De Martinsdag 

vun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Nebelmoond 1992)  

Den 11. November fiert wi den Martinsdag. De wenigsten Minschen weet, wat för een eddel Minsch de Hillige Martin wüür. Geef man giern to, de Martinsgoos biestert bi uns in'n Kopp rüm, wenn wi an den Martinsdag dinkt. Mien Mudder hett ümmer an Martini een Goos broodt. Ok hett se uns vun den Hilligen Martin vertellt, de veel för de Armen un Bettlers öber harr, un worüm de Goos in'n Brodoben den Noom' ,,Martinsgoos'' kregen hett. 

Nu will ik mool'n lütt beten vun den Hilligen Martin von Tours opschrieben. 

Martin wüür noch nich döfft, as he wohre Neegstenleev uteuft hett. Op een Ritt mit Kameroden keum jüm an de Stroot no Amiens een in Lumpen inwickelt Minsch in de Meut, un streck sien zitterig' Hand no em ut. Wiel de junge Suldot Martin ober keen Geld bi sik harr, un de nokelte Bettler em so duur, tröck he kotthannig sien Swert un hett sien Mantel in twee Deel' sneen. De een Hälft geef he den Armen ohn' sik üm sien Kameroden to scheern, de em fix utlacht hebbt. In de sülbige Nacht is Christus bi em opduukt, bekleedt mit dat Stück vun Martin sien Mantel un sä to de Heerschoorn vun Engels, de bi em wüürn: ,,Martinus, der noch nicht getauft ist, hat mich bekleidet''. Dit Vörkomen hett Martin so dull beindruckt, datt he sik fuurts hett däupen loten. 

Foken warrt St. Martin mit een Goos dorstellt. Hier is de Bruuk vun de Martinsgoos to finnen. Martin schull Bischopp vun Tours warrn, un harr dor gor nix mit in'n Sinn. In een Goosstall hett he sik verkropen. De Gäus hebbt em ober mit veel Krokeel un groot Geschree verroot. To Stroof mööt se nu Johr för Johr to'n 11. November, den Martinsdag, jümehr Leben loten. 

St. Martin vun Tours is de beleevste Hillige in Europa. Veelfack is de Bruukdoom noch lebennig, datt an den Vörobend vun den Martinsdag Kinner mit Lotern' dörch de Stroten treckt. Jüm vöran een Rider op een Schimmel, de den St. Martin dorstellt. Ut jümehr Leder hüürt een de Barmherzigkeit vun Martin wenn se singt: ,,Hier wohnt ein reicher Mann, der uns was geben kann''. De Kinner warrt beschinkt mit Oof un Plätten vun de Lüüd. De scheunsten sülbstmokten Lootern warrt mit Priesen uttekent. Disse ole Bruuk gellt dat Besinn an den Potroon vun all' de Bettlers un armen Minschen, de nicht acht warrt un as minner gell'n doot. 

Gifft ümmer mihr Minschen dorvun op unsen Globus de an Hunger starvt, keen Dack öber'n Kopp hebbt un friern mööt in de kolde Johrstiet. Ok in uns egen Land warrt de Armoot ümmer greuter. Alleen dörch de velen Minschen, de keen Doon mihr hebbt, un op de Help vun den Stoot anwiest sünd. Will höpen, datt sik dat in dat tokomen Johr to'n Goden wenn'n müch.

Martinmas 

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(November 1992)  

On November 11 we celebrate Martinmas. Only a minority of people knows how noble a person St. Martin was. I readily admit it: the Martin's goose is foremost in our minds when we think of Martinmas. My mother used to roast a goose on Martini (Martinmas). Also, she used to tell us about St. Martin who had a heart for poor and begging folks, and why the goose in the oven had gotten the name "St. Martin's goose." 

Now let me write a little bit about St. Martin of Tours. 

Martin had not yet been baptized when he practised true altruism. On a riding expedition with companions they encountered by the road to Amiens a person wrapped in rags reaching toward him with his shaking hand. Since the young soldier Martin had no money on him and felt so sorry for the naked beggar he simply drew his sword and cut his coat in two parts. Without worrying about his companions, who were laughing at him terribly, he gave one half to the poor man. The very same night Christ appeared to him clad in the piece of Martin's coat and said to the hosts of angels that were with him [in German], "Martinus, who has not yet been baptized, has clad me." This occurrence impressed Martin so deeply that he had himself baptized right away. 

St. Martin is oftentimes depicted with a goose. This is were we find the tradition of the Martin's goose. Martin was supposed to become Bishop of Tours and did not have any inclination to do so. He hid in a goose coop. But the geese gave him away with a racket and loud honking. As a punishment they now must lose their lives every year on November 11, on Martinmas. 

St. Martin of Tours is Europe's most popular saint. In many parts the tradition is still alive whereby on the night before Martinmas children process through the streets with laterns, in front of them a rider on a white horse, representing St. Martin. In their songs you hear about Martin's charity when they sing [in German], "Here lives a wealthy man who can give us something." The children receive gifts of fruit and cookies from folks. Prizes are awarded for the most beautiful of the home-made lanterns. This old tradition is dedicated to the memory of the patron saint of all beggars and poor people who are not respected and are considered inferior. 

There are more and more people on earth who die from hunger, have no roofs over their heads and must freeze in the cold part of the year. In our country, too, poverty is on the increase, simply because of all the people who have no more employment and must rely on state assistance. I hope this will be taking a turn for the better in the coming year. 
 

De Martinsdag 

fun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Nevelmaand 1992)  

Den 11. (oelvden) Nowember fiert wii d'n Martiinsdag. De wenigsten minschen weitt wat foer ein eddel minsch de Hillige Martiin woyr. Geev man geirn tou: de Martinsgous biistert bii uns in d'n kop ruem wen wii an d'n Martiinsdag dinkt. Miin Mudder het uemmer an Martini ein gous braadt. Ouk het sei uns fun d'n Hilligen Martiin ferteld dei feel foer de armen un betlers oever har, un woruem de gous in d'n braad-aven d'n namen ,,Martinsgous'' kregen het. 

Nuu wil ik maal 'n luet beten fun d'n Hilligen Martiin fon Tours op-schriven. 

Martiin woyr noch nich doefd as hei ware neegstenleiv' uut-oyvd het. Op ein rit mit kameraden koym juem an de straat naa Amiens ein in lumpen in-wikkeld minsch in de moyt un strek siin tsitterig hand naa em uut. Wiil de junge suldaat Martiin aver kein geld bii sik har un de nakelte betler em soo duur troek hei kothandig siin swert un het siin mantel in twei deil sneen. De ein helvt geev hei d'n armen aan sik uem siin kameraden tou scheern dei em fiks uut-lacht hebt. In de suelvige nacht is Kristus bii em op-duukd, bekleidt mit dat stuek fun Martiin siin mantel un see tou de heerscharen fun engels dei bii em woyrn: ,,Martinus, der noch nicht getauft ist, hat mich bekleidet''. Dit foerkamen het Martiin soo dul be-indrukd dat hei sik fourts het doypen laten. Faken wardt St. (Sankt) Martiin mit ein gous daar-steld. Hiir is de bruuk fun de Martiinsgous tou finden. Martiin schul Bischop fun Tours warden un har daar gaar niks mit in d'n sin. In ein goosstal het hei sik ferkrapen. De goys' hebbt em aver mit feel krakeel un groot geschrei ferraadt. Tou straaf meut sei nuu jaar foer jaar tou d'n 11. Nowember, d'n Martiinsdag, juem er leven laten. 

St. Martin fun Tours is de beleivsde hillige in Europa. Feelfak is de bruukdoum noch lebennig dat an d'n foer-avend fun d'n Martiinsdag kinder mit laternen doerch de straten trekt, juem foeran ein rider op ein schimmel dei d'n St. Martin daarstelt. Uut juem er leider hoyrt ein de barmhertsigkait fun Martiin wen sei singt: ,,Hier wohnt ein reicher Mann, der uns was geben kann''. De kinder wardt beschinkd mit aaf(t) un pletten fun de luyd'. De schoynsden suelvstmaakten laternen wardt mit prisen uut-teikend. Disse olde bruuk gelt dat besin an d'n patroon fun al de betlers un armen minschen dei nicht achtt wardt un as minner gelden doot. 

Givt uemmer meir minschen daarfun op unsen globus dei an hunger starvt, kein dak euver d'n kop hebt un freiren meutt in de kolde jaarstiid. Ouk in uns eigen land wardt de armout uemmer groyter. Allein doerch de felen minschen dei kein doun meir hebt un op de help fun d'n staat an-wiisd suend. Wil heupen dat sik dat in dat toukamen jaar tou d'n gouden wenden muech. 

Martinmas 

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(November 1992)  

On November 11 we celebrate Martinmas. Only a minority of people knows how noble a person St. Martin was. I readily admit it: the Martin's goose is foremost in our minds when we think of Martinmas. My mother used to roast a goose on Martini (Martinmas). Also, she used to tell us about St. Martin who had a heart for poor and begging folks, and why the goose in the oven had gotten the name "St. Martin's goose." 

Now let me write a little bit about St. Martin of Tours. 

Martin had not yet been baptized when he practised true altruism. On a riding expedition with companions they encountered by the road to Amiens a person wrapped in rags reaching toward him with his shaking hand. Since the young soldier Martin had no money on him and felt so sorry for the naked beggar he simply drew his sword and cut his coat in two parts. Without worrying about his companions, who were laughing at him terribly, he gave one half to the poor man. The very same night Christ appeared to him clad in the piece of Martin's coat and said to the hosts of angels that were with him [in German], "Martinus, who has not yet been baptized, has clad me." This occurrence impressed Martin so deeply that he had himself baptized right away. 

St. Martin is oftentimes depicted with a goose. This is were we find the tradition of the Martin's goose. Martin was supposed to become Bishop of Tours and did not have any inclination to do so. He hid in a goose coop. But the geese gave him away with a racket and loud honking. As a punishment they now must lose their lives every year on November 11, on Martinmas. 

St. Martin of Tours is Europe's most popular saint. In many parts the tradition is still alive whereby on the night before Martinmas children process through the streets with laterns, in front of them a rider on a white horse, representing St. Martin. In their songs you hear about Martin's charity when they sing [in German], "Here lives a wealthy man who can give us something." The children receive gifts of fruit and cookies from folks. Prizes are awarded for the most beautiful of the home-made lanterns. This old tradition is dedicated to the memory of the patron saint of all beggars and poor people who are not respected and are considered inferior. 

There are more and more people on earth who die from hunger, have no roofs over their heads and must freeze in the cold part of the year. In our country, too, poverty is on the increase, simply because of all the people who have no more employment and must rely on state assistance. I hope this will be taking a turn for the better in the coming year.