In Des Leavah/In This Life (a Pennsylvania Dutch Poem)

 I have not written a poem in my 'mudda-tsoong'/'mother-tongue' for a few years 😊

side-note; spell-check went completely NUTS as I typed this😁

In des leavah veadt ma ivrich

Un uft ganz katz oof gadult

So feel es ma net begrivah

So feel kshengt un so feel shuldt

In des leavah full mit droovel

Veaht a lot yisht rum gesowd

Gvicht tsu shveah fa heartz un boogel

Von ma net da goot Gott drowd

In des leavah fiind ma immah

Feel, so feel fa dank-fouwa sie

Immah hut ebbah’s feel shlimmah

Ach, ma set mae dank-bouwa sie

In des leaveh set ma beveada

Fa froh sie mitt vos ma hutt

Un alles shuunsht yisht tsu-fon-drowa

Tsu da goot un lieblich Gott

© Janet Martin

(English translation)

In this life we get worked up

And often really short on patience

So much that we cannot grasp

So much gifted, so much debt

In this life full of trouble

There’s a lot of rushing around

Weight too heavy for heart and back

If we do not good God trust

In this life we always find

Much, so much to be thankful for

Always someone is far worse off

Oh, we should be more thankful

In this life we should try

To be glad with what we have

And everything else just entrust

To a good and loving God

© Janet Martin

...and a song for fun!