Hamburger Concerto

The Lost Chord wrote: Does anyone know what the lyrics are in english to the Focus song, hamburger concerto also, what language is it in?

I don't know about the lyrics, but it sounds to me like the language is Hebrew.

 

Publius84 wrote: There are the lyrics in Dutch: O kerstnacht, schoner dan de dagen Hoe kan Herodes het licht verdragen Dat in uw duisternisse blinkt En wordt gevierd en aangebeden Zijn hoogmoed luistert naar geen reden Hoe schel die in zijn oren klinkt Hij tracht d'onozelen te vernielen Door 't doden van onnozele zielen En wekt een stad en landgeschrei In Bethlehem en op de akker En maakt de geest van Rachel wakker Die waren gaat door beemd en hei

It's a Dutch Christmas hymn. Here's my translation:


Oh Christmas eve, more beatiful than the daytime
How can Herodes endure the light
That shines in your darkness
And is praised and adored
His highness does not listen to reason
How off it sounds in his ears
He tries to annihilate the innocent
By killing innocent souls
And wakes a city and landscape
In Betlehem and on the fields
And awakes the spirit of Rachel
Who were going through meadow and hedge(?)

The tekst is very archaic; a lot of the words aren't used anymore so I don't know their English translation, the word "onnozel" now means retarded, but fortunately I paid attention during my religion class and learned that it used to mean innocent. I did not know how to translate "schel".

I have no idea what beemd is.

Edit: Looked beemd up, it means meadow.


Edited by Rosescar

Rosescar wrote: Publius84 wrote: There are the lyrics in Dutch: O kerstnacht, schoner dan de dagen Hoe kan Herodes het licht verdragen Dat in uw duisternisse blinkt En wordt gevierd en aangebeden Zijn hoogmoed luistert naar geen reden Hoe schel die in zijn oren klinkt Hij tracht d'onozelen te vernielen Door 't doden van onnozele zielen En wekt een stad en landgeschrei In Bethlehem en op de akker En maakt de geest van Rachel wakker Die waren gaat door beemd en hei It's a Dutch Christmas hymn. Here's my translation: Oh Christmas eve, more beatiful than the daytime How can Herodes endure the light That shines in your darkness And is praised and adored His highness does not listen to reason How off it sounds in his ears He tries to annihilate the innocent By killing innocent souls And wakes a city and landscape In Betlehem and on the fields And awakes the spirit of Rachel Who were going through meadow and hedge(?) The tekst is very archaic; a lot of the words aren't used anymore so I don't know their English translation, the word "onnozel" now means retarded, but fortunately I paid attention during my religion class and learned that it used to mean innocent. I did not know how to translate "schel". I have no idea what beemd is. Edit: Looked beemd up, it means meadow.

"Schel" means "high piched" or "intense" or "penetrating"

"Beemd" is "meadow" or "flat land" (according to the "Van Dale" dictionary) but this is really achaeic Dutch.  

The whole poem is from Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679)'s play "Gijsbrecht van Aemstel"  first performed in 1637 in Amsterdam.