Dandelion Posted May 23, 2003 Share Posted May 23, 2003 Hi all This might strike some as slightly morbid, but I am curious about what songs and traditions were used by allied troops (all nationalities) when burying the fallen. Both melody and lyric, if any, would be interesting to know. Germans used - catholic of protestant made no difference - "Ich hatt' einem Kameraden", which I have the feeling many here already knows. Goes like this (at very slow step): Ich hatt' einen Kameraden, Einen bessern findst du nit. Die Trommel schlug zum Streite, Er ging an meiner Seite In gleichem Schritt und Tritt. In gleichem Schritt und Tritt. Eine Kugel kam geflogen: Gilt's mir oder gilt es dir? Ihn hat es weggerissen, Er liegt vor meinen Füßen Als wär's ein Stück von mir Als wär's ein Stück von mir Will mir die Hand noch reichen, Derweil ich eben lad'. "Kann dir die Hand nicht geben, Bleib du im ew'gen Leben Mein guter Kamerad!" Mein guter Kamerad!" Translated (more or less literally, and unprofessionally - I'm sure there's a better translation out there) I had a friend The best of friends When the drums sounded [to arms] He was always by my side At the same pace and step At the same pace and step A bullet came flying Had it my name or yours? His was the life torn away He fell by my feet As if a part of me As if a part of me He tries to stretch me his hand But I have to reload "Can't lend you my hand, wait for me in eternity, My good friend!" My good friend!" [The stretching and lending of hands are figures of speech just as in English - it means the fallen friend needs help, but that the storyteller is powerless to help, but then again will soon die himself anyway so maybe it does not matter much, sort of] I have the soundfile on it if anybody wants it. No copyright to fear. The American, English, Canadian, French and Polish counterparts? Regards Dandelion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John D Salt Posted May 23, 2003 Share Posted May 23, 2003 Originally posted by Dandelion: Hi all This might strike some as slightly morbid, but I am curious about what songs and traditions were used by allied troops (all nationalities) when burying the fallen. Both melody and lyric, if any, would be interesting to know. [snips] British military funeral traditions are probably shared fairly closely by other Commonwealth countries. The music for the occasion would, if at all possible, include the sounding of the Last Post. A QuickTime recording of a very fine rendition of the Last Post by a bugler from RMC Duntroon is available at: http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/last_post.htm The site includes a number of excellent short pieces describing various elements of the Australian tradition of remembrance, which bears strong similarities to the British. The traditional Highland lament "The Flowers of the Forest" is particularly associated with military funerals, and one would not have to be a member of a Scottish regiment to have this piped. "The Flowers of the Forest" can be heard at http://www.excaliburknights.com/highland/scottish%20music/ The lone piper version is probably more like the sort of thing one would hear at a military funeral. There are at least two sets of words to "The Flowers of the Forest", but I have never heard of anyone attempting to sing them. One long-standing tradition, which seems now to have changed, was that British battle dead lie where they fall. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission therefore has to look after war cemeteries spread all over the world. It does a very good job of it, too. The goverments of countries such as France, Belgium and the Netherlands have given the ground on which these cemeteries stand as a gift in perpetuity to the people of Britain. The poetic description of "some corner of a foreign field that is forever England" -- or Scotland, or Ireland, or Wales -- has thus become literally true. A few years ago, trundling over the Normandy battlefields around Ranville under the expert guidance of Col. Mike Chilcott, the folks in my party had it explained to us that, after WW1, Kipling and Lutyens did much of the early work setting up the CWGC. Given that "One is closer to God in a garden/Than anywhere else on Earth", they decided to aim for an intimate, garden-like atmosphere, rather than one of monumental triumphalism. Their idea was that the shadow of a rose should fall on every soldier's grave each day. At this point, Colonel Mike directed our attention to a couple of British gravestones that had, at the request of the villagers, been left inside a French churchyard. "Those", he said, pointing in the direction of the CWGC cemetery nearby, "are British flowers." Then he stabbed a finger in the direction of the headstones in the churchyard: "And those", he said, "are French". We could see that the graves were each decorated with a small posy of cut flowers. The flowers could hardly have been more than a day old. All the best, John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted May 23, 2003 Share Posted May 23, 2003 "Flowers of the Forest" is indeed the standard for Highland Regiments in Canada also, played on the bagpipes. The lament is followed by two minutes silence, and then reveillie ("Johnny Cope" in most regiments) which is a reminder that life goes on for the rest of us. I've played the lament/reveillie a few times, at regimental commemorative parades when the wreath is laid at the altar. I like Ich Hatt Einen Kameraden a lot, though. For everyone else in the Canadian forces - all three services - Last Post on the bugle, followed by silence and then Reveillie (not the same as the American bugle call of the same name) is traditional. EDIT - ugh, midi files. The link John gave to Flowers of the Forest is probably the only one you'll find on the net, and does give an indication of the basic melody, but does nothing to capture what an actual Highland Bagpipe sounds like. Best to experience it - like many things in life - in person. [ May 23, 2003, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: Michael Dorosh ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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