Nina Hagen Shrine

Blumen für die Damen

English translation submitted by Doug Becci

At night, when many are already asleep
but a thousand lights are still glowing
then I have to wander the streets
and from many houses I take

Flowers for the ladies

When dark red roses
stand on white tables
when hands caress them
then I have to be on my way

Alone!

In this big city
and no-one who,
even once, sends me flowers

Luck left me long ago
no-one in the world loves me
I’m alone!

So I wander through the streets,
how long, I have but little idea
And if I’m finally able to sleep
then I’ll say in my dreams

Flowers for the ladies

 

Berlin (ist Dufte!)

English translation by Doug Becci

Berlin is great, capital of the GDR
Berlin is great, capital of the GDR
Berlin is great, and the old wall
Isn’t there anymore

There’s a party in the Karl Marx Allee
On Unter den Linden, Udo lost his overstuffed wallet
In Kleibelstrasse there’s a large show going on
And the borders of the capital are ablaze with light
On Strausbergerplatz I suddenly met my sweetheart
And then we crossed over again to Alexanderplatz
My old Fraulein-Director, from Prenzlauer Berg
Sings the new slogan…

Berlin is great, capital of the GDR
Berlin is great, capital of the GDR
Berlin is great, and the old wall
Isn’t there anymore

I’m telling you now
I’m taking over the Lenne triangle
And no-one
Will be bothered by the police
There’s a party going on
In Laubenpieper-Wilhelmsruh
I’m with all the Berliners
With you and you
You and you,
I and you and you…

 

Gretchen

English translation by Doug Becci

German

Meine Ruh’ ist hin, mein Herz ist schwer;
ich finde sie nimmer und nimmermehr.
Wo ich ihn nicht hab’, ist mir das Grab.
Die ganze Welt ist mir vergällt.
Mein armer Kopf ist mir verrückt,
mein armer Sinn ist mir zerstückt.

Meine Ruh’ ist hin, mein Herz ist schwer,
ich finde sie nimmer und nimmermehr.
Nach ihm nur schaue’ ich zum Fenster hinaus,
nach ihm nur geh’ ich aus dem Haus.
Sein hoher Gang, seine hohe Gestalt,
seines Mundes Lächeln, seiner Augen Gewalt,
und seiner Rede Zauberfluß,
sein Händedruck, und ach, sein Kuß!

Meine Ruh’ ist hin, mein Herz ist schwer,
ich finde sie nimmer und nimmermehr.
Mein Busen drängt sich zu ihm hin;
ach dürft’ ich fassen und halten ihn,
und küssen ihn, so wie ich wollt’,
an seinen Küssen vergehen sollt’.
Meine Ruh’ ist hin, mein Herz ist schwer.

English

My composure is gone, my heart is heavy
I search but can’t find her at all anymore
Since I don’t have him anymore, it’s the pits.
My whole world is embittered. My poor body is crazy.
My poor mind is overcome.
I watch out of the window only to see him
I leave the house just to look for him.
The sound of his step, his noble manner, his smiling mouth,
his virtuous power, his spellbinding repartee, the pressure
of his hands, and yes, ‘his kiss’.
My breast longs for him
Oh, if I could just grab him and hold him
and kiss him, just as I wish, I should die from his kisses,
die from his kisses.
Oh if I could kiss him, just as I wish,
I should die from his kisses…

 

Erfurt and Gera

English translation by Doug Becci

Honored mourners!
We find ourselves together today
to mourn the passing of our beloved
Christian Kiesling from Erfurt.
We gave the deceased our last escort
and give to the Heavenly Father
the care of his soul!

There’s a gravestone on the autobahn
between Erfurt and Gera
here died a poor critter
in an automobile accident, that was
pretty hard, devastating!

Oh Christian
died on the Autobahn
it was just a few weeks ago when he took off
from the East for the West
The escape attempt was classic
It was his first trip back
and immediately he broke his neck
From Wessi-Land to East-Berlin
between Erfurt and Gera
This destiny is a lesson to all.
Born in Erfurt, lost in Erfurt
He left with a group of seven
And all from Erfurt, in Erfurt different
Nothing’s left for me but loving memories
He was a braggart, a blowhard, a classic case
Spend, spend, spend and live like a playboy
Snuffed out in Erfurt

Quiet!
Or esle I’ll call the peoples-police.

Now, there’s a gravestone on the Autobahn,
between Erfurt and Gera.
So that it doesn’t happen to anyone else,
I’m taking over, as a converter.
And when you trade your Trabbies for BMW’s
you better listen to that little inner voice
you Easteners are racing to the West
to test your new wheels.
Now brakes on, hard, we’re not napping here
The Death-shroud industry is up and running,
and everything is so colorful here
the jaws of death open so quickly here

Oh Christian
died on the Autobahn
The “Bild am Sonntag” covered it fully
Don’t be led astray, you’re part of the intelligent ones

Show me your identity card!!
No, but I can give you a banana!

 

Original Album Lyric Sheets

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