Die goldene Brücke
Die goldene Brücke
The Golden Bridge
Singing Game
Singing Game
(German)
(English)
Ziehe durch, ziehe durch,
durch die goldne Brücke,
sie ist entzwei, sie ist entzwei,
wir wolln sie wieder flicken,
mit was denn, mit was denn,
mit Steinerlein, mit Beinerlein,*
der erste nicht, der zweite nicht,
der dritte der bleibt stehn.**
Cross over, cross over
Over the golden bridge
It is in two, it is in two,
We want to patch it up again
With what, with what?
With little stones, with little legs,*
Not the first, not the second
The third one stops.**
Notes
*According to this site, "The golden bridge can be seen as a symbol of the golden age of humanity. Solar and lunar principles fought in ancient Persia. When the bridge breaks, this golden age ends and man is increasingly on his own. With 'Steinerlein' and 'Beinerlein' he wants to mend it, that is, with earthiness, with physical matter (little rocks) and for this he needs his limbs (little legs).
**Alternate last line: "der dritte muß gefangen sein" (The last must be caught).
***
Here's another version:
Lasst die Kinder durchmarschieren,
durch die gold'ne Brücke.
Die Brücke ist gebrochen,
wir woll'n sie heile machen,
aus lauter Gold und Marmorstein,
der nächste soll gefangen sein.
English translation:
Let the children march through
Through the golden bridge.
The bridge is broken
We want to heal it,
With pure gold and marble stone,
The next one will be caught.
Game Instructions
Two children hold their hands up and form an arch through which the others go. The child who's under the arch on the last line "The third must be caught" is caught and has to leave.
Variation:
Two children (gatekeepers) hold hands and form a gate by holding their arms up. The other children go through one after the other in a long line. The last of the train is caught, and it is now determined by a question which the two gatekeepers have previously agreed upon (heaven or hell, apple or pear, rose or forget-me-not) which of the two children of the gate the child who was caught will join. It continues like this until all the children are on one side or the other. Then there is a tug-of-war fight between the two groups formed in this way.
Thanks!
Thanks!
