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Bilingual Bedtime/German songs
ErzählliedStory song

Hänschen klein.

Hänschen klein, geht allein

The melody of Hänschen klein on a staff, as engraved in the book
Historische Fassung · Historical version
Download the tune

The melody as written on the staff, so you can learn the tune before you sing.

Verse 1

  1. Hänschen klein, geht alleinhehns-khuhn klain, gayt ahl-lainLittle Hans, he goes alone
  2. In die weite Welt hinein,in dee vai-tuh vehlt hi-nain,Out into the wide world,
  3. Stock und Hut steht ihm gut,shtok oont hoot shtayt eem goot,Stick and hat suit him well,
  4. Ist auch wohlgemut.ist owkh vohl-guh-moot.And he is in good spirits too.
  5. Aber Mutter weinet sehr,ah-ber moot-ter vai-nuht zair,But Mother weeps a great deal,
  6. Hat ja nun kein Hänschen mehr.haht yah noon kain hehns-khuhn mair.For now she has no little Hans any more.
  7. Wünsch dir Glück, sagt ihr Blick,vewnsh deer glewk, zahkt eer blik,I wish you luck, says her look,
  8. Komm nur bald zurück!kom noor bahlt tsoo-rewk!Only come back soon!

Verse 2

  1. Viele Jahr, trüb und klar,fee-luh yahr, trewp oont klahr,Many a year, dull and bright,
  2. Hänschen in der Fremde war.hehns-khuhn in dair frehm-duh vahr.little Hans was away in foreign parts.
  3. Da besinnt sich das Kind,dah buh-zint zikh dahs kint,Then the child thinks better of it,
  4. Ziehet heim geschwind.tsee-uht haim guh-shvint.and sets off home quickly.
  5. Doch, nun ist's kein Hänschen mehr,dokh, noon ists kain hehns-khuhn mair,But now he is no little Hans any more,
  6. Nein, ein großer Hans ist er;nain, ain groh-ser hahns ist air;no, he is a big Hans;
  7. Schwarz gebrannt Stirn und Hand,shvahrts guh-brahnt shtirn oont hahnt,forehead and hand tanned dark,
  8. Wird er wohl erkannt?virt air vohl ehr-kahnt?will he be recognized?

Verse 3

  1. Eins, Zwei, Drei gehn vorbei,ains, tsvai, drai gayn for-bai,One, two, three go past,
  2. Wissen nicht, wer das wohl sei,vis-suhn nikht, vair dahs vohl zai,they do not know who that might be,
  3. Schwester spricht: Welch' Gesicht!shvehs-ter shprikht: vehlkh guh-zikht!Sister says: What a face!
  4. Kennt den Bruder nicht.kehnt dayn broo-der nikht.She does not recognize her brother.
  5. Kommt daher die Mutter sein,komt dah-hair dee moot-ter zain,Then along comes his mother,
  6. Schaut ihm kaum ins Aug hinein,showt eem kowm ins owk hi-nain,she barely looks into his eye,
  7. Ruft sie schon: Hans! Mein Sohn!rooft zee shohn: hahns! main zohn!and already she calls: Hans! My son!
  8. Grüß dich Gott, mein Sohn!grews dikh got, main zohn!God greet you, my son!

About this song

Franz Wiedemann, a Dresden schoolteacher, printed this in 1860 for the old hunting tune Fahret hin. Hänschen means little Hans. His first line is Hänschen klein, geht allein; families today sing ging allein and stop after one verse, where the child turns straight home. Sing all three as one story.

Where it comes from

The words: Franz Wiedemann, Samenkörner für Kinderherzen, Zehnte Auflage (Gustav Dietze, Dresden, 1877), S. 137, Nr. 22 'Hänschen und seine Mutter'.

The tune: The tune Wiedemann's own print prescribes under the song, 'Mel.: Fahret hin etc.', engraved in Ludwig Erk and Franz Magnus Böhme, Deutscher Liederhort, Band 3 (Breitkopf und Härtel, Leipzig, 1894), Nr. 1457 'Jägerlust', S. 318, G major, 2/4, headed 'Lebhaft. Durch ganz Deutschland gekannt.' Erk and Böhme's note on that same page ends by saying that the children sing this tune to 'Hänschen klein', and 'Jägerlust' scans exactly as Wiedemann's verse does, 6-7-6-5-7-7-6-5 over the same sixteen bars, so the 1894 staff is written straight out here with verse 1 under it. Cross-checked bar for bar against the LilyPond score block in the Melodie section of the de.wikipedia article 'Hänschen klein' (F major, sourced there to liederprojekt.org of Carus-Verlag and SWR2): brought to the same tonic the two agree degree for degree in all sixteen bars, the only difference being the last note's value, a quarter plus a quarter rest in the Liederhort against Wikipedia's half. The half is printed. The Liederhort's own G major is kept; range G4 to D5, a fifth

From the book

Bilingual Bedtime

Thirty-Seven German Songs for Children

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Es klappert die Mühle am rauschenden BachAll 37 songsWinter, ade
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