Hopp, hopp, hopp
Hopp, hopp, hopp
Hop, Hop, Hop!
Children's Song
Children's Song
(German)
(English)
Hopp, hopp, hopp!
Pferdchen, lauf Galopp!
Über Stock und über Steine,
Aber brich dir nicht die Beine!
Hopp, hopp, hopp hopp, hopp!
Pferdchen, lauf Galopp!
Tip, tip, tap!
Wirf mich nur nicht ab!
Zähme deine wilden Triebe,
Pferdchen, tu es mir zuliebe:
Tip, tip, tip, tip, tap!
Wirf mich nur nicht ab!
Brr, brr, he!
Steh doch, Pferdchen, steh!
Sollst schon heute weiterspringen,
Muß dir nur erst Futter bringen.
Brr, brr, brr, brr, he!
Steh doch, Pferdchen, steh!
Ha, ha, ha!
Hei, nun sind wir da!
Diener, Diener, liebe Mutter,
Findet auch mein Pferdchen Futter?
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Hei, nun sind wir da!
Hop, hop, hop!
Horsey gallop!
Over sticks and stones,
But don't break your leg!
Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop!
Horsey, gallop!
Tip, tip, tap!
Don't throw me off!
Tame your wild impulses
Horsey, do it for my sake:
Tip, tip, tip, tip, tap!
Don't throw me off!
Whoa, whoa, hey!
Stand up, horsey, stand!
Today, you can jump again,
You only need to bring food.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hey!
Stand up, horsey, stand!
Aha, aha, aha!
Hey, now we're there!
Groom, groom, dear Mother
Is there also food for my horsey?
Aha, aha, aha, aha, aha!
Hey, now we're there!
Notes
Here's an alternate translation of the first verse by Lisa:
Hop, hop, hop
Horsey gallops!
Over sticks and over stones
But don't break your leg!
Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop
Horsey gallops!
*****
Lyrics: Carl Hahn (1778-1854),
Melody: Karl Gottlieb Hering (1766-1853)
Comments
A lot of children and grandchildren of German immigrants to the US learned this song as kids. We're asked about it a lot because it means so much to people. Here's one email we received about it from Eirka Vee:
"Thank you so much for making this website! My great grandmother used to sing this to my mother and her sisters, and for a short time my sister and I. I had been looking and asking Germans I knew for fifteen years and gave up my search. You see, all I had was a weird English version that we had made up to match the tune. It made no sense. Every German I asked just shook their heads and said it must have been nonsense song.
One day out of the blue I googled for German children's songs and your site came up. I searched each song and when I saw it I knew it!!! You couldn't imagine the excitement! I called my mom and we decided to keep it a secret and that I, as an artist, would write out the verses and frame them, with the family story on the back. Everyone knew it immediately when they saw it. Some even cried, they couldn't believe I found it. Your site has helped keep my great grandmother's memory alive along with my German heritage. I wanted to let you know my story and my great appreciation. I can't wait until you have a German collection in your store!
Thank you from all of my family for this treasure of a site,
Erika
P.S.
Our childhood made up version was:
'Hub Hub Hub
Ferd Chen gallop
Uber stuck und uber stein
Aba ba bricht
Nicht die brine
Hub Hub hub.'
So not terribly off when you say it, but being American it never rang right when I asked Germans."
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Ulrike Bernhard for contributing this song, to Maguy Cabrol for translating it into French and to Monique Palomares for creating the midi music. 1st English translation by Lisa Yannucci and Monique Palomares. Thanks to Lisa and the staff from the German Australian Playschool in Canberra, Australia, for the alternate translation of the first verse and the picture. Thanks to Erika Vee for sharing her family's story about this song with us.
Vielen Dank!
