do you remember?
behind you stood that great naked bearded statue
was it an ancient god or a philosopher?
Do you remember?
You were wearing that flowery miniskirt over your soft legs
and the boy beside you lay his face on your suntanned arm
Do you remember?
it was on the banks of the old university
and your lips would murmur:
[girl]
ich ben dini gitarr
ich ben d'wies vun dine nintzehn jahr
ich ben dini gitarr
ich ben d'wies vun dine nintzehn jahr
heerscht de akoord en moll
wie metall siede un holtz
metall wie siede, siede wie metall
und warmes dunkles holtz
ich ben dini gitarr
ich ben d'wies vun dine nintzehn jahr
brün leiyet d'sunn uff minere hüt
griyen leiyet die weyer en mim bleck
wis steht e berike vor minere dür
ich ben d'wies vun dine nintzehn jahr
ich ben dini gitarr . . . .
I am your guitar
I am the tune of your nineteen years
I am your guitar
I am the song of your nineteen years
listen to the chord in major mode
like metal silk and wood
metal like silk, silk like metal
and warm, dark wood
I am your guitar
I am the song of your nineteen years
the sun colours my skin brown
the pool colours my eyes green
the birch tree stands white before my door
I am the tune of your nineteen years
I am your guitar
[narrator]
Do you remember?
Once he saw the dark night blue in your velvet eyes
And you walked side by side along the dusty streets
of Alabama
Once he saw the sun's blond and the northern sky blue
And you walked side by side along the cold byways
of Prague
Do you remember?
He once saw you, chestnut brown
and your green eyes sparkled with golden stars
and you walked side by side through the old streets
of Paris
and your lips would murmur:
[girl]
ich ben dini gitarr
ich ben d'lieb vun dine nintzehn jahr
heersht min dantze en duur
wie metall siede un holtz
so hall wie metall
so fijn wie siede
und warm wie dunkles holtz
Enger wisser berike han mer uns gfunde
En brüne sunne han mer gebade
üss griene wasser han mer gedrunke
ich ben d'lieb vun dine nintzehn jahr
ich ben dini gitarr
I am your guitar
I am the love of your nineteen years
listen to me dance in major mode
like metal silk and wood
as bright as metal
as fine as silk
and warm like dark wood
We found ourselves beneath the white birch tree
We bathed in the brown sun
We drank of the green water
I am the love of your nineteen years
I am your guitar
[narrator]
Do you remember?
You found each other
knew each other
then lost each other
who knows where?
was it on a barricade or in a war?
who knows where?
And the naked philosopher with the ancient beard
stands alone behind your bench
at the old university
and knows nothing more of you
than the end of your song:
[girl]
d'wisse berike füle uffm stock
d'brün sunne han de rotschin
d'grieyene wasser sen vergeft
un nix mehr esch gebleve vun uns
als e gitarr....
The white birch rots where it stands
The brown sun is red and dying
The green waters are poisoned
And nothing is left of us
But a guitar...
Note: for interest, the haunting phrase for the words "ich ben dini gitarr"
also appears (with great relevance) in my song