Suse, Liebe Suse
Suse, liebe Suse, was raschelt im Stroh?
Das sind die lieben Gänslein, die habe kein' Schu.
Der Schuster hat Leder, kein Leisten dazu,
Drum kann er den Gänslein auch machen kein Schuh!Suse, liebe Suse, schlägt's Küchelchen tot!
Es legt mir keine Eier und frist mir mein Brot.
Da rupfen wir alle die Federchen aus
Und machen dem Kindlein sein Bettchen darausSuse, liebe Suse, ist das eine Not!
Wer schenkt mir einen Dreier zu Zucker und Brot?
Verkauf ich mein Bettchen und leg mich aufs Stroh,
Da sticht mich keine Feder und beißt mich kein Floh.
To the best of my knowledge, all the songs in the children's opera, "Hänsel und Gretel" are Engelbert Humperdingk's own creations - and copyrighted as such. All the songs are beautifully done in the style of traditional folksongs. He did the whole job at extremely short notice, within the space of only a couple of weeks or so. Truly inspired, I'd call this.
The opera itself, of course, is based on the Grimm Brother's "Hänsel und Gretel", from their collection of fairytales. This one, I believe (but am not at all certain!), was collected in Franconia. I know of no connection to Bavaria; and I have never heard the song "Suse, liebe Suse" sung in anything but the German language as spoken in central Germany.
The "Leisten" is the form over which the shoemaker stretches the leather, not unlike a "Taylor's Dummy", over which seamstresses fit a dress
-Heino Best 6/3/04
© Cynthia A. Zorn-Scott 2006 - Since 1996