Ik wull, wi weern noch kleen, Jehann.
Do weer de Welt so groot!
Wi seten op den Steen, Jehann.
Weest noch? Bi Navers Soot!
An’n Häben seil de stille Maan,
Wi sehgen, wa’ he leep,
Un snacken, wa’ de Himmel hoog
Un wa’ de Soot wull deep.

I wish we were still small, Jehann.
How big the world was then!
We sat there on that rock, Jehann.
You know? By Neighbor’s well!
The moon sailed gently ’cross the sky.
Our eyes followed its sweep.
We talked about the heaven high
And ’bout the well so deep.

Weest noch, wa’ still dat weer, Jehann?
Daar röhr keen Blatt an’n Boom.
So is dat nu ni mehr, Jehann,
As höögstens noch in Droom.
Och ne! Wenn do de Schäper sung
Alleen in’t wiede Feld ...
Ni’ wahr, Jehann? Dat weer ’n Toon!
De eenzige op de Welt.

Remember how still it was, Jehann?
Not a single leaf did stir.
All that has changed meanwhile, Jehann,
Though perhaps not in our dreams.
Oh, boy! When then the shepherd sang
Alone on the vast field!
That was some sound, wasn’t it, Jehann?
None like it in the world.

Mitünner in de Schummerntied
Denn wardt mi so to Mood.
Denn löppt mi ’t langs den Rügg so hitt,
As domaals bi den Soot.
Denn dreih ik mi so hasti’ um,
As weer ik nich alleen:
Doch allens, wat ik finn, Jehann,
Dat is – ik stah un ween.

Sometimes during twilight time
I’m touched by some strange mood.
It runnels down my back all hot
As it did then by the well.
Then hastily I turn around
As if I weren’t alone.
But all that I can find, Jehann,
Is that I stand and weep.