Haunted German Ballad - LILOFEE

A wild water sprite was courting the king's daughter, the

beautiful young Lilofee, in the castle high above the lake

 

Down below in the deep lake she heard bells ringing and

wanted to see father & mother again - and as she stood

 

Before the gate of the castle high above the lake, all the

leaves and green grass parted before the beautiful young

 

Lilofee - and when she came out of church in front of the

castle high above the lake, there he stood again, the wild

 

Water Sprite, in front of the beautiful young Lilofee, ‘Speak,

do you want to leave the castle high above and go down

 

With me deep into the lake, your children below weep for

you, beautiful young Lilofee.’ ‘I shan’t let my little children

 

In the deep lake weep for me, I shall leave green leaves

and grass behind, poor me, young Lilofee’

 

[The full story - eerie and haunting]

 

The Wild Water Sprite & The Beautiful Young Lilofee

A wild water sprite came courting the beautiful, young Lilofee

in the castle high above the lake, he constructed a bridge in

front of the castle for her to walk on and then the water sprite

pulled her down in the deep where she spent seven years &

she gave him seven children, the beautiful, young Lilofee

 

One day she heard the bells chime above at the castle high

above the lake and wanted to see her mother and father and

when she left the church next to the castle the wild water sprite

was waiting for her - ‘Do you want to go down with me - your

children there are crying for you or let us split up the children

 

then I take three and you take three, and we shall divide the

seventh one, then I take half and you take half’ - she replied

‘Before dividing the children, I’d rather go back deep down

away from green grass and leaves, poor me, young Lilofee’

 

Example of Original German Volkslieder - LILOFEE

Es freit ein wilder Wassermann

in der Burg wohl über dem See.

Des Königs Tochter wollt er han,

Die schöne junge Lilofee.

 

Sie hörte drunten Glocken gehn

Im tiefen, tiefen See,

Wollt‘ Vater und Mutter wiedersehn,

Die schöne, junge Lilofee.

 

Und als sie vor dem Tore stand

Auf der Burg wohl über dem See,

Da neigt sich Laub und grünes Gras

Vor der schönen, jungen Lilofee.

 

Und als sie aus der Kirche kam

Vor der Burg wohl über dem See,

Da stand der wilde Wassermann

Vor der schönen, jungen Lilofee.

 

„Sprich, willst du hinuntergehn mit mir

Von der Burg wohl über dem See?

Deine Kindlein unten weinen nach dir,

Du schöne, junge Lilofee.

 

„Und eh ich die Kindlein weinen laß

Im tiefen, tiefen See, Scheid ich von

Laub und grünem Gras,

Ich arme, junge Lilofee.“

 

[aus der Gegend von Joachimsthal , 1813 – diese Version in

Zupfgeigenhansl 1908]

 

[The legend is represented in statues and architectural design

elements in the cities and parks of Germany]

 

[https://www.volksliederarchiv.de/es-freit-ein-wilder-wassermann-1813/]

[https://lilofee.kuschick.eu/biography/the-german-legend-of-lilofee/]