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The Humour of America

HANS BREITMANN’S BARTY.

Reading edition

HANS BREITMANN gife a barty;

Dey had biano-blayin’,

I felled in lofe mit a ’Merican frau,

Her name vas Madilda Yane.

She hat haar as prown ash a pretzel,

Her eyes vas himmel-plue,

Und vhen dey looket indo mine,

Dey shplit mine heart in dwo.

Illustration from The Humour of America Selected, with an Introduction and Index of American Humorists

“VENT SHPINNEN’ ROUND UND ROUND.”

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 Fraulein in de house,

She vayed ’pout dwo hoondred pound,

Und every 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 vhenefer dey knocks de shpicket in

De Deutschers gifes a cheer;

I dinks dat so vine a barty

Nefer coom to a het dis year.

Hans Breitmann gife a barty;

Dere all vas Souse and Brouse,

Vhen de sooper comed in, de gompany

Did make demselfs to house;

252Dey ate das Brot and Gensy broost,

De Bratwurst and Braten vine,

Und vash der Abendessen down

Mit four parrels of Neckarwein.

Hans Breitmann gife a barty;

Ve all cot troonk ash bigs.

I poot mine mout’ to a parrel of beer,

Und emptied it oop mit a schwigs;

Und den I gissed Madilda Yane.

Und she shlog me on de kop,

Und de gompany vighted mit daple-lecks

Dill de coonshtable made oos shtop.

Hans Breitmann gife a barty—

Vhere ish dot barty now?

Vhere ish de lofely golden cloud

Dot float on de moundain’s prow?

Vhere ish de himmelstrahlende stern—

De shtar of de shpirit’s light?

All goned afay mit de lager beer—

Afay in de Ewigkeit.

Charles Godfrey Leland.

253

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