‘Siss nau Hanning un es Yaahr un die Zeit gehne schtarrick vorbei. Wann die Zeit so laaft, denk ich oft uff die Zeit un wie alt ich, mei Familye, un mei Freinde sin. Awwer wie alt mer iss, iss yuscht en Nummer gell? Ich kenn Leit die iwwer 80 Yaahre alt sin, awwer sie behave sich wie sie 20 sei waerre. Un ich kenn leit die 40 sin awwer sie behave sich ass sie 70 sei waerre. Du weesscht graad was ich mehn…’siss yuscht en Nummer. Es gebt en gudi Gedicht iwwer selle Topic vun dem Ralph S. Funk (1889-1969). Er waar in Stockerton, Nordhampton Kaunty gebore. Schpeeder waar er en Civil Engineer fer verschiddliche Riggelwege. In sei Lewe hot er 331 Gedichte in re Mudderschprooch gschriwwe. Do iss sei Gedicht: “Wie alt bischt du?”
Wie alt bischt du?
Es iss en Eegenschaft der Sinn –
Wann all dei Draam vergesse sin
Un Hoffnung kalt;
Wann’d nimmi guckscht in Zukunft nei,
Un all dei Eifer iss verbei,
Dann bischt du alt.
Wann’d awwer’s Bescht aus Lewe grickscht,
Wann’d lache kannscht un freindlich bischt,
Wann’s Hatz Lieb halt;
Noh macht’s nix aus wie Yaahre gehn,
Wie oft Gebottsdaag vor dir schtehn –
Du bischt net alt!
Do iss en Audio Klip:
It is now February and the year and the time is going quickly by. When time goes like that, I often think about time and how old I, my family, and my friends are. But how old one is, is just a number, isn’t it? I know people that are over 80 years old but they behave like they were 20. Un ich kenn leit die 40 sin awwer behave sich ass sie 70 sei waerre. You know exactly what I mean….it is just a number. There is a good poem about that topic from Ralph S. Funk (1889-1969). He was born in Stockerton, Northampton county. Later he was a civil engineer for various railroads. In his lifetime he wrote 331 poems in our mouther tongue. Here is his poem: “How old are you?”
How old are you?
It is an attribute of the mind –
If you forget all your dreams
and hope is cold;
If you never look into the future,
And all of your zeal is gone,
Then you are old.
But if you get the best out of life,
If you laugh when you can and are friendly,
If you heart has love;
Now it doesn’t matter how years pass,
How often birthdays stood before you –
You are not old!