#rabenballade

Weekly World Music: "Rabenballade" - Schelmish. A German take on the folk song "The Three Ravens".

From Wikipedia: "The ballad takes the form of three scavenger birds conversing about where and what they should eat. One mentions a recently slain knight, but they find he is guarded by his loyal hawks and hounds. Furthermore, a 'fallow doe', an obvious metaphor for the knight's pregnant lover or mistress comes to his body, kisses his wounds, bears him away, and buries him, leaving the ravens without an apparent meal." For the video, the idea of scavenger birds has been replaced with actual scavengers. 

Lyrics are in German and English. 

Auf einem Baum drei Raben stolz - oh weh, oh weh, oh Leid, oh weh - Auf einem Baum drei Raben stolz - Sie war'n so schwarz wie Ebenholz; sie war'n so schwarz wie Ebenholz!

There were three rauens sat on a tree, downe a downe, hay downe, hay downe, There were three rauens sat on a tree, with a downe,There were three rauens sat on a tree, They were as blacke as they might be. With a downe, derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe.

Der eine sprach: "Gefährte mein, wo soll die nächste Mahlzeit sein?" "In jenem Grund, auf grünem Feld, ruht unter seinem Schild ein Held; ruht unter seinem Schild ein Held!"

The one of them said to his mate,Where shall we our breakfast take?Downe in yonder greene field,There lies a Knight slain under his shield,

Seine Hunde liegen auch nicht fern. Sie halten Wacht bei ihrem Herrn. Seine Falken kreisen auf dem Plan - kein Vogel wagt es, ihm zu nah'n; kein Vogel wagt es, ihm zu nah'n!

His hounds they lie downe at his feete, So well they can their Master keepe, His Hawkes they flie so eagerly, There's no fowle dare him come nie

Da kam zu ihm ein zartes Reh: "Ach, dass ich meinen Liebsten seh..." Sie hebt sein Haupt, von Blut so rot - Der Liebste, den sie küsst, war tot; der Liebste, den sie küsst, war tot!

Downe there comes a fallow Doe, As great with yong as she might goe, She lift up his bloudy head, And kist his wounds that were so red, She got him up upon her backe, And carried him to earthen lake,

Sie gräbt sein Grab beim Morgenrot - am Abend war sie selber tot! Oh, großer Gott, uns allen gib solch' Falken, solche Hund', solch' Lieb'; solch' Falken, solche Hund', solch Lieb'.

Schelmish - Rabenballade