Westfalenlied
The Westphalia song, written in 1868, is intended to be a hymn and identification of Westphalian culture, it is intended to describe the inhabitants of Westphalia in the various individual regions and their character.
The best-known version was first published in the weekly newspaper for the Iserlohn - Altena constituency in April 1869. This text was written by the merchant, poet and reciter Emil Rittershaus (1834-1897) during a stay in Iserlohn. A memorial plaque at the location of the former Gasthof zur Post on Theodor-Heuss-Ring in Iserlohn's city center reminds of this.
Probably the most famous Peter Johann Peters (1820–1870).
was created at the same time and comes fromIn addition to the Rittershaus version, there are other and similarly structured texts by other authors who also have the title "Westfalenlied", but are far less known.
The lyrics
The Westphalia song
- You may praise the Rhine, the proud,
- Who lies in the lap of the vines
- Where in the mountains rests iron
- Mother rocked me there.
- The fir trees stand high on the rock,
- In the green valley the herds go
- As a guard at the edge of the court
- The oak tree stretches up,
- |: That's where my cradle was
- Oh my God, Westphalia! : |
- We don't have sweet speeches
- And beautiful words abundance
- And not so soon for anyone
- The brother greeting and brother kiss.
- If you want us to be welcome
- So look at the heart, not at the appearance
- And look us straight in the eye,
- Absolutely, that's Westphalia custom!
- |: It doesn't ask about games and trinkets
- The men from Westphalia. : |
- And our women, our girls,
- With eyes as blue as the sky,
- You don't spin the love threads
- Just kidding for the idle hour.
- A pious angel keeps watch
- In her soul day and night
- And loyal in bliss, loyal in pain
- Remains a loving heart until death.
- |: Blessed is whose arm embraces
- A girl from Westphalia. : |
- God keep you, you red earth,
- You land of Wittekind and Teut,
- Until I turn to dust and ashes
- My heart rejoices in its homeland!
- You Land of Westphalia, Land of the Mark,
- Like your oak trunks strong
- Your pale mouth still blesses you
- In dying, in the last hour!
- |: You country, where my cradle was,
- Oh my God, Westphalia! : |
literature
- Gertrud Stendal : The home hymns of the Prussian provinces and their landscapes; a literary characteristic . Heidelberg 1919, pp. 95-101
Web links
- The Westfalenlied at ingeb.org with 2 midi sound files , instrumental