Ich lieb ein Mädchen

Ich lieb ein Mädchen, welches Margot heißt,
Sie hat zwei Brüste wie zwei Mandarinen.
Wenn wir der holden Göttin Venus dienen,
Wie gern mein Mund in diese Früchte beißt.

Ich lieb ein Mädchen, welches Margot heißt.
Doch wer sie liebt, muß sie zuweilen prügeln.
Es läßt sich leicht nicht ihre Wildheit zügeln,
Wenn man sie tändelnd nur als Eva preist.

Ich lieb ein Mädchen, welches Margot heißt,
Bewandert in den Liebesdialekten,
Die schon die alten Phrygier entdeckten.
(Gebenedeit sei ihr antiker Geist!)

Ich lieb ein Mädchen, welches Margot heißt.
Sie wohnt in einem schmutzigen Bordelle,
Man zieht an einer rostigen Klingelschelle,
Worauf Madam den Gast willkommen heißt.

Ich lieb ein Mädchen, welches Margot heißt.
Ich liebe diese ganz allein, nur diese.
Der Louis fand die passende Louise –
Bis man die Scherben auf den Müllplatz schmeißt...

I loved a girl who is called Margot,
Whose breasts are like two mandarin oranges.
When we serve the beautiful goddess Venus,
How gladly my mouth nibbles these fruits.

I loved a girl who is called Margot,
But he who loves her must also sometimes beat her.
One cannot easily restrain her ferocity;
If one dallies with her, as if only to praise an Eve.

I loved a girl who is called Margot,
Versed in the dialects of love,
Who easily appears as if of the ancient Phrygians. ^{[ 1 ]}
(Blessed be her ancient spirit!)

I loved a girl who is called Margot,
She lives in a dingy brothel,
One pulls on the rusty bell chain,
Whereupon Madam welcomes her guest.

I loved a girl who is called Margot,
I alone love her completely, only her.
A Louis has taken his appropriate Louise -
Until he discards the pieces in the dump ...

The limping between a real 3/4 and 6/8 divisions of the bar makes for an odd accompaniment.

As the verses pass, the accompaniment turns more "vaudeville," the strutting dotted rhythm imposing another texture onto what would otherwise be a simple set of strophes in song. From the sexy image of breast like mandarin oranges to the citation Greek love, the verses turn downward to the brothel and thence to that ease of discarding which Klabund captures in a last dark image or two.

The score is available as a free PDF download, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer. Click on the graphic below for this piano-vocal score.

NOTES

^{[ 1 ]} The sarcasm here is that among the Phrygian stories of love is that of Philemon and Baucis, who were visited by Zeus and Hermes dressed as beggars, tested and proved worthy and long lived. Of course the contrast between stories is intended, as Margot the prostitute was once perhaps but is indeed no longer a "Mädchen."