Ik wull, wi weern noch kleen, Jehann,
Do weer de Welt so grot!
Wi seten op den Steen, Jehann,
Weest noch? bi Nawers Sot.
An Heben seil de stille Maan,
Wi segen, wa he leep,
Un snacken, wa de Himmel hoch
Un wa de Sot wul 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?
Dar röhr keen Blatt an Bom.
So is dat nu ni mehr, Jehann,
As höchstens noch in Drom.
Och ne, wenn do de Scheper sung
Alleen, int wide Feld:
Ni wahr, Jehann? dat weer en Ton!
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 inne Schummerntid
Denn ward mi so to Mod.
Denn löppt mi’t langs den Rügg so hitt,
As domals bi den Sot.
Denn dreih ik mi so hasti um,
As weer ik nich alleen:
Doch allens, wat ik finn, Jehann,
Dat is – ik sta 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.