Literary
Although he wrote some poetry and verse as a young child, Birmelin did not begin writing again until the later years of his life. During the early 1930s, Birmelin's poetry was included as part of "'S Pennsylvaanisch Deitsch Eck" ("The Pennsylvania Dutch Corner") column in The Morning Call, and writings from Birmelin were in 62 of the first 100 published columns. His most commercially successful work was Mammi Gans: The Dialect Nursery Rhymes of John Birmelin, a Pennsylvania German translation of many of the Mother Goose nursery rhymes. Birmelin's poetry often dealt with aspects of Pennsylvania German life and history. "Gwendeltee", one of his earliest works, is a poem about a beautiful Pennsylvania German girl on a farm. "Regina Hartmann" tells about the return of a Pennsylvania German girl taken prisoner during the French and Indian War. "Der Laaf Kaaf" pertains to the Walking Purchase.
John Birmelin's Pennsylvania German translation of the song "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" (often known as "America") was, and still remains, regularly sung at Fersommling and other Pennsylvania German events:
| “ | Mei Land, ich sing von dir, Siess iss die Freiheet mir, Do will ich sei; So wie die alde Leit, So fiehl ich aa noch heit, Bin dir zu yedre Zeit Immer gedrei. An Felsebaerrye naus, Iwwer die Wolke drauss, Ring Freiheetsklang! Winters im diefe Schnee, Summers wann's Feld mit Glee, O Land, wie bischt du schee, Kling Freiheets Gsang! Unsrer Voreldre Gott, Fiehr uns in yedre Not, An deinre Hand! So lang mir dir gedrei, Bleibt des Land gross un frei; Du sollscht uns Keenich sei, Schutz unserm Land. |
” |
Read more about this topic: John Birmelin
Famous quotes containing the word literary:
“This great kindness pervades Chekhov’s literary work, but it is not a matter of program or of literary message with him, but simply the natural coloration of his talent.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)
“The further our civilization advances upon its present lines so much the cheaper sort of thing does “fame” become, especially of the literary sort. This species of “fame” a waggish acquaintance says can be manufactured to order, and sometimes is so manufactured.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“The [Loyal] legion has taken the place of the club—the famous Cincinnati Literary Club—in my affections.... The military circles are interested in the same things with myself, and so we endure, if not enjoy, each other.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)