Last night on Gushan Road, on the way to Shiziwan (at the harbor of Kaohsiung,) an old German folk song came to me and asked for a translation.

Very few translations exist and I decided to add my own. Here it is, followed by a link to a youtube video with the song, followed by the German text, which was the basis for my translation:

Friesenlied

Where the waves are breaking of the Northern Sea,
Where green marshes yellow bloom for me to see,
Where sea gulls are screaming in the roaring storm
There is my home country. That’s where I was born.
Where the gulls are screaming through the roaring storm
There is my home country. That’s where I was born.

Tow’ring waves and wind once sang my lullaby
Dykes and marsh bestowed on me by God on high
They stirred my deep longing, my desire to see
Flying over countries, across the land and sea.
They stirred my deep longing, my desire to see
Flying over countries, across the land and sea.

Life has loved me, came and soothed my pain
Gave to me what many others searched in vain
All my pain has vanished, what I missed and gained
I have found my peace now but one wish remains.
All my pain has vanished, what I missed and gained
I have found my peace now but one wish remains:

My desire the green lands of the marsh to see
Where the waves are breaking of the Northern Sea
Where sea gulls are screaming in the roaring storm
There is my home country. That’s where I was born.
Where the gulls are screaming in the roaring storm
There is my home country. That’s where I was born.

Click >>> here <<< to see a youtube video with the song.

Here is the German text, which was the basis for the translation. (Several texts exist, largely identical):

Friesenlied

Wo die Nordseewellen spülen an den Strand,
wo die gelben Blumen blüh’n ins grüne Land,
wo die Möwen schreien grell im Sturmgebraus,
da ist meine Heimat, da bin ich zu Haus.
Wo die Möwen schreien grell im Sturmgebraus,
da ist meine Heimat, da bin ich zu Haus.

Well’n und Wogen sangen mir mein Wiegenlied,
hohe Deiche waren mir das Gott behüt’,
werfen auf mein Sehnen und mein heiß’ Begehr:
durch die Welt zu fliegen, über Land und Meer,
werfen auf mein Sehnen und mein heiß Begehr:
durch die Welt zu fliegen, über Land und Meer.

Wohl hat mir das Leben meine Qual gestillt,
und mir das gegeben, was mein Herz erfüllt.
Alles ist verschwunden, was mich quält’ und trieb,
hab’ das Glück gefunden, doch die Sehnsucht blieb.
Alles ist verschwunden, was mich quält’ und trieb,
hab’ das Glück gefunden, doch die Sehnsucht blieb.

Sehnsucht nach dem schönen, grünen Marschenland,
wo die Nordseewellen spülen an den Strand,
wo die Möwen schreien grell im Sturmgebraus,
da ist meine Heimat, da bin ich zu Haus.
Wo die Möwen schreien grell im Sturmgebraus,
da ist meine Heimat, da bin ich zu Haus.