• Klaus & Klaus

    An der Nordseeküste → English translation

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On the North Sea Coast

Back then, endlessly long ago
We Frisians began squatting at the waterfront
The years went by as the winds of time blow
But we Frisians of today still look drunk1
 
[Chorus:]
On the coast of the North Sea, at the Low-German beach,
The fish are in the water and seldom on the land
 
High tide is followed by low tide, and low tide is followed by high tide
The dikes hold up, sometimes they do, sometimes they don't
The dunes, they wander back and forth on the beach
From Greenland to Flanders, more or less
 
[Chorus]
 
The seals sing their lament
Because they can't wiggle their tails, too bad
The sheep bleat like mad on the dike
And garnish it richly with black-green pellets
 
[Chorus, repeated]
 
  • 1. in German it is a pun with a word they used line 2
Original lyrics

An der Nordseeküste

Click to see the original lyrics (German)

Comments
Sarah RoseSarah Rose    Mon, 09/09/2019 - 12:49

Hi Hansi,

I recommend the following changes to align the verb tenses and fix some grammar:

Back then, an infinite time ago -> Back then, endlessly long ago

The years went by as the wind of time blows -> The years went by as the winds of time blow

And we Frisians are still looking pissed -> But we Frisians still look pissed
“Pissed” seems a little too colloquial here. If it’s really that colloquial in German, you could keep it, but without context it’s not clear whether you mean the US or British definition.

On the coast of the German Sea, on the low German beach
Fish are in the water and seldom on the land -> On the coast of the German Sea, at the Low-German beach,
the fish are in the water and seldom on the land

These lines are in multiple places. As a side note, some people would object to calling the North Sea the “German Sea.” It was sometimes referred to as the German Ocean, but that was pre-WWI.

The dikes are withstanding, more or less -> The dikes hold up, more or less

The dunes, they wander on the beach back and forth
From Greenland to Flanders, more or less so -> The dunes, they wander back and forth on the beach from Greenland to Flanders, more or less

The sheep are bleating like mad on the dike -> The sheep bleat like mad on the dike

And garnish it opulently with black-green pellets -> And garnish it richly/abundantly with black-green pellets

FreigeistFreigeist
   Mon, 09/09/2019 - 15:59

Dear Sarah Rose,
your input is highly appreciated, as always!
:)

Thank you very much for your corrections and suggestions.
The term "German Sea" was a remembrance from childhood days at school, I didn't verify it.
Sometimes you remember things wrong.
;)
I'm actually surprised it is called "North Sea" in English, same as it is in German,
because that sea for the British is located in the East, not in the North.
;)

>"Aber breit seh'n wir Friesen auch heute noch aus"
"Breit" in this context is a North German slang word for being intoxicated (by liquor).
In other words: drunk
I think I have heard it being called "pissed" in BE.
:)

Sarah RoseSarah Rose    Tue, 10/09/2019 - 21:12

Well, the British didn't name the North Sea for its proximity to them, that's just a literal translation of what it was already called by the Dutch.

"Pissed" doesn't have a universal definition in English, so I'd recommend using a universal word like "drunk" or putting a footnote with your intended definition. In British English it does mean drunk, but in US English, it means the Frisians look upset, irate, enraged.

magicmuldermagicmulder
   Tue, 14/01/2020 - 09:05

Or "hammered". I usually understand "pissed" as "angry" at first glance.

Sarah RoseSarah Rose    Thu, 12/09/2019 - 07:02

for to be drunk -> for being drunk